diff --git a/hpqtypes.cabal b/hpqtypes.cabal
--- a/hpqtypes.cabal
+++ b/hpqtypes.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                hpqtypes
-version:             1.2.5
+version:             1.3.0
 synopsis:            Haskell bindings to libpqtypes
 
 description:         Efficient and easy-to-use bindings to (slightly modified)
diff --git a/src/Database/PostgreSQL/PQTypes/Array.hs b/src/Database/PostgreSQL/PQTypes/Array.hs
--- a/src/Database/PostgreSQL/PQTypes/Array.hs
+++ b/src/Database/PostgreSQL/PQTypes/Array.hs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
   fromSQL (Just arr) = getArray1 CompositeArray1 arr ffmt getItem
     where
       ffmt = pqFormat (undefined::CompositeRow t)
-      getItem res err i (_::Ptr CInt) fmt = fromRow res err i fmt >>= toComposite
+      getItem res err i (_::Ptr CInt) fmt = toComposite <$> fromRow res err i fmt
 
 instance CompositeToSQL t => ToSQL (CompositeArray1 t) where
   type PQDest (CompositeArray1 t) = PGarray
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@
   fromSQL (Just arr) = getArray2 CompositeArray2 arr ffmt getItem
     where
       ffmt = pqFormat (undefined::CompositeRow t)
-      getItem res err i (_::Ptr CInt) fmt = fromRow res err i fmt >>= toComposite
+      getItem res err i (_::Ptr CInt) fmt = toComposite <$> fromRow res err i fmt
 
 instance CompositeToSQL t => ToSQL (CompositeArray2 t) where
   type PQDest (CompositeArray2 t) = PGarray
diff --git a/src/Database/PostgreSQL/PQTypes/Composite.hs b/src/Database/PostgreSQL/PQTypes/Composite.hs
--- a/src/Database/PostgreSQL/PQTypes/Composite.hs
+++ b/src/Database/PostgreSQL/PQTypes/Composite.hs
@@ -42,12 +42,12 @@
 -- | Class which represents \"from SQL to composite\" transformation.
 class (PQFormat t, FromRow (CompositeRow t)) => CompositeFromSQL t where
   -- | Convert composite row to destination type.
-  toComposite :: CompositeRow t -> IO t
+  toComposite :: CompositeRow t -> t
 
 -- | Class which represents \"from composite to SQL\" transformation.
 class (PQFormat t, ToRow (CompositeRow t)) => CompositeToSQL t where
   -- | Convert composite type to its intermediate representation.
-  fromComposite :: t -> IO (CompositeRow t)
+  fromComposite :: t -> CompositeRow t
 
 instance PQFormat t => PQFormat (Composite t) where
   pqFormat _ = pqFormat (undefined::t)
@@ -56,11 +56,10 @@
   type PQBase (Composite t) = Ptr PGresult
   fromSQL Nothing = unexpectedNULL
   fromSQL (Just res) = Composite
-    <$> E.finally (fromRow' res 0 >>= toComposite) (c_PQclear res)
+    <$> E.finally (toComposite <$> fromRow' res 0) (c_PQclear res)
 
 instance CompositeToSQL t => ToSQL (Composite t) where
   type PQDest (Composite t) = PGparam
   toSQL (Composite comp) allocParam conv = allocParam $ \param -> do
-    row <- fromComposite comp
-    toRow' row allocParam param
+    toRow' (fromComposite comp) allocParam param
     conv param
diff --git a/test/Main.hs b/test/Main.hs
--- a/test/Main.hs
+++ b/test/Main.hs
@@ -180,9 +180,9 @@
 instance PQFormat Simple where
   pqFormat _ = "%simple_"
 instance CompositeFromSQL Simple where
-  toComposite (a, b) = return $ Simple a b
+  toComposite (a, b) = Simple a b
 instance CompositeToSQL Simple where
-  fromComposite (Simple a b) = return (a, b)
+  fromComposite (Simple a b) = (a, b)
 
 instance Arbitrary Simple where
   arbitrary = Simple <$> arbitrary <*> arbitrary
@@ -195,9 +195,9 @@
 instance PQFormat Nested where
   pqFormat _ = "%nested_"
 instance CompositeFromSQL Nested where
-  toComposite (a, b) = return $ Nested a (unComposite <$> b)
+  toComposite (a, b) = Nested a (unComposite <$> b)
 instance CompositeToSQL Nested where
-  fromComposite (Nested a b) = return (a, Composite <$> b)
+  fromComposite (Nested a b) = (a, Composite <$> b)
 
 instance Arbitrary Nested where
   arbitrary = Nested <$> arbitrary <*> arbitrary