diff --git a/src/merge_operator.rs b/src/merge_operator.rs
index 5ee93e8..dd66a26 100644
--- a/src/merge_operator.rs
+++ b/src/merge_operator.rs
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@
 //!
 //! fn concat_merge(new_key: &[u8],
 //!                 existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
-//!                 operands: &mut MergeOperands)
+//!                 operands: &MergeOperands)
 //!                 -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
 //!
-//!    let mut result: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(operands.size_hint().0);
+//!    let mut result: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(operands.len());
 //!    existing_val.map(|v| {
 //!        for e in v {
 //!            result.push(*e)
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ use std::ptr;
 use std::slice;
 
 pub trait MergeFn:
-    Fn(&[u8], Option<&[u8]>, &mut MergeOperands) -> Option<Vec<u8>> + Send + Sync + 'static
+    Fn(&[u8], Option<&[u8]>, &MergeOperands) -> Option<Vec<u8>> + Send + Sync + 'static
 {
 }
 impl<F> MergeFn for F where
-    F: Fn(&[u8], Option<&[u8]>, &mut MergeOperands) -> Option<Vec<u8>> + Send + Sync + 'static
+    F: Fn(&[u8], Option<&[u8]>, &MergeOperands) -> Option<Vec<u8>> + Send + Sync + 'static
 {
 }
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn full_merge_callback<F: MergeFn, PF: MergeFn>(
     new_value_length: *mut size_t,
 ) -> *mut c_char {
     let cb = &mut *(raw_cb as *mut MergeOperatorCallback<F, PF>);
-    let operands = &mut MergeOperands::new(operands_list, operands_list_len, num_operands);
+    let operands = &MergeOperands::new(operands_list, operands_list_len, num_operands);
     let key = slice::from_raw_parts(raw_key as *const u8, key_len as usize);
     let oldval = if existing_value.is_null() {
         None
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn partial_merge_callback<F: MergeFn, PF: MergeFn>(
     new_value_length: *mut size_t,
 ) -> *mut c_char {
     let cb = &mut *(raw_cb as *mut MergeOperatorCallback<F, PF>);
-    let operands = &mut MergeOperands::new(operands_list, operands_list_len, num_operands);
+    let operands = &MergeOperands::new(operands_list, operands_list_len, num_operands);
     let key = slice::from_raw_parts(raw_key as *const u8, key_len as usize);
     (cb.partial_merge_fn)(key, None, operands).map_or_else(
         || {
@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@ pub struct MergeOperands {
     operands_list: *const *const c_char,
     operands_list_len: *const size_t,
     num_operands: usize,
-    cursor: usize,
 }
 
 impl MergeOperands {
@@ -182,16 +181,26 @@ impl MergeOperands {
             operands_list,
             operands_list_len,
             num_operands: num_operands as usize,
-            cursor: 0,
         }
     }
-}
 
-impl<'a> Iterator for &'a mut MergeOperands {
-    type Item = &'a [u8];
+    pub fn len(&self) -> usize {
+        self.num_operands
+    }
+
+    pub fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
+        self.num_operands == 0
+    }
 
-    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<&'a [u8]> {
-        if self.cursor == self.num_operands {
+    pub fn iter(&self) -> MergeOperandsIter {
+        MergeOperandsIter {
+            operands: self,
+            cursor: 0,
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn get_operand(&self, index: usize) -> Option<&[u8]> {
+        if index >= self.num_operands {
             None
         } else {
             unsafe {
@@ -199,10 +208,9 @@ impl<'a> Iterator for &'a mut MergeOperands {
                 let base_len = self.operands_list_len as usize;
                 let spacing = mem::size_of::<*const *const u8>();
                 let spacing_len = mem::size_of::<*const size_t>();
-                let len_ptr = (base_len + (spacing_len * self.cursor)) as *const size_t;
+                let len_ptr = (base_len + (spacing_len * index)) as *const size_t;
                 let len = *len_ptr as usize;
-                let ptr = base + (spacing * self.cursor);
-                self.cursor += 1;
+                let ptr = base + (spacing * index);
                 Some(mem::transmute(slice::from_raw_parts(
                     *(ptr as *const *const u8) as *const u8,
                     len,
@@ -210,9 +218,36 @@ impl<'a> Iterator for &'a mut MergeOperands {
             }
         }
     }
+}
+
+pub struct MergeOperandsIter<'a> {
+    operands: &'a MergeOperands,
+    cursor: usize,
+}
+
+impl<'a> Iterator for MergeOperandsIter<'a> {
+    type Item = &'a [u8];
+
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
+        let operand = self.operands.get_operand(self.cursor)?;
+        self.cursor += 1;
+        Some(operand)
+    }
 
     fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        let remaining = self.num_operands - self.cursor;
+        let remaining = self.operands.num_operands - self.cursor;
         (remaining, Some(remaining))
     }
 }
+
+impl<'a> IntoIterator for &'a MergeOperands {
+    type Item = &'a [u8];
+    type IntoIter = MergeOperandsIter<'a>;
+
+    fn into_iter(self) -> Self::IntoIter {
+        Self::IntoIter {
+            operands: self,
+            cursor: 0,
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_column_family.rs b/tests/test_column_family.rs
index 21bede5..9b4fde8 100644
--- a/tests/test_column_family.rs
+++ b/tests/test_column_family.rs
@@ -192,9 +192,9 @@ fn test_merge_operator() {
 fn test_provided_merge(
     _: &[u8],
     existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
-    operands: &mut MergeOperands,
+    operands: &MergeOperands,
 ) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
-    let nops = operands.size_hint().0;
+    let nops = operands.len();
     let mut result: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(nops);
     if let Some(v) = existing_val {
         for e in v {
diff --git a/tests/test_merge_operator.rs b/tests/test_merge_operator.rs
index 7ba2fbd..5068519 100644
--- a/tests/test_merge_operator.rs
+++ b/tests/test_merge_operator.rs
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ use util::DBPath;
 fn test_provided_merge(
     _new_key: &[u8],
     existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
-    operands: &mut MergeOperands,
+    operands: &MergeOperands,
 ) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
-    let nops = operands.size_hint().0;
+    let nops = operands.len();
     let mut result: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(nops);
     if let Some(v) = existing_val {
         for e in v {
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ impl ValueCounts {
 fn test_counting_partial_merge(
     _new_key: &[u8],
     _existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
-    operands: &mut MergeOperands,
+    operands: &MergeOperands,
 ) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
-    let nops = operands.size_hint().0;
+    let nops = operands.len();
     let mut result: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(nops);
     for op in operands {
         for e in op {
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ fn test_counting_partial_merge(
 fn test_counting_full_merge(
     _new_key: &[u8],
     existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
-    operands: &mut MergeOperands,
+    operands: &MergeOperands,
 ) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
     let mut counts = existing_val
         .map(|v| ValueCounts::from_slice(v))
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ fn failed_merge_test() {
     fn test_failing_merge(
         _key: &[u8],
         _val: Option<&[u8]>,
-        _operands: &mut MergeOperands,
+        _operands: &MergeOperands,
     ) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
         None
     }
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ fn failed_merge_test() {
 }
 
 fn make_merge_max_with_limit(limit: u64) -> impl MergeFn + Clone {
-    move |_key: &[u8], first: Option<&[u8]>, rest: &mut MergeOperands| {
+    move |_key: &[u8], first: Option<&[u8]>, rest: &MergeOperands| {
         let max = first
             .into_iter()
             .chain(rest)