diff --git a/ext/mdbx_ext/database.c b/ext/mdbx_ext/database.c
index 76f83fa..5cbd68f 100644
--- a/ext/mdbx_ext/database.c
+++ b/ext/mdbx_ext/database.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ struct rmdbx_db {
 	MDBX_dbi dbi;
 	MDBX_txn *txn;
 	MDBX_cursor *cursor;
+	int env_flags;
 	int open;
 };
 typedef struct rmdbx_db rmdbx_db_t;
@@ -94,6 +95,122 @@ rmdbx_closed_p( VALUE self )
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * Open a new database transaction.
+ *
+ * +rwflag+ must be either MDBX_TXN_RDONLY or MDBX_TXN_READWRITE.
+ */
+void
+rmdbx_open_txn( VALUE self, int rwflag )
+{
+	int rc;
+	UNWRAP_DB( self, db );
+
+	rc = mdbx_txn_begin( db->env, NULL, rwflag, &db->txn);
+	if ( rc != MDBX_SUCCESS ) {
+		rmdbx_close( self );
+		rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "mdbx_txn_begin: (%d) %s", rc, mdbx_strerror(rc) );
+	}
+
+	if ( db->dbi == 0 ) {
+		// FIXME: dbi_flags
+		rc = mdbx_dbi_open( db->txn, NULL, 0, &db->dbi );
+		if ( rc != MDBX_SUCCESS ) {
+			rmdbx_close( self );
+			rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "mdbx_dbi_open: (%d) %s", rc, mdbx_strerror(rc) );
+		}
+	}
+
+	return;
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * Given a ruby +arg+, convert and return a structure
+ * suitable for usage as a key for mdbx.
+ */
+MDBX_val
+rmdbx_vec_for( VALUE arg )
+{
+	MDBX_val rv;
+
+	// FIXME: arbitrary data types!
+	rv.iov_len  = RSTRING_LEN( arg );
+	rv.iov_base = StringValuePtr( arg );
+
+	return rv;
+}
+
+
+/* call-seq:
+ *    db[ 'key' ]  #=> value
+ *
+ * Convenience method:  return a single value for +key+ immediately.
+ */
+VALUE
+rmdbx_get_val( VALUE self, VALUE key )
+{
+	int rc;
+	UNWRAP_DB( self, db );
+
+	if ( RTEST(rmdbx_closed_p(self)) ) rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "Closed database." );
+
+	rmdbx_open_txn( self, MDBX_TXN_RDONLY );
+
+	MDBX_val ckey = rmdbx_vec_for( key );
+	MDBX_val data;
+	rc = mdbx_get( db->txn, db->dbi, &ckey, &data );
+	mdbx_txn_abort( db->txn );
+
+	switch ( rc ) {
+		case MDBX_SUCCESS:
+			// FIXME: arbitrary data types!
+			return rb_str_new2( data.iov_base );
+
+		case MDBX_NOTFOUND:
+			return Qnil;
+
+		default:
+			rmdbx_close( self );
+			rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "Unable to fetch value: (%d) %s", rc, mdbx_strerror(rc) );
+	}
+}
+
+
+/* call-seq:
+ *    db[ 'key' ] = value #=> value
+ *
+ * Convenience method:  set a single value for +key+
+ */
+VALUE
+rmdbx_put_val( VALUE self, VALUE key, VALUE val )
+{
+	int rc;
+	UNWRAP_DB( self, db );
+
+	if ( RTEST(rmdbx_closed_p(self)) ) rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "Closed database." );
+
+	rmdbx_open_txn( self, MDBX_TXN_READWRITE );
+
+	MDBX_val ckey = rmdbx_vec_for( key );
+	MDBX_val data = rmdbx_vec_for( val );
+	rc = mdbx_get( db->txn, db->dbi, &ckey, &data );
+
+	// FIXME: DUPSORT is enabled -- different api?
+	// See:  MDBX_NODUPDATA / MDBX_NOOVERWRITE
+	rc = mdbx_put( db->txn, db->dbi, &ckey, &data, 0 );
+
+	mdbx_txn_commit( db->txn );
+
+	switch ( rc ) {
+		case MDBX_SUCCESS:
+			return val;
+		default:
+			rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "Unable to fetch value: (%d) %s", rc, mdbx_strerror(rc) );
+	}
+}
+
+
 /*
  * call-seq:
  *    MDBX::Database.open( path ) -> db
@@ -111,7 +228,7 @@ rmdbx_database_initialize( int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self )
 {
 	int rc       = 0;
 	int mode     = 0644;
-	int db_flags = MDBX_ENV_DEFAULTS;
+	int env_flags = MDBX_ENV_DEFAULTS;
 	VALUE path, opts, opt;
 
 	rb_scan_args( argc, argv, "11", &path, &opts );
@@ -131,37 +248,41 @@ rmdbx_database_initialize( int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self )
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("mode") ) );
 	if ( ! NIL_P(opt) ) mode = FIX2INT( opt );
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("nosubdir") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NOSUBDIR;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_NOSUBDIR;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("readonly") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_RDONLY;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_RDONLY;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("exclusive") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_EXCLUSIVE;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_EXCLUSIVE;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("compat") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_ACCEDE;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_ACCEDE;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("writemap") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_WRITEMAP;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_WRITEMAP;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("no_threadlocal") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NOTLS;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_NOTLS;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("no_readahead") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NORDAHEAD;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_NORDAHEAD;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("no_memory_init") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NOMEMINIT;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_NOMEMINIT;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("coalesce") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_COALESCE;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_COALESCE;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("lifo_reclaim") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_LIFORECLAIM;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_LIFORECLAIM;
 	opt = rb_hash_aref( opts, ID2SYM( rb_intern("no_metasync") ) );
-	if ( RTEST(opt) ) db_flags = db_flags | MDBX_NOMETASYNC;
+	if ( RTEST(opt) ) env_flags = env_flags | MDBX_NOMETASYNC;
+
+	/* Duplicate keys, on mdbx_dbi_open, maybe set here? */
+	/* MDBX_DUPSORT = UINT32_C(0x04), */
 
 
 	/* Initialize the DB vals.
 	 */
 	UNWRAP_DB( self, db );
-	db->env    = NULL;
-	db->dbi    = 0;
-	db->txn    = NULL;
-	db->cursor = NULL;
-	db->open   = 0;
+	db->env       = NULL;
+	db->dbi       = 0;
+	db->txn       = NULL;
+	db->cursor    = NULL;
+	db->env_flags = env_flags;
+	db->open      = 0;
 
 	/* Allocate an mdbx environment.
 	 */
@@ -171,7 +292,7 @@ rmdbx_database_initialize( int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self )
 
 	/* Open the DB handle on disk.
 	 */
-	rc = mdbx_env_open( db->env, StringValueCStr(path), db_flags, mode );
+	rc = mdbx_env_open( db->env, StringValueCStr(path), env_flags, mode );
 	if ( rc != MDBX_SUCCESS ) {
 		rmdbx_close( self );
 		rb_raise( rmdbx_eDatabaseError, "mdbx_env_open: (%d) %s", rc, mdbx_strerror(rc) );
@@ -197,9 +318,11 @@ rmdbx_init_database()
 
 	rb_define_alloc_func( rmdbx_cDatabase, rmdbx_alloc );
 
+	rb_define_protected_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "initialize", rmdbx_database_initialize, -1 );
 	rb_define_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "close", rmdbx_close, 0 );
 	rb_define_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "closed?", rmdbx_closed_p, 0 );
-	rb_define_protected_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "initialize", rmdbx_database_initialize, -1 );
+	rb_define_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "[]", rmdbx_get_val, 1 );
+	rb_define_method( rmdbx_cDatabase, "[]=", rmdbx_put_val, 2 );
 
 	rb_require( "mdbx/database" );
 }
diff --git a/spec/mdbx/database_spec.rb b/spec/mdbx/database_spec.rb
index 48ea47d..d05d7ee 100644
--- a/spec/mdbx/database_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mdbx/database_spec.rb
@@ -9,5 +9,13 @@ RSpec.describe( MDBX::Database ) do
 		expect{ described_class.new }.
 			to raise_exception( NoMethodError, /private/ )
 	end
+
+	it "knows the db handle open/close state" do
+		db = described_class.open( TEST_DATABASE.to_s )
+		expect( db.closed? ).to be_falsey
+		db.close
+		expect( db.closed? ).to be_truthy
+	end
+
 end