diff --git a/gql_test.go b/gql_test.go
index d63d13e..b5f5ac4 100644
--- a/gql_test.go
+++ b/gql_test.go
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func TestGQLServer(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestGQLDB(t *testing.T) {
-  ctx := logTestContext(t, []string{"test", "node"})
+  ctx := logTestContext(t, []string{"test", "db", "node"})
 
   TestUserNodeType := NewNodeType("TEST_USER")
   err := ctx.RegisterNodeType(TestUserNodeType, []ExtType{})
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ func TestGQLDB(t *testing.T) {
   ctx.nodeMap = map[NodeID]*Node{}
   gql_loaded, err := LoadNode(ctx, gql.ID)
   fatalErr(t, err)
+
   listener_ext, err = GetExt[*ListenerExt](gql_loaded, ListenerExtType)
   fatalErr(t, err)
   msgs = Messages{}
diff --git a/node.go b/node.go
index 0291cd4..206505a 100644
--- a/node.go
+++ b/node.go
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 package graphvent
 
 import (
-  "time"
-  "errors"
-  "reflect"
-  "github.com/google/uuid"
-  badger "github.com/dgraph-io/badger/v3"
-  "fmt"
-  "sync/atomic"
   "crypto/ed25519"
-  "crypto/sha512"
   "crypto/rand"
+  "crypto/sha512"
+  "encoding/binary"
+  "fmt"
+  "reflect"
+  "sync/atomic"
+  "time"
+
+  badger "github.com/dgraph-io/badger/v3"
+  "github.com/google/uuid"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ type Node struct {
   ID NodeID
   Type NodeType `gv:"type"`
   // TODO: move each extension to it's own db key, and extend changes to notify which extension was changed
-  Extensions map[ExtType]Extension `gv:"extensions"`
+  Extensions map[ExtType]Extension
   Policies []Policy `gv:"policies"`
 
   PendingACLs map[uuid.UUID]PendingACL `gv:"pending_acls"`
@@ -117,20 +118,18 @@ type Node struct {
 
   // TODO: enhance WriteNode to write SignalQueue to a different key, and use writeSignalQueue to decide whether or not to update it
   writeSignalQueue bool
-  SignalQueue []QueuedSignal `gv:"signal_queue"`
+  SignalQueue []QueuedSignal
   NextSignal *QueuedSignal
 }
 
 func (node *Node) PostDeserialize(ctx *Context) error {
+  node.Extensions = map[ExtType]Extension{}
+
   public := node.Key.Public().(ed25519.PublicKey)
   node.ID = KeyID(public)
 
   node.MsgChan = make(chan *Message, node.BufferSize)
 
-  node.NextSignal, node.TimeoutChan = SoonestSignal(node.SignalQueue)
-  ctx.Log.Logf("node", "signal_queue: %+v", node.SignalQueue)
-  ctx.Log.Logf("node", "next_signal: %+v - %+v", node.NextSignal, node.TimeoutChan)
-
   return nil
 }
 
@@ -294,10 +293,6 @@ func nodeLoop(ctx *Context, node *Node) error {
 
   // Perform startup actions
   node.Process(ctx, ZeroID, NewStartSignal())
-  err := WriteNode(ctx, node)
-  if err != nil {
-    panic(err)
-  }
   run := true
   for run == true {
     var signal Signal
@@ -418,11 +413,6 @@ func nodeLoop(ctx *Context, node *Node) error {
       } else {
         ctx.Log.Logf("node", "NODE_TIMEOUT(%s) - PROCESSING %+v@%s - NEXT_SIGNAL: %s@%s", node.ID, signal, t, node.NextSignal, node.NextSignal.Time)
       }
-
-      err = WriteNode(ctx, node)
-      if err != nil {
-        ctx.Log.Logf("node", "Node Write Error: %s", err)
-      }
     }
 
     ctx.Log.Logf("node", "NODE_SIGNAL_QUEUE[%s]: %+v", node.ID, node.SignalQueue)
@@ -637,6 +627,7 @@ func NewNode(ctx *Context, key ed25519.PrivateKey, node_type NodeType, buffer_si
     return nil, fmt.Errorf("Node type %+v not registered in Context", node_type)
   }
 
+  changes := Changes{}
   ext_map := map[ExtType]Extension{}
   for _, ext := range(extensions) {
     ext_type, exists := ctx.ExtensionTypes[reflect.TypeOf(ext)]
@@ -648,6 +639,7 @@ func NewNode(ctx *Context, key ed25519.PrivateKey, node_type NodeType, buffer_si
       return nil, fmt.Errorf("Cannot add the same extension to a node twice")
     }
     ext_map[ext_type] = ext
+    changes.Add(ext_type, "init")
   }
 
   for _, required_ext := range(def.Extensions) {
@@ -671,14 +663,21 @@ func NewNode(ctx *Context, key ed25519.PrivateKey, node_type NodeType, buffer_si
     BufferSize: buffer_size,
     SignalQueue: []QueuedSignal{},
   }
-  ctx.AddNode(id, node)
 
-  err = node.Process(ctx, ZeroID, NewCreateSignal())
+  err = WriteNodeExtList(ctx, node)
+  if err != nil {
+    return nil, err
+  }
+
+  node.writeSignalQueue = true
+  err = WriteNodeChanges(ctx, node, changes)
   if err != nil {
     return nil, err
   }
 
-  err = WriteNode(ctx, node)
+  ctx.AddNode(id, node)
+
+  err = node.Process(ctx, ZeroID, NewCreateSignal())
   if err != nil {
     return nil, err
   }
@@ -688,93 +687,215 @@ func NewNode(ctx *Context, key ed25519.PrivateKey, node_type NodeType, buffer_si
   return node, nil
 }
 
-func WriteNodeChanges(ctx *Context, node *Node, changes Changes) error {
-  // TODO: optimize to not re-serialize unchanged extensions/fields(might need to cache the serialized values)
-  return WriteNode(ctx, node)
+var extension_suffix = []byte{0xEE, 0xFF, 0xEE, 0xFF}
+var signal_queue_suffix = []byte{0xAB, 0xBA, 0xAB, 0xBA}
+func ExtTypeSuffix(ext_type ExtType) []byte {
+  ret := make([]byte, 12)
+  copy(ret[0:4], extension_suffix)
+  binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(ret[4:], uint64(ext_type))
+  return ret
 }
 
-// Write a node to the database
-func WriteNode(ctx *Context, node *Node) error {
-  ctx.Log.Logf("db", "DB_WRITE: %s", node.ID)
+func WriteNodeExtList(ctx *Context, node *Node) error {
+  ext_list := make([]ExtType, len(node.Extensions))
+  i := 0
+  for ext_type := range(node.Extensions) {
+    ext_list[i] = ext_type
+    i += 1
+  }
 
-  node_serialized, err := SerializeAny(ctx, node)
+  id_bytes, err := node.ID.MarshalBinary()
   if err != nil {
     return err
   }
-  chunks, err := node_serialized.Chunks()
+
+  ext_list_serialized, err := SerializeAny(ctx, ext_list)
   if err != nil {
     return err
   }
 
-  ctx.Log.Logf("db_data", "DB_DATA: %+v", chunks.Slice())
+  return ctx.DB.Update(func(txn *badger.Txn) error {
+    return txn.Set(append(id_bytes, extension_suffix...), ext_list_serialized.Data)
+  })
+}
 
-  id_bytes, err := node.ID.MarshalBinary()
+func WriteNodeChanges(ctx *Context, node *Node, changes Changes) error {
+  ctx.Log.Logf("db", "Writing changes for %s - %+v", node.ID, changes)
+
+  ext_serialized := map[ExtType]SerializedValue{}
+  for ext_type := range(changes) {
+    ext, ext_exists := node.Extensions[ext_type]
+    if ext_exists == false {
+      ctx.Log.Logf("db", "extension 0x%x does not exist for %s", ext_type, node.ID)
+    } else {
+      serialized_ext, err := SerializeAny(ctx, ext)
+      if err != nil {
+        return err
+      }
+      ext_serialized[ext_type] = serialized_ext
+      ctx.Log.Logf("db", "extension 0x%x - %+v - %+v", ext_type, serialized_ext.TypeStack, serialized_ext.Data)
+    }
+  }
+
+  var sq_serialized *SerializedValue = nil
+  if node.writeSignalQueue == true {
+    node.writeSignalQueue = false
+    ser, err := SerializeAny(ctx, node.SignalQueue)
+    if err != nil {
+      return err
+    }
+    sq_serialized = &ser
+  }
+
+  node_serialized, err := SerializeAny(ctx, node)
   if err != nil {
     return err
   }
-  ctx.Log.Logf("db", "DB_WRITE_ID: %+v", id_bytes)
 
+  id_bytes, err := node.ID.MarshalBinary()
   return ctx.DB.Update(func(txn *badger.Txn) error {
-    return txn.Set(id_bytes, chunks.Slice())
+    err := txn.Set(id_bytes, node_serialized.Data)
+    if err != nil {
+      return err
+    }
+    if sq_serialized != nil {
+      err := txn.Set(append(id_bytes, signal_queue_suffix...), sq_serialized.Data)
+      if err != nil {
+        return err
+      }
+    }
+    for ext_type, data := range(ext_serialized) {
+      err := txn.Set(append(id_bytes, ExtTypeSuffix(ext_type)...), data.Data)
+      if err != nil {
+        return err
+      }
+    }
+    return nil
   })
 }
 
-func LoadNode(ctx * Context, id NodeID) (*Node, error) {
+func LoadNode(ctx *Context, id NodeID) (*Node, error) {
   ctx.Log.Logf("db", "LOADING_NODE: %s", id)
-  var bytes []byte
+  var node_bytes []byte = nil
+  var sq_bytes []byte = nil
+  var ext_bytes = map[ExtType][]byte{}
+
   err := ctx.DB.View(func(txn *badger.Txn) error {
     id_bytes, err := id.MarshalBinary()
     if err != nil {
       return err
     }
-    ctx.Log.Logf("db", "DB_READ_ID: %+v", id_bytes)
-    item, err := txn.Get(id_bytes)
+
+    node_item, err := txn.Get(id_bytes)
+    if err != nil {
+      ctx.Log.Logf("db", "node key not found")
+      return err
+    }
+
+    node_bytes, err = node_item.ValueCopy(nil)
     if err != nil {
       return err
     }
 
-    return item.Value(func(val []byte) error {
-      bytes = append([]byte{}, val...)
-      return nil
-    })
+    sq_item, err := txn.Get(append(id_bytes, signal_queue_suffix...))
+    if err != nil {
+      ctx.Log.Logf("db", "sq key not found")
+      return err
+    }
+    sq_bytes, err = sq_item.ValueCopy(nil)
+    if err != nil {
+      return err
+    }
+
+    ext_list_item, err := txn.Get(append(id_bytes, extension_suffix...))
+    if err != nil {
+      ctx.Log.Logf("db", "ext_list key not found")
+      return err
+    }
+
+    ext_list_bytes, err := ext_list_item.ValueCopy(nil)
+    if err != nil {
+      return err
+    }
+
+    ext_list_value, remaining, err := DeserializeValue(ctx, reflect.TypeOf([]ExtType{}), ext_list_bytes)
+    if err != nil {
+      return err
+    } else if len(remaining) > 0 {
+      return fmt.Errorf("Data remaining after ext_list deserialize %d", len(remaining))
+    }
+    ext_list, ok := ext_list_value.Interface().([]ExtType)
+    if ok == false {
+      return fmt.Errorf("deserialize returned wrong type %s", ext_list_value.Type())
+    }
+
+    for _, ext_type := range(ext_list) {
+      ext_item, err := txn.Get(append(id_bytes, ExtTypeSuffix(ext_type)...))
+      if err != nil {
+        ctx.Log.Logf("db", "ext %s key not found", ext_type)
+        return err
+      }
+
+      ext_bytes[ext_type], err = ext_item.ValueCopy(nil)
+      if err != nil {
+        return err
+      }
+    }
+    return nil
   })
-  if errors.Is(err, badger.ErrKeyNotFound) {
-    return nil, NodeNotFoundError
-  }else if err != nil {
+  if err != nil {
     return nil, err
   }
 
-  value, remaining, err := ParseSerializedValue(bytes)
+  node_value, remaining, err := DeserializeValue(ctx, reflect.TypeOf((*Node)(nil)), node_bytes)
   if err != nil {
     return nil, err
   } else if len(remaining) != 0 {
-    return nil, fmt.Errorf("%d bytes left after parsing node from DB", len(remaining))
+    return nil, fmt.Errorf("data left after deserializing node %d", len(remaining))
   }
-  node_type, remaining_types, err := DeserializeType(ctx, value.TypeStack)
-  if err != nil {
-    return nil, err
-  } else if len(remaining_types) != 0 {
-    return nil, fmt.Errorf("%d entries left in typestack after deserializing *Node", len(remaining_types))
+
+  node, node_ok := node_value.Interface().(*Node)
+  if node_ok == false {
+    return nil, fmt.Errorf("node wrong type %s", node_value.Type())
   }
 
-  node_val, remaining_data, err := DeserializeValue(ctx, node_type, value.Data)
+  signal_queue_value, remaining, err := DeserializeValue(ctx, reflect.TypeOf([]QueuedSignal{}), sq_bytes)
   if err != nil {
     return nil, err
-  } else if len(remaining_data) != 0 {
-    return nil, fmt.Errorf("%d bytes left after desrializing *Node", len(remaining_data))
+  } else if len(remaining) != 0 {
+    return nil, fmt.Errorf("data left after deserializing signal_queue %d", len(remaining))
   }
 
-  node, ok := node_val.Interface().(*Node)
-  if ok == false {
-    return nil, fmt.Errorf("Deserialized %+v when expecting *Node", node_val.Type())
+  signal_queue, sq_ok := signal_queue_value.Interface().([]QueuedSignal)
+  if sq_ok == false {
+    return nil, fmt.Errorf("signal queue wrong type %s", signal_queue_value.Type())
   }
 
-  for ext_type, ext := range(node.Extensions){
-    ctx.Log.Logf("serialize", "Deserialized extension: %+v - %+v", ext_type, ext)
+  for ext_type, data := range(ext_bytes) {
+    ext_info, exists := ctx.Extensions[ext_type]
+    if exists == false {
+      return nil, fmt.Errorf("0x%0x is not a known extension type", ext_type)
+    }
+
+    ext_value, remaining, err := DeserializeValue(ctx, ext_info.Type, data)
+    if err != nil {
+      return nil, err
+    } else if len(remaining) > 0 {
+      return nil, fmt.Errorf("data left after deserializing ext(0x%x) %d", ext_type, len(remaining))
+    }
+    ext, ext_ok := ext_value.Interface().(Extension)
+    if ext_ok == false {
+      return nil, fmt.Errorf("extension wrong type %s", ext_value.Type())
+    }
+
+    node.Extensions[ext_type] = ext
   }
 
+  node.SignalQueue = signal_queue
+  node.NextSignal, node.TimeoutChan = SoonestSignal(signal_queue)
+
   ctx.AddNode(id, node) 
-  ctx.Log.Logf("db", "DB_NODE_LOADED: %s", id)
+  ctx.Log.Logf("db", "loaded %s", id)
   go runNode(ctx, node)
 
   return node, nil
diff --git a/node_test.go b/node_test.go
index 69087d5..3fa61c8 100644
--- a/node_test.go
+++ b/node_test.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestNodeDB(t *testing.T) {
-  ctx := logTestContext(t, []string{"signal", "node", "db", "listener"})
+  ctx := logTestContext(t, []string{"signal", "serialize", "node", "db", "listener"})
   node_type := NewNodeType("test")
   err := ctx.RegisterNodeType(node_type, []ExtType{GroupExtType})
   fatalErr(t, err)