diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 539753f..5fe3252 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,6 +32,42 @@ fn main() {
 }
 ```
 
+###### Rustic Merge Operator
+```rust
+extern crate rocksdb;
+use rocksdb::{RocksDBOptions, RocksDB, MergeOperands};
+
+fn concat_merge<'a>(new_key: &[u8], existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
+    mut operands: &mut MergeOperands) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let mut result: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(operands.size_hint().val0());
+    match existing_val {
+        Some(v) => result.push_all(v),
+        None => (),
+    }
+    for op in operands {
+        result.push_all(op);
+    }
+    result
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    let path = "/path/to/rocksdb";
+    let opts = RocksDBOptions::new();
+    opts.create_if_missing(true);
+    opts.add_merge_operator("test operator", concat_merge);
+    let db = RocksDB::open(opts, path).unwrap();
+    let p = db.put(b"k1", b"a");
+    db.merge(b"k1", b"b");
+    db.merge(b"k1", b"c");
+    db.merge(b"k1", b"d");
+    db.merge(b"k1", b"efg");
+    let r = db.get(b"k1");
+    assert!(r.unwrap().to_utf8().unwrap() == "abcdefg");
+    db.close();
+}
+```
+
+
 ### status
   - [x] basic open/put/get/delete/close
   - [x] linux support
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 7e150ff..8b39b0a 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 pub use ffi as rocksdb_ffi;
 pub use rocksdb::{
     RocksDB,
+    MergeOperands,
     RocksDBResult,
+    RocksDBOptions,
+    RocksDBVector,
 };
 pub mod rocksdb;
 pub mod ffi;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 86d04dd..0c3acd2 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,31 +1,61 @@
 extern crate rocksdb;
 extern crate test;
-use rocksdb::RocksDB;
+use rocksdb::{RocksDBOptions, RocksDB, MergeOperands};
 use test::Bencher;
 
 #[allow(dead_code)]
 fn main() {
-    match RocksDB::open_default("/tmp/rust-rocksdb") {
-        Ok(db) => {
-            assert!(db.put(b"my key", b"my value").is_ok());
+    let path = "/tmp/rust-rocksdb";
+    let db = RocksDB::open_default(path).unwrap();
+    assert!(db.put(b"my key", b"my value").is_ok());
+    db.get(b"my key").map( |value| {
+        match value.to_utf8() {
+            Some(v) =>
+                println!("retrieved utf8 value: {}", v),
+            None =>
+                println!("did not read valid utf-8 out of the db"),
+        }
+    })
+        .on_absent( || { println!("value not found") })
+        .on_error( |e| { println!("error retrieving value: {}", e) });
 
-            db.get(b"my key").map( |value| {
-                match value.to_utf8() {
-                    Some(v) =>
-                        println!("retrieved utf8 value: {}", v),
-                    None =>
-                        println!("did not read valid utf-8 out of the db"),
-                }
-            })
-                .on_absent( || { println!("value not found") })
-                .on_error( |e| { println!("error retrieving value: {}", e) });
+    assert!(db.delete(b"my key").is_ok());
+    db.close();
 
-            assert!(db.delete(b"my key").is_ok());
+    custom_merge();
+}
 
-            db.close();
-        },
-        Err(e) => panic!(e),
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+fn concat_merge(new_key: &[u8], existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
+    mut operands: &mut MergeOperands) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let mut result: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(operands.size_hint().val0());
+    match existing_val {
+        Some(v) => result.push_all(v),
+        None => (),
+    }
+    for op in operands {
+        result.push_all(op);
     }
+    result
+}
+
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+fn custom_merge() {
+    let path = "_rust_rocksdb_mergetest";
+    let opts = RocksDBOptions::new();
+    opts.create_if_missing(true);
+    opts.add_merge_operator("test operator", concat_merge);
+    let db = RocksDB::open(opts, path).unwrap();
+    let p = db.put(b"k1", b"a");
+    db.merge(b"k1", b"b");
+    db.merge(b"k1", b"c");
+    db.merge(b"k1", b"d");
+    db.merge(b"k1", b"efg");
+    let m = db.merge(b"k1", b"h");
+    let r = db.get(b"k1");
+    assert!(r.unwrap().to_utf8().unwrap() == "abcdefgh");
+    db.close();
+    RocksDB::destroy(opts, path).is_ok();
 }
 
 #[allow(dead_code)]
diff --git a/src/rocksdb.rs b/src/rocksdb.rs
index b732955..606dcff 100644
--- a/src/rocksdb.rs
+++ b/src/rocksdb.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ impl RocksDBOptions {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn add_merge_operator<'a>(&self, name: &str, merge_fn: for <'a> fn (&[u8], Option<&[u8]>, &mut MergeOperands) -> Vec<u8>) {
+    pub fn add_merge_operator<'a>(&self, name: &str, merge_fn: fn (&[u8], Option<&[u8]>, &mut MergeOperands) -> Vec<u8>) {
         let cb = box MergeOperatorCallback {
             name: name.to_c_str(),
             merge_fn: merge_fn,
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ impl <'a> Iterator<&'a [u8]> for &'a mut MergeOperands<'a> {
 
 struct MergeOperatorCallback {
     name: CString,
-    merge_fn: for <'b> fn (&[u8], Option<&[u8]>, &mut MergeOperands) -> Vec<u8>,
+    merge_fn: fn (&[u8], Option<&[u8]>, &mut MergeOperands) -> Vec<u8>,
 }
 
 extern "C" fn destructor_callback(raw_cb: *mut c_void) {
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ extern "C" fn partial_merge_callback(
     }
 }
 
-fn test_provided_merge<'a>(new_key: &[u8], existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
+fn test_provided_merge(new_key: &[u8], existing_val: Option<&[u8]>,
     mut operands: &mut MergeOperands) -> Vec<u8> {
     let mut result: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(operands.size_hint().val0());
     match existing_val {