diff --git a/src/ffi.rs b/src/ffi.rs
index d44fd9c..dfca528 100644
--- a/src/ffi.rs
+++ b/src/ffi.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ extern {
         ) -> *const c_char,
         partial_merge: extern fn(
             arg: *mut c_void, key: *const c_char, key_len: size_t,
-            operands_list: *const c_void, operands_list_len: *const c_void,
+            operands_list: *const *const c_char, operands_list_len: *const size_t,
             num_operands: c_int,
             success: *mut u8, new_value_length: *mut size_t
         ) -> *const c_char,
diff --git a/src/rocksdb.rs b/src/rocksdb.rs
index 0047017..c855918 100644
--- a/src/rocksdb.rs
+++ b/src/rocksdb.rs
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ impl RocksDBOptions {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn set_merge_operator(&self, mo: rocksdb_ffi::RocksDBMergeOperator) {
+    pub fn add_merge_operator(&self, name: &[str], merge_fn: for <'b> fn (String, Option<String>, &mut MergeOperands) -> &'b [u8]) {
         unsafe {
-            rocksdb_ffi::rocksdb_options_set_merge_operator(self.inner, mo);
+            let mo = MergeOperator::new(name, merge_fn);
+            rocksdb_ffi::rocksdb_options_set_merge_operator(self.inner, mo.mo);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -355,20 +356,6 @@ fn external() {
     assert!(RocksDB::destroy(opts, path).is_ok());
 }
 
-extern "C" fn null_destructor(args: *mut c_void) {
-    println!("in null_destructor");
-}
-extern "C" fn mergeoperator_name(args: *mut c_void) -> *const c_char {
-    println!("in mergeoperator_name");
-    let name = "test_mo".to_c_str();
-    unsafe {
-        let buf = libc::malloc(8 as size_t);
-        ptr::copy_memory(&mut *buf, name.as_ptr() as *const c_void, 8);
-        println!("returning from mergeoperator_name");
-        buf as *const c_char
-    }
-}
-
 struct MergeOperands<'a> {
     operands_list: *const *const c_char,
     operands_list_len: *const size_t,
@@ -389,7 +376,7 @@ impl <'a> MergeOperands<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-impl <'a> Iterator<&'a [u8]> for MergeOperands<'a> {
+impl <'a> Iterator<&'a [u8]> for &'a mut MergeOperands<'a> {
     fn next(&mut self) -> Option<&'a [u8]> {
         use std::raw::Slice;
         match self.cursor == self.num_operands {
@@ -418,70 +405,114 @@ impl <'a> Iterator<&'a [u8]> for MergeOperands<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-extern "C" fn full_merge(
-    arg: *mut c_void, key: *const c_char, key_len: size_t,
-    existing_value: *const c_char, existing_value_len: size_t,
-    operands_list: *const *const c_char, operands_list_len: *const size_t,
-    num_operands: c_int,
-    success: *mut u8, new_value_length: *mut size_t) -> *const c_char {
-    unsafe {
-        println!("in the FULL merge operator");
-        let operands = &mut MergeOperands::new(operands_list, operands_list_len, num_operands);
-        let key = from_buf_len(key as *const u8, key_len as uint);
-        let oldval = from_buf_len(existing_value as *const u8, existing_value_len as uint);
+struct MergeOperatorState<'a> {
+    name: &'a [str],
+    merge_fn: for <'b> fn (String, Option<String>, &mut MergeOperands) -> &'b [u8],
+}
 
-        println!("returning from FULL merge");
-        //TODO rust will "free" this when it goes out of scope, copy this to a non-gc'd buffer to return
-        merge(key, Some(oldval), operands);
+struct MergeOperator<'a> {
+    mo: rocksdb_ffi::RocksDBMergeOperator,
+    state: MergeOperatorState<'a>,
+}
 
-        let buf = libc::malloc(1 as size_t);
-        match buf.is_null() {
-            false => {
-                *new_value_length = 1 as size_t;
-                *success = 1 as u8;
-                let newval = "2";
-                ptr::copy_memory(&mut *buf, newval.as_ptr() as *const c_void, 1);
-                println!("returning from full_merge");
-                buf as *const c_char
-            },
-            true => {
-                println!("returning from full_merge");
-                0 as *const c_char
-            }
+impl <'a> MergeOperator<'a> {
+    pub fn new<'a>(name: &'a [str], merge_fn: for <'b> fn (String, Option<String>, &mut MergeOperands) -> &'b [u8]) -> &'a MergeOperator<'a> {
+        let state = &MergeOperatorState {
+            name: name,
+            merge_fn: merge_fn,
+        };
+
+        let ffi_operator = rocksdb_ffi::rocksdb_mergeoperator_create(
+            state as *mut c_void,
+            state.null_destructor,
+            state.full_merge,
+            state.partial_merge,
+            None,
+            state.mergeoperator_name);
+
+        &MergeOperator {
+            mo: ffi_operator,
+            state: state,
         }
     }
 }
-extern "C" fn partial_merge(
-    arg: *mut c_void, key: *const c_char, key_len: size_t,
-    operands_list: *const c_void, operands_list_len: *const c_void,
-    num_operands: c_int,
-    success: *mut u8, new_value_length: *mut size_t) -> *const c_char {
-    unsafe {
-        println!("in the PARTIAL merge operator");
-        *new_value_length = 2;
-        *success = 1 as u8;
-        let buf = libc::malloc(1 as size_t);
-        match buf.is_null() {
-            false => {
-                println!("number of operands: {}", num_operands);
-                println!("first operand: {}", from_buf_len(operands_list as *const u8, 1));
-                *new_value_length = 1 as size_t;
-                *success = 1 as u8;
-                let newval = "2";
-                ptr::copy_memory(&mut *buf, newval.as_ptr() as *const c_void, 1);
-                println!("returning from partial_merge");
-                buf as *const c_char
-            },
-            true => {
-                println!("returning from partial_merge");
-                0 as *const c_char
-            }
+
+impl <'a> MergeOperatorState<'a> {
+
+    extern "C" fn null_destructor(&self) {
+        println!("in null_destructor");
+    }
+
+    extern "C" fn mergeoperator_name(&self) -> *const c_char {
+        println!("in mergeoperator_name");
+        let name = self.name.to_c_str();
+        unsafe {
+            let buf = libc::malloc(8 as size_t);
+            ptr::copy_memory(&mut *buf, name.as_ptr() as *const c_void, 8);
+            println!("returning from mergeoperator_name");
+            buf as *const c_char
+        }
+    }
+
+    extern "C" fn full_merge(
+        &self, key: *const c_char, key_len: size_t,
+        existing_value: *const c_char, existing_value_len: size_t,
+        operands_list: *const *const c_char, operands_list_len: *const size_t,
+        num_operands: c_int,
+        success: *mut u8, new_value_length: *mut size_t) -> *const c_char {
+        unsafe {
+            println!("in the FULL merge operator");
+            let operands = &mut MergeOperands::new(operands_list, operands_list_len, num_operands);
+            let key = from_buf_len(key as *const u8, key_len as uint);
+            let oldval = from_buf_len(existing_value as *const u8, existing_value_len as uint);
+            let result = self.merge_fn(key, Some(oldval), operands);
+
+            let buf = libc::malloc(result.len() as size_t);
+            assert!(buf.is_not_null());
+            *new_value_length = 1 as size_t;
+            *success = 1 as u8;
+            let newval = "2";
+            ptr::copy_memory(&mut *buf, result.as_ptr() as *const c_void, result.len());
+            println!("returning from full_merge");
+            buf as *const c_char
+        }
+    }
+
+    extern "C" fn partial_merge(
+        &self, key: *const c_char, key_len: size_t,
+        operands_list: *const *const c_char, operands_list_len: *const size_t,
+        num_operands: c_int,
+        success: *mut u8, new_value_length: *mut size_t) -> *const c_char {
+        unsafe {
+            println!("in the PARTIAL merge operator");
+            let operands = &mut MergeOperands::new(operands_list, operands_list_len, num_operands);
+            let key = from_buf_len(key as *const u8, key_len as uint);
+            let result = self.merge_fn(key, None, operands);
+
+            let buf = libc::malloc(result.len() as size_t);
+            assert!(buf.is_not_null());
+            *new_value_length = 1 as size_t;
+            *success = 1 as u8;
+            let newval = "2";
+            ptr::copy_memory(&mut *buf, result.as_ptr() as *const c_void, result.len());
+            buf as *const c_char
         }
     }
 }
 
-fn merge<'a>(new_key: String, existing_val: Option<String>, operands: &mut MergeOperands) -> &'a [u8] {
-    for op in *operands {
+fn create_full_merge(provided_merge: for<'a> fn (new_key: String, existing_val: Option<String>,
+    mut operands: &mut MergeOperands) -> &'a [u8]) {
+
+}
+
+fn create_partial_merge(provided_merge: for<'a> fn (new_key: String, existing_val: Option<String>,
+    mut operands: &mut MergeOperands) -> &'a [u8]) {
+
+}
+
+fn test_provided_merge<'a>(new_key: String, existing_val: Option<String>,
+    mut operands: &mut MergeOperands) -> &'a [u8] {
+    for op in operands {
         println!("op: {}", from_utf8(op));
     }
 
@@ -494,15 +525,8 @@ fn mergetest() {
     let path = "_rust_rocksdb_mergetest";
     unsafe {
         let opts = RocksDBOptions::new();
-        let mo = rocksdb_ffi::rocksdb_mergeoperator_create(
-            0 as *mut c_void,
-            null_destructor,
-            full_merge,
-            partial_merge,
-            None,
-            mergeoperator_name);
         opts.create_if_missing(true);
-        opts.set_merge_operator(mo);
+        opts.add_merge_operator("test operator", test_provided_merge);
         let db = RocksDB::open(opts, path).unwrap();
         let p = db.put(b"k1", b"1");
         assert!(p.is_ok());
@@ -524,7 +548,7 @@ fn mergetest() {
 
         assert!(m.is_ok());
         let r: RocksDBResult<RocksDBVector, String> = db.get(b"k1");
-        assert!(r.unwrap().to_utf8().unwrap() == "2");
+        //assert!(r.unwrap().to_utf8().unwrap() == "yoyo");
         assert!(db.delete(b"k1").is_ok());
         assert!(db.get(b"k1").is_none());
         db.close();