diff --git a/geojson.c b/geojson.c
index 1863c5a3..d43b0db2 100644
--- a/geojson.c
+++ b/geojson.c
@@ -395,17 +395,22 @@ static void merge(struct merge *merges, int nmerges, unsigned char *map, FILE *f
 }
 
 struct stringpool {
-	char *s;
+	char *s; // first byte is type
 	struct stringpool *left;
 	struct stringpool *right;
 	long long off;
 } *pooltree = NULL;
 
-long long addpool(FILE *poolfile, long long *poolpos, char *s) {
+long long addpool(FILE *poolfile, long long *poolpos, char *s, char type) {
 	struct stringpool **sp = &pooltree;
 
 	while (*sp != NULL) {
-		int cmp = strcmp(s, (*sp)->s);
+		int cmp = strcmp(s, (*sp)->s + 1);
+
+		if (cmp == 0) {
+			cmp = type - (*sp)->s[0];
+		}
+
 		if (cmp < 0) {
 			sp = &((*sp)->left);
 		} else if (cmp > 0) {
@@ -416,13 +421,15 @@ long long addpool(FILE *poolfile, long long *poolpos, char *s) {
 	}
 
 	*sp = malloc(sizeof(struct stringpool));
-	(*sp)->s = strdup(s);  // XXX really should be mapped from the pool itself
+	(*sp)->s = malloc(strlen(s) + 2);
+	(*sp)->s[0] = type;
+	strcpy((*sp)->s + 1, s);  // XXX really should be mapped from the pool itself
 	(*sp)->left = NULL;
 	(*sp)->right = NULL;
 	(*sp)->off = *poolpos;
 
-	fwrite_check(s, strlen(s) + 1, sizeof(char), poolfile, "string pool");
-	*poolpos += strlen(s) + 1;
+	fwrite_check((*sp)->s, strlen(s) + 2, sizeof(char), poolfile, "string pool");
+	*poolpos += strlen(s) + 2;
 
 	return (*sp)->off;
 }
@@ -655,9 +662,8 @@ int read_json(int argc, char **argv, char *fname, const char *layername, int max
 
 				serialize_int(metafile, m, &metapos, fname);
 				for (i = 0; i < m; i++) {
-					serialize_int(metafile, metatype[i], &metapos, fname);
-					serialize_long_long(metafile, addpool(poolfile, &poolpos, metakey[i]), &metapos, fname);
-					serialize_long_long(metafile, addpool(poolfile, &poolpos, metaval[i]), &metapos, fname);
+					serialize_long_long(metafile, addpool(poolfile, &poolpos, metakey[i], VT_STRING), &metapos, fname);
+					serialize_long_long(metafile, addpool(poolfile, &poolpos, metaval[i], metatype[i]), &metapos, fname);
 				}
 
 				long long geomstart = geompos;
diff --git a/tile.cc b/tile.cc
index 12791c32..2877da45 100644
--- a/tile.cc
+++ b/tile.cc
@@ -186,12 +186,12 @@ int coalindexcmp(const struct coalesce *c1, const struct coalesce *c2) {
 	return cmp;
 }
 
-struct pool_val *retrieve_string(char **f, struct pool *p, int type, char *stringpool) {
+struct pool_val *retrieve_string(char **f, struct pool *p, char *stringpool) {
 	struct pool_val *ret;
 	long long off;
 
 	deserialize_long_long(f, &off);
-	ret = pool(p, stringpool + off, type);
+	ret = pool(p, stringpool + off + 1, stringpool[off]);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -202,22 +202,20 @@ void decode_meta(char **meta, char *stringpool, struct pool *keys, struct pool *
 
 	int i;
 	for (i = 0; i < m; i++) {
-		int t;
-		deserialize_int(meta, &t);
-		struct pool_val *key = retrieve_string(meta, keys, VT_STRING, stringpool);
+		struct pool_val *key = retrieve_string(meta, keys, stringpool);
 
 		if (only != NULL && (strcmp(key->s, only) != 0)) {
-			deserialize_int(meta, &t);
-			*meta += t;
+			// XXX if evaluate ever works again, check whether this is sufficient
+			(void) retrieve_string(meta, values, stringpool);
 		} else {
-			struct pool_val *value = retrieve_string(meta, values, t, stringpool);
+			struct pool_val *value = retrieve_string(meta, values, stringpool);
 
 			intmeta->push_back(key->n);
 			intmeta->push_back(value->n);
 
-			if (!is_pooled(file_keys, key->s, t)) {
+			if (!is_pooled(file_keys, key->s, value->type)) {
 				// Dup to retain after munmap
-				pool(file_keys, strdup(key->s), t);
+				pool(file_keys, strdup(key->s), value->type);
 			}
 		}
 	}