diff --git a/pkg/schema/blob.go b/pkg/schema/blob.go
index eb6a6c4bf..be38c9519 100644
--- a/pkg/schema/blob.go
+++ b/pkg/schema/blob.go
@@ -91,10 +91,10 @@ func (b *Blob) FileName() string {
 func (b *Blob) ClaimDate() (time.Time, error) {
 	var ct time.Time
 	claimDate := b.ss.ClaimDate
-	if claimDate == "" {
+	if claimDate.IsZero()  {
 		return ct, MissingFieldError("claimDate")
 	}
-	return time.Parse(time.RFC3339, claimDate)
+	return claimDate.Time(), nil
 }
 
 // ByteParts returns the "parts" field. The caller owns the returned
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func (b *Blob) Builder() *Builder {
 
 // AsClaim returns a Claim if the receiver Blob has all the required fields.
 func (b *Blob) AsClaim() (c Claim, ok bool) {
-	if blobref.Parse(b.ss.Signer) != nil && b.ss.Sig != "" && b.ss.ClaimType != "" && b.ss.ClaimDate != "" {
+	if b.ss.Signer != nil && b.ss.Sig != "" && b.ss.ClaimType != "" && !b.ss.ClaimDate.IsZero() {
 		return Claim{b}, true
 	}
 	return
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ func (b *Blob) DirectoryEntries() *blobref.BlobRef {
 	if b.Type() != "directory" {
 		return nil
 	}
-	return blobref.Parse(b.ss.Entries)
+	return b.ss.Entries
 }
 
 func (b *Blob) StaticSetMembers() []*blobref.BlobRef {
@@ -140,8 +140,8 @@ func (b *Blob) StaticSetMembers() []*blobref.BlobRef {
 		return nil
 	}
 	s := make([]*blobref.BlobRef, 0, len(b.ss.Members))
-	for _, refstr := range b.ss.Members {
-		if ref := blobref.Parse(refstr); ref != nil {
+	for _, ref := range b.ss.Members {
+		if ref != nil {
 			s = append(s, ref)
 		}
 	}
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ type Claim struct {
 func (c Claim) Blob() *Blob { return c.b }
 
 // ClaimDate returns the blob's "claimDate" field.
-func (c Claim) ClaimDateString() string { return c.b.ss.ClaimDate }
+func (c Claim) ClaimDateString() string { return c.b.ss.ClaimDate.String() }
 
 // ClaimType returns the blob's "claimType" field.
 func (c Claim) ClaimType() string { return c.b.ss.ClaimType }
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func (c Claim) Value() string { return c.b.ss.Value }
 // ModifiedPermanode returns the claim's "permaNode" field, if it's
 // a claim that modifies a permanode. Otherwise nil is returned.
 func (c Claim) ModifiedPermanode() *blobref.BlobRef {
-	return blobref.Parse(c.b.ss.Permanode)
+	return c.b.ss.Permanode
 }
 
 // A Builder builds a JSON blob.
diff --git a/pkg/schema/dirreader.go b/pkg/schema/dirreader.go
index b3b64b13d..d8addf4eb 100644
--- a/pkg/schema/dirreader.go
+++ b/pkg/schema/dirreader.go
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func (dr *DirReader) StaticSet() ([]*blobref.BlobRef, error) {
 	if dr.staticSet != nil {
 		return dr.staticSet, nil
 	}
-	staticSetBlobref := blobref.Parse(dr.ss.Entries)
+	staticSetBlobref := dr.ss.Entries
 	if staticSetBlobref == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("schema/filereader: Invalid blobref\n")
 	}
@@ -101,8 +101,7 @@ func (dr *DirReader) StaticSet() ([]*blobref.BlobRef, error) {
 	if ss.Type != "static-set" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("schema/filereader: expected \"static-set\" schema blob for %s, got %q", staticSetBlobref, ss.Type)
 	}
-	for _, s := range ss.Members {
-		member := blobref.Parse(s)
+	for _, member := range ss.Members {
 		if member == nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("schema/filereader: invalid (static-set member) blobref\n")
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/schema/schema.go b/pkg/schema/schema.go
index f1b994b3d..e403e7bc8 100644
--- a/pkg/schema/schema.go
+++ b/pkg/schema/schema.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"camlistore.org/pkg/blobref"
+	"camlistore.org/pkg/types"
 	"camlistore.org/third_party/github.com/camlistore/goexif/exif"
 )
 
@@ -202,15 +203,15 @@ type superset struct {
 	Version int    `json:"camliVersion"`
 	Type    string `json:"camliType"`
 
-	Signer string `json:"camliSigner"`
-	Sig    string `json:"camliSig"`
+	Signer *blobref.BlobRef `json:"camliSigner"`
+	Sig    string           `json:"camliSig"`
 
-	ClaimType string `json:"claimType"`
-	ClaimDate string `json:"claimDate"`
+	ClaimType string         `json:"claimType"`
+	ClaimDate types.Time3339 `json:"claimDate"`
 
-	Permanode string `json:"permaNode"`
-	Attribute string `json:"attribute"`
-	Value     string `json:"value"`
+	Permanode *blobref.BlobRef `json:"permaNode"`
+	Attribute string           `json:"attribute"`
+	Value     string           `json:"value"`
 
 	// FileName and FileNameBytes represent one of the two
 	// representations of file names in schema blobs.  They should
@@ -235,8 +236,8 @@ type superset struct {
 	// See doc/schema/bytes.txt and doc/schema/files/file.txt.
 	Parts []*BytesPart `json:"parts"`
 
-	Entries string   `json:"entries"` // for directories, a blobref to a static-set
-	Members []string `json:"members"` // for static sets (for directory static-sets: blobrefs to child dirs/files)
+	Entries *blobref.BlobRef   `json:"entries"` // for directories, a blobref to a static-set
+	Members []*blobref.BlobRef `json:"members"` // for static sets (for directory static-sets: blobrefs to child dirs/files)
 
 	// Target is a "share" blob's target (the thing being shared)
 	Target *blobref.BlobRef `json:"target"`