diff --git a/higher-leveldb.cabal b/higher-leveldb.cabal
--- a/higher-leveldb.cabal
+++ b/higher-leveldb.cabal
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 -- documentation, see http://haskell.org/cabal/users-guide/
 
 name:                higher-leveldb
-version:             0.1.0.0
+version:             0.1.0.1
 synopsis:            A rich monadic API for working with leveldb databases.
 description:         A rich monadic API for working with leveldb databases.
 homepage:            https://github.com/jeremyjh/higher-leveldb
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
   main-is:           Spec.hs
   build-depends:     base == 4.*
                    , higher-leveldb
+                   , cereal 
                    , hspec >= 1.5
                    , resourcet
                    , leveldb-haskell
diff --git a/src/Database/LevelDB/Higher.hs b/src/Database/LevelDB/Higher.hs
--- a/src/Database/LevelDB/Higher.hs
+++ b/src/Database/LevelDB/Higher.hs
@@ -467,11 +467,14 @@
 systemKeySpaceId ::  KeySpaceId
 systemKeySpaceId = "\0\0\0\1"
 
+systemKeySpace :: KeySpace
+systemKeySpace = "system"
+
 getKeySpaceId :: (MonadLevelDB m) => KeySpace -> m KeySpaceId
 getKeySpaceId ks
     | ks == ""  = return defaultKeySpaceId
-    | ks == "system" = return systemKeySpaceId
-    | otherwise = liftLevelDB $ do
+    | ks == systemKeySpace = return systemKeySpaceId
+    | otherwise = liftLevelDB $ withKeySpace systemKeySpace $ do
         findKS <- get $ "keyspace:" <> ks
         case findKS of
             (Just foundId) -> return foundId