diff --git a/src/database/keyval.rs b/src/database/keyval.rs
index c9d25977..a288f184 100644
--- a/src/database/keyval.rs
+++ b/src/database/keyval.rs
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@ use serde::Deserialize;
 
 use crate::de;
 
-pub(crate) type OwnedKeyVal = (Vec<u8>, Vec<u8>);
-pub(crate) type OwnedKey = Vec<u8>;
-pub(crate) type OwnedVal = Vec<u8>;
-
 pub type KeyVal<'a, K = &'a Slice, V = &'a Slice> = (Key<'a, K>, Val<'a, V>);
 pub type Key<'a, T = &'a Slice> = T;
 pub type Val<'a, T = &'a Slice> = T;
@@ -72,10 +68,6 @@ where
 	de::from_slice::<V>(val)
 }
 
-#[inline]
-#[must_use]
-pub fn to_owned(kv: KeyVal<'_>) -> OwnedKeyVal { (kv.0.to_owned(), kv.1.to_owned()) }
-
 #[inline]
 pub fn key<K, V>(kv: KeyVal<'_, K, V>) -> Key<'_, K> { kv.0 }
 
diff --git a/src/database/map/get.rs b/src/database/map/get.rs
index 71489402..72382e36 100644
--- a/src/database/map/get.rs
+++ b/src/database/map/get.rs
@@ -3,14 +3,12 @@ use std::{convert::AsRef, fmt::Debug, future::Future, io::Write};
 use arrayvec::ArrayVec;
 use conduit::{err, implement, Result};
 use futures::future::ready;
+use rocksdb::DBPinnableSlice;
 use serde::Serialize;
 
-use crate::{
-	keyval::{OwnedKey, OwnedVal},
-	ser,
-	util::{map_err, or_else},
-	Handle,
-};
+use crate::{ser, util, Handle};
+
+type RocksdbResult<'a> = Result<Option<DBPinnableSlice<'a>>, rocksdb::Error>;
 
 /// Fetch a value from the database into cache, returning a reference-handle
 /// asynchronously. The key is serialized into an allocated buffer to perform
@@ -68,17 +66,17 @@ pub fn get_blocking<K>(&self, key: &K) -> Result<Handle<'_>>
 where
 	K: AsRef<[u8]> + ?Sized + Debug,
 {
-	self.db
+	let res = self
 		.db
-		.get_pinned_cf_opt(&self.cf(), key, &self.read_options)
-		.map_err(map_err)?
-		.map(Handle::from)
-		.ok_or(err!(Request(NotFound("Not found in database"))))
+		.db
+		.get_pinned_cf_opt(&self.cf(), key, &self.read_options);
+
+	into_result_handle(res)
 }
 
 #[implement(super::Map)]
 #[tracing::instrument(skip(self, keys), fields(%self), level = "trace")]
-pub fn get_batch_blocking<'a, I, K>(&self, keys: I) -> Vec<Option<OwnedVal>>
+pub fn get_batch_blocking<'a, I, K>(&self, keys: I) -> Vec<Result<Handle<'_>>>
 where
 	I: Iterator<Item = &'a K> + ExactSizeIterator + Send + Debug,
 	K: AsRef<[u8]> + Sized + Debug + 'a,
@@ -87,19 +85,18 @@ where
 	// comparator**.
 	const SORTED: bool = false;
 
-	let mut ret: Vec<Option<OwnedKey>> = Vec::with_capacity(keys.len());
 	let read_options = &self.read_options;
-	for res in self
-		.db
+	self.db
 		.db
 		.batched_multi_get_cf_opt(&self.cf(), keys, SORTED, read_options)
-	{
-		match res {
-			Ok(Some(res)) => ret.push(Some((*res).to_vec())),
-			Ok(None) => ret.push(None),
-			Err(e) => or_else(e).expect("database multiget error"),
-		}
-	}
-
-	ret
+		.into_iter()
+		.map(into_result_handle)
+		.collect()
+}
+
+fn into_result_handle(result: RocksdbResult<'_>) -> Result<Handle<'_>> {
+	result
+		.map_err(util::map_err)?
+		.map(Handle::from)
+		.ok_or(err!(Request(NotFound("Not found in database"))))
 }
diff --git a/src/service/rooms/short/mod.rs b/src/service/rooms/short/mod.rs
index 66da3948..825ee109 100644
--- a/src/service/rooms/short/mod.rs
+++ b/src/service/rooms/short/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
-use conduit::{err, implement, utils, Error, Result};
+use conduit::{err, implement, utils, Result};
 use database::{Deserialized, Map};
 use ruma::{events::StateEventType, EventId, RoomId};
 
@@ -69,41 +69,26 @@ pub async fn get_or_create_shorteventid(&self, event_id: &EventId) -> u64 {
 
 #[implement(Service)]
 pub async fn multi_get_or_create_shorteventid(&self, event_ids: &[&EventId]) -> Vec<u64> {
-	let mut ret: Vec<u64> = Vec::with_capacity(event_ids.len());
-	let keys = event_ids
-		.iter()
-		.map(|id| id.as_bytes())
-		.collect::<Vec<&[u8]>>();
-
-	for (i, short) in self
-		.db
+	self.db
 		.eventid_shorteventid
-		.get_batch_blocking(keys.iter())
-		.iter()
+		.get_batch_blocking(event_ids.iter())
+		.into_iter()
 		.enumerate()
-	{
-		match short {
-			Some(short) => ret.push(
-				utils::u64_from_bytes(short)
-					.map_err(|_| Error::bad_database("Invalid shorteventid in db."))
-					.unwrap(),
-			),
-			None => {
+		.map(|(i, result)| match result {
+			Ok(ref short) => utils::u64_from_u8(short),
+			Err(_) => {
 				let short = self.services.globals.next_count().unwrap();
 				self.db
 					.eventid_shorteventid
-					.insert(keys[i], &short.to_be_bytes());
+					.insert(event_ids[i], &short.to_be_bytes());
 				self.db
 					.shorteventid_eventid
-					.insert(&short.to_be_bytes(), keys[i]);
+					.insert(&short.to_be_bytes(), event_ids[i]);
 
-				debug_assert!(ret.len() == i, "position of result must match input");
-				ret.push(short);
+				short
 			},
-		}
-	}
-
-	ret
+		})
+		.collect()
 }
 
 #[implement(Service)]