diff --git a/core/database.cpp b/core/database.cpp
index 5e16eb2a..2c1ecf40 100644
--- a/core/database.cpp
+++ b/core/database.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
  */
 #include <core/database.h>
 
+#define DB_ENTRY_AT(db, index) \
+	(struct db_entry *)g_ptr_array_index(db->db_entries, index)
+
 
 db_entry :: db_entry()
 	       : dbe_index(0), dbe_key(NULL)
@@ -17,7 +20,7 @@ static void __dbe_free(struct database *db, struct db_entry *dbe)
 		db->db_keys.erase(dbe->dbe_key);
 		g_free(dbe->dbe_key);
 
-		db->db_entries[dbe->dbe_index] = NULL;
+		g_ptr_array_index(db->db_entries, dbe->dbe_index) = NULL;
 		db->db_ops->dbe_free(dbe);
 
 		db->db_size--;
@@ -26,9 +29,12 @@ static void __dbe_free(struct database *db, struct db_entry *dbe)
 
 struct db_entry *__dbe_next(const struct database *db, unsigned int index)
 {
-	for (; index < db->db_entries.size(); index++) {
-		if (db->db_entries[index])
-			return db->db_entries[index];
+	if (!db->db_entries)
+		return NULL;
+
+	for (; index < db->db_entries->len; index++) {
+		if (DB_ENTRY_AT(db, index))
+			return DB_ENTRY_AT(db, index);
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }
@@ -42,13 +48,13 @@ static struct db_entry *__dbe_read(struct database *db, unsigned int index)
 	if (valid)
 		dbe = db->db_ops->dbe_read(&db->db_file);
 
-	db->db_entries[index] = dbe;
+	g_ptr_array_index(db->db_entries, index) = dbe;
 	return dbe;
 }
 
 static void __dbe_setup(struct database *db, unsigned int index)
 {
-	struct db_entry *dbe = db->db_entries[index];
+	struct db_entry *dbe = DB_ENTRY_AT(db, index);
 
 	if (dbe) {
 		dbe->dbe_index = index;
@@ -76,14 +82,19 @@ void db_init(struct database *db, const char *filepath, bool autosave,
 	db->db_ops  = ops;
 	db->db_size = 0;
 	db->db_autosave = autosave;
+	db->db_entries  = g_ptr_array_new();
 	file_init(&db->db_file, filepath, 0);
 }
 
 void db_deinit(struct database *db)
 {
 	struct db_entry *dbe, *next;
+
 	db_for_each(dbe, next, db)
 		__dbe_free(db, dbe);
+
+	g_ptr_array_free(db->db_entries, true);
+	db->db_entries = NULL;
 }
 
 void db_save(struct database *db)
@@ -93,7 +104,7 @@ void db_save(struct database *db)
 
 	file_writef(&db->db_file, "%u\n", db_actual_size(db));
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < db_actual_size(db); i++)
-		__dbe_write(db, db->db_entries[i]);
+		__dbe_write(db, DB_ENTRY_AT(db, i));
 
 	file_close(&db->db_file);
 }
@@ -112,7 +123,7 @@ void db_load(struct database *db)
 		return;
 
 	file_readf(&db->db_file, "%u", &size);
-	db->db_entries.resize(size);
+	g_ptr_array_set_size(db->db_entries, size);
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
 		if (__dbe_read(db, i))
 			__dbe_setup(db, i);
@@ -124,7 +135,7 @@ void db_load(struct database *db)
 struct db_entry *db_insert(struct database *db, struct db_entry *item)
 {
 	if (item) {
-		db->db_entries.push_back(item);
+		g_ptr_array_add(db->db_entries, item);
 		__dbe_setup(db, db_actual_size(db) - 1);
 		db_autosave(db);
 	}
@@ -143,7 +154,9 @@ void db_remove(struct database *db, struct db_entry *item)
 
 unsigned int db_actual_size(const struct database *db)
 {
-	return db->db_entries.size();
+	if (db->db_entries)
+		return db->db_entries->len;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 struct db_entry *db_first(const struct database *db)
@@ -162,7 +175,7 @@ struct db_entry *db_at(struct database *db, unsigned int index)
 {
 	if (index >= db_actual_size(db))
 		return NULL;
-	return db->db_entries[index];
+	return DB_ENTRY_AT(db, index);
 }
 
 struct db_entry *db_get(struct database *db, const gchar *key)
@@ -171,7 +184,7 @@ struct db_entry *db_get(struct database *db, const gchar *key)
 	it = db->db_keys.find(key);
 	if (it == db->db_keys.end())
 		return NULL;
-	return db->db_entries[it->second];
+	return DB_ENTRY_AT(db, it->second);
 }
 
 struct db_entry *db_find(struct database *db, const gchar *key)
diff --git a/include/core/database.h b/include/core/database.h
index ba85afcb..b88a6431 100644
--- a/include/core/database.h
+++ b/include/core/database.h
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ extern "C" {
 }
 
 #include <map>
-#include <vector>
 
 /**
  * The DatabaseEntry class is the base class for storing
@@ -67,9 +66,9 @@ struct database {
 	unsigned int db_size;     /* The database's count of valid entries.   */
 	bool         db_autosave; /* True if the database saves when changed. */
 	struct file  db_file;     /* The database's associated file object.   */
+	GPtrArray   *db_entries;  /* The database's backing array.            */
 
 	const struct db_ops *db_ops; /* The database's operations vector.     */
-	std::vector<struct db_entry *> db_entries;
 	std::map<const std::string, unsigned int> db_keys;
 };
 
@@ -83,7 +82,6 @@ void db_init(struct database *, const char *, bool, const struct db_ops *);
 /* Called to prevent memory leaks by freeing all remaining database entries. */
 void db_deinit(struct database *);
 
-
 /* Called to write the database to disk. */
 void db_save(struct database *);
 
diff --git a/tests/core/database.cpp b/tests/core/database.cpp
index 7816169b..39037cd9 100644
--- a/tests/core/database.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/database.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 #include <vector>
 
-
 /*
  * Derive a db_entry for storing integerss
  */
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ static void test_init()
 	db_init(&db, "init.db", false, &int_ops);
 
 	/* Check initial sizes. */
-	test_equal(db.db_entries.size(), 0);
+	test_equal(db.db_entries->len, 0);
 	test_equal(db.db_keys.size(), 0);
 	test_equal(db.db_size, 0);
 	test_equal(db.db_autosave, false);
@@ -219,7 +218,7 @@ static void test_stress(unsigned int N)
 
 	db_deinit(&db);
 	test_equal(db.db_size, 0);
-	test_equal(db_actual_size(&db), N + 1);
+	test_equal(db_actual_size(&db), 0);
 	test_equal(db_first(&db), NULL);
 	test_equal(test_free_count, N + 1);
 }
@@ -256,6 +255,7 @@ static void test_save_load()
 		db_remove(&db1, db_at(&db1, i));
 
 	db_deinit(&db2);
+	db2.db_entries = g_ptr_array_new();
 	test_setup_count = 0;
 	db_load(&db2);
 	test_equal(db2.db_size, N / 2);
@@ -275,11 +275,13 @@ static void test_save_load()
 		db_remove(&db1, db_at(&db1, i));
 
 	db_deinit(&db2);
+	db2.db_entries = g_ptr_array_new();
 	db_load(&db2);
 	test_equal(db2.db_size, N / 2);
 
 	db_save(&db1);
 	db_deinit(&db2);
+	db2.db_entries = g_ptr_array_new();
 	db_load(&db2);
 
 	i = 1;
diff --git a/tests/core/tags/library.cpp b/tests/core/tags/library.cpp
index 31453b36..5c0f3cbe 100644
--- a/tests/core/tags/library.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/tags/library.cpp
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ static void test_library_db()
 
 	library_db_deinit();
 	db_deinit(&library_db);
+	library_db.db_entries = g_ptr_array_new();
 	db_load(&library_db);
 	test_equal(library_db.db_size, 0);
 }