diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 17ffa9b..6787803 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -25,12 +25,13 @@ const (
 func main() {
 
 	var (
-		port       int
-		host       string
-		driver     string
-		cacheSize  int
-		version    bool
-		gcDuration string
+		port        int
+		host        string
+		driver      string
+		cacheSize   int
+		version     bool
+		interleaved bool
+		gcDuration  string
 	)
 
 	flag.IntVar(&port, "port", 6379, "port to bind")
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&host, "host", "", "host to bind")
 	flag.IntVar(&cacheSize, "cache", 32, "cache size in MB")
 	flag.BoolVar(&version, "version", false, "Print version and exit.")
+	flag.BoolVar(&interleaved, "interleaved", false, "Backend stores key in interleaved form.")
 	flag.StringVar(&gcDuration, "gc-duration", GCDuration, "Duration between forced GCs.")
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -63,10 +65,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if driver == "sqlite" {
-		if backend, err = NewSqliteBackend(
-			args[0],
-			common.EncodeStringToBytes,
-			common.DecodeStringFromBytes); err != nil {
+		if backend, err = NewSqliteBackend(args[0], interleaved); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/sqlite.go b/sqlite.go
index 43f74ac..aab5d35 100644
--- a/sqlite.go
+++ b/sqlite.go
@@ -26,15 +26,16 @@ const (
 )
 
 type SqliteBackend struct {
-	db         *sql.DB
-	encoder    common.KeyEncoder
-	decoder    common.KeyDecoder
-	existsStmt *sql.Stmt
-	fetchStmt  *sql.Stmt
-	insertStmt *sql.Stmt
-	updateStmt *sql.Stmt
-	countStmt  *sql.Stmt
-	keysStmt   *sql.Stmt
+	db          *sql.DB
+	encoder     common.KeyEncoder
+	decoder     common.KeyDecoder
+	interleaved bool
+	existsStmt  *sql.Stmt
+	fetchStmt   *sql.Stmt
+	insertStmt  *sql.Stmt
+	updateStmt  *sql.Stmt
+	countStmt   *sql.Stmt
+	keysStmt    *sql.Stmt
 }
 
 type SqliteSession struct {
@@ -55,12 +56,9 @@ func (ss *SqliteSession) Close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func NewSqliteBackend(
-	path string,
-	encoder common.KeyEncoder,
-	decoder common.KeyDecoder) (sqlb *SqliteBackend, err error) {
+func NewSqliteBackend(path string, interleaved bool) (sqlb *SqliteBackend, err error) {
 
-	res := SqliteBackend{}
+	res := SqliteBackend{interleaved: interleaved}
 
 	if res.db, err = sql.Open("sqlite3", path); err != nil {
 		return
@@ -96,8 +94,13 @@ func NewSqliteBackend(
 		return
 	}
 
-	res.encoder = encoder
-	res.decoder = decoder
+	if interleaved {
+		res.encoder = common.EncodeStringToBytes
+		res.decoder = common.DecodeStringFromBytes
+	} else {
+		res.encoder = common.EncodeStringToBytesFromInterleaved
+		res.decoder = common.DecodeStringFromBytesToInterleaved
+	}
 
 	sqlb = &res
 	return