diff --git a/core/index.cpp b/core/index.cpp
index 93b75044..4fbb9a8b 100644
--- a/core/index.cpp
+++ b/core/index.cpp
@@ -4,48 +4,46 @@
 #include <core/index.h>
 
 
-index_entry :: index_entry()
+static struct index_entry *__index_alloc(gchar *key)
 {
-	ie_set = SET_INIT();
+	struct index_entry *ent = new struct index_entry;
+	dbe_init(&ent->ie_dbe, ent);
+	ent->ie_set = SET_INIT();
+	ent->ie_key = key;
+	return ent;
 }
 
 static struct db_entry *index_alloc(const gchar *key)
 {
-	struct index_entry *ent = new struct index_entry;
-	ent->ie_key = key;
-	return ent;
+	return &__index_alloc(g_strdup(key))->ie_dbe;
 }
 
 static void index_free(struct db_entry *dbe)
 {
-	struct index_entry *ent = (struct index_entry *)dbe;
+	struct index_entry *ent = INDEX_ENTRY(dbe);
 	set_deinit(&ent->ie_set);
-	delete (struct index_entry *)dbe;
+	delete ent;
 }
 
 static gchar *index_key(struct db_entry *dbe)
 {
-	struct index_entry *ent = (struct index_entry *)dbe;
-	return g_strdup(ent->ie_key.c_str());
+	return INDEX_ENTRY(dbe)->ie_key;
 }
 
 static void index_write(struct file *file, struct db_entry *dbe)
 {
-	struct index_entry *ent = (struct index_entry *)dbe;
-	file_writef(file, "%s\n" , ent->ie_key.c_str());
-	set_write(file, &ent->ie_set);
+	file_writef(file, "%s\n" , INDEX_ENTRY(dbe)->ie_key);
+	set_write(file, &INDEX_ENTRY(dbe)->ie_set);
 }
 
 static struct db_entry *index_read(struct file *file)
 {
-	struct index_entry *ent = new index_entry;
 	gchar *key = file_readl(file);
+	struct index_entry *ent;
 
-	ent->ie_key = key;
-	g_free(key);
-
+	ent = __index_alloc(key);
 	set_read(file, &ent->ie_set);
-	return ent;
+	return &ent->ie_dbe;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/include/core/index.h b/include/core/index.h
index 5d1a697b..8ab48b9a 100644
--- a/include/core/index.h
+++ b/include/core/index.h
@@ -16,14 +16,13 @@ extern "C" {
  * The index_entry struct is used to associate a specific key with a set of
  * integer identifiers.  This lets us use a Database as an inverted index.
  */
-struct index_entry : public db_entry {
-	std::string ie_key;
-	struct set  ie_set;
-
-	index_entry(); /**< Create an empty IndexEntry. */
+struct index_entry {
+	gchar     *ie_key;
+	struct set ie_set;
+	struct db_entry ie_dbe;
 };
 
-#define INDEX_ENTRY(dbe) ((struct index_entry *)dbe)
+#define INDEX_ENTRY(dbe) ((struct index_entry *)DBE_DATA(dbe))
 
 
 /* Initialize a database for use as an index. */
diff --git a/tests/core/index.cpp b/tests/core/index.cpp
index 7e057a13..b576ee75 100644
--- a/tests/core/index.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/index.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ static void test_entry()
 	unsigned int i;
 	struct file f;
 
-	ie = (index_entry *)index_ops->dbe_alloc("Link");
-	test_str_equal(index_ops->dbe_key(ie), "Link");
+	ie = INDEX_ENTRY(index_ops->dbe_alloc("Link"));
+	test_equal(index_ops->dbe_key(&ie->ie_dbe), "Link");
 	set_insert(&ie->ie_set, 0);
 	set_insert(&ie->ie_set, 1);
 	set_insert(&ie->ie_set, 2);
@@ -29,18 +29,21 @@ static void test_entry()
 	file_init(&f, "index_entry", 0);
 	file_open(&f, OPEN_WRITE);
 	file_writef(&f, "Zelda\n0 \n");
-	index_ops->dbe_write(&f, ie);
+	index_ops->dbe_write(&f, &ie->ie_dbe);
 	file_close(&f);
-	index_ops->dbe_free(ie);
+	g_free(ie->ie_key);
+	index_ops->dbe_free(&ie->ie_dbe);
 
 	file_open(&f, OPEN_READ);
-	ie = (struct index_entry *)index_ops->dbe_read(&f);
-	test_str_equal(index_ops->dbe_key(ie), "Zelda");
+	ie = INDEX_ENTRY(index_ops->dbe_read(&f));
+	test_equal(index_ops->dbe_key(&ie->ie_dbe), "Zelda");
 	test_equal(set_size(&ie->ie_set), 0);
-	index_ops->dbe_free(ie);
+	g_free(ie->ie_key);
+	index_ops->dbe_free(&ie->ie_dbe);
 
-	ie = (struct index_entry *)index_ops->dbe_read(&f);
-	test_str_equal(index_ops->dbe_key(ie), "Link");
+	ie = INDEX_ENTRY(index_ops->dbe_read(&f));
+	test_equal(ie->ie_key, "Link");
+	test_equal(index_ops->dbe_key(&ie->ie_dbe), "Link");
 	test_equal(set_size(&ie->ie_set), 3);
 	file_close(&f);
 
@@ -50,7 +53,8 @@ static void test_entry()
 		i++;
 	} test_loop_passed();
 
-	index_ops->dbe_free(ie);
+	g_free(ie->ie_key);
+	index_ops->dbe_free(&ie->ie_dbe);
 }
 
 static void test_stress(unsigned int N)
@@ -58,20 +62,20 @@ static void test_stress(unsigned int N)
 	const struct db_ops *index_ops = test_index_ops();
 	struct database index;
 	index_entry *ie, *ie2;
-	std::string key;
 	unsigned int i;
+	gchar key[2] = "";
 	char c;
 
 	index_init(&index, "stress.idx", false);
 
 	/* index_insert() */
 	for (c = 'a'; c <= 'z'; c++) {
-		key = c;
-		ie = index_insert(&index, key.c_str(), 0);
+		g_strlcpy(key, &c, 2);
+		ie = index_insert(&index, key, 0);
 		test_loop_not_equal(ie, NULL, c - 'a');
-		test_loop_str_equal(index_ops->dbe_key(ie), key, c - 'a');
+		test_loop_equal(index_ops->dbe_key(&ie->ie_dbe), key, c - 'a');
 		for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
-			ie2 = index_insert(&index, key.c_str(), i);
+			ie2 = index_insert(&index, key, i);
 		test_loop_equal(ie, ie2, c - 'a');
 		test_loop_equal(set_size(&ie->ie_set), N, c - 'a');
 		test_loop_equal(index.db_size, c - 'a' + 1, c - 'a');
@@ -80,18 +84,18 @@ static void test_stress(unsigned int N)
 
 	/* index_has() */
 	for (c = 'a'; c <= 'z'; c += 4) {
-		key = c;
+		g_strlcpy(key, &c, 2);
 		for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
-			test_loop_equal(index_has(&index, key.c_str(), i), true, i);
-		test_loop_equal(index_has(&index, key.c_str(), N), false, c - 'a');
+			test_loop_equal(index_has(&index, key, i), true, i);
+		test_loop_equal(index_has(&index, key, N), false, c - 'a');
 	} test_loop_passed();
 
 	/* index_remove() */
 	for (c = 'a'; c <= 'z'; c += 4) {
-		key = c;
+		g_strlcpy(key, &c, 2);
 		for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
-			index_remove(&index, key.c_str(), i);
-		ie = INDEX_ENTRY(db_find(&index, key.c_str()));
+			index_remove(&index, key, i);
+		ie = INDEX_ENTRY(db_find(&index, key));
 		test_loop_not_equal(ie, NULL, c - 'a');
 		test_loop_equal(set_size(&ie->ie_set), 0, c - 'a');
 	} test_loop_passed();