diff --git a/core/datastore.go b/core/datastore.go
index b6f9a5523..80af459f0 100644
--- a/core/datastore.go
+++ b/core/datastore.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func makeDatastore(cfg config.Datastore) (ds.ThreadSafeDatastore, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		ktd := ktds.WrapDatastore(d, u.DsKeyB58Encode)
+		ktd := ktds.Wrap(d, u.B58KeyConverter)
 		return syncds.MutexWrap(ktd), nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/util/key.go b/util/key.go
index 075b73c45..c2a5fcd7e 100644
--- a/util/key.go
+++ b/util/key.go
@@ -29,24 +29,30 @@ func KeyFromDsKey(dsk ds.Key) Key {
 	return Key(dsk.BaseNamespace())
 }
 
-// DsKeyB58Encode returns a B58 encoded Datastore key
+// B58KeyConverter -- for KeyTransform datastores
+// (static as only one obj needed)
+var B58KeyConverter = b58KeyConverter{}
+
+type b58KeyConverter struct{}
+
+// ConvertKey returns a B58 encoded Datastore key
 // TODO: this is hacky because it encodes every path component. some
 // path components may be proper strings already...
-func DsKeyB58Encode(dsk ds.Key) ds.Key {
+func (b58KeyConverter) ConvertKey(dsk ds.Key) ds.Key {
 	k := ds.NewKey("/")
 	for _, n := range dsk.Namespaces() {
-		k = k.Child(b58.Encode([]byte(n)))
+		k = k.ChildString(b58.Encode([]byte(n)))
 	}
 	return k
 }
 
-// DsKeyB58Decode returns a b58 decoded Datastore key
+// InvertKey returns a b58 decoded Datastore key
 // TODO: this is hacky because it encodes every path component. some
 // path components may be proper strings already...
-func DsKeyB58Decode(dsk ds.Key) ds.Key {
+func (b58KeyConverter) InvertKey(dsk ds.Key) ds.Key {
 	k := ds.NewKey("/")
 	for _, n := range dsk.Namespaces() {
-		k = k.Child(string(b58.Decode(n)))
+		k = k.ChildString(string(b58.Decode(n)))
 	}
 	return k
 }