diff --git a/lib/database.ts b/lib/database.ts
index b80c8b7..738c59d 100644
--- a/lib/database.ts
+++ b/lib/database.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,9 @@
 import * as fdb from './native'
-import Transaction, {
-  RangeOptions,
-  Watch,
-  WatchOptions,
-} from './transaction'
+import Transaction, { RangeOptions, Watch } from './transaction'
 import {Transformer, defaultTransformer} from './transformer'
 import {NativeValue} from './native'
 import {KeySelector} from './keySelector'
-import Subspace, { defaultSubspace, GetSubspace, isGetSubspace } from './subspace'
-import {asBuf} from './util'
+import Subspace, { root, GetSubspace, isGetSubspace } from './subspace'
 import {eachOption} from './opts'
 import {DatabaseOptions,
   TransactionOptions,
@@ -38,7 +33,7 @@ export default class Database<KeyIn = NativeValue, KeyOut = Buffer, ValIn = Nati
   // **** Scoping functions
   
   getRoot(): Database {
-    return new Database(this._db, defaultSubspace)
+    return new Database(this._db, root)
   }
 
   getSubspace() { return this.subspace }
diff --git a/lib/directory.ts b/lib/directory.ts
index e3fe960..a849faa 100644
--- a/lib/directory.ts
+++ b/lib/directory.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Database, tuple, TupleItem, util } from ".";
 import { Transformer, defaultTransformer } from "./transformer";
 import { TransactionOptionCode } from "./opts.g";
 import { concat2, startsWith, strInc, asBuf } from "./util";
-import Subspace, { defaultSubspace } from "./subspace";
+import Subspace, { root } from "./subspace";
 import { inspect } from "util";
 import { NativeValue, NativeTransaction } from "./native";
 // import FDBError from './error'
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ export class DirectoryLayer {
         if (prefix == null) {
           // const subspace = this._contentSubspace.at(await this._allocator.allocate(txn))
           prefix = concat2(this._contentSubspace.prefix, await this._allocator.allocate(txn))
-          if ((await txn.at(defaultSubspace).getRangeAllStartsWith(prefix, {limit: 1})).length > 0) {
+          if ((await txn.at(root).getRangeAllStartsWith(prefix, {limit: 1})).length > 0) {
             throw new DirectoryError('The database has keys stored at the prefix chosen by the automatic prefix allocator: ' + inspect(prefix))
           }
 
diff --git a/lib/index.ts b/lib/index.ts
index 8f1d333..ec86671 100644
--- a/lib/index.ts
+++ b/lib/index.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import Database from './database'
 import {eachOption} from './opts'
 import {NetworkOptions, networkOptionData, DatabaseOptions} from './opts.g'
 import {Transformer} from './transformer'
-import {defaultSubspace} from './subspace'
+import {root} from './subspace'
 import {DirectoryLayer} from './directory'
 
 import * as apiVersion from './apiVersion'
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export {default as keySelector, KeySelector} from './keySelector'
 // always be constructed using open or via a cluster object.
 export {default as Database} from './database'
 export {default as Transaction, Watch} from './transaction'
-export {default as Subspace, defaultSubspace} from './subspace'
+export {default as Subspace, root} from './subspace'
 export {Directory, DirectoryLayer} from './directory'
 
 export {
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ export function configNetwork(netOpts: NetworkOptions) {
 export function open(clusterFile?: string, dbOpts?: DatabaseOptions) {
   init()
 
-  const db = new Database(nativeMod.createDatabase(clusterFile), defaultSubspace)
+  const db = new Database(nativeMod.createDatabase(clusterFile), root)
   if (dbOpts) db.setNativeOptions(dbOpts)
   return db
 }
diff --git a/lib/subspace.ts b/lib/subspace.ts
index 8d2a149..eb52e0c 100644
--- a/lib/subspace.ts
+++ b/lib/subspace.ts
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ export default class Subspace<KeyIn = NativeValue, KeyOut = Buffer, ValIn = Nati
   }
 }
 
-export const defaultSubspace: Subspace = new Subspace(null, defaultTransformer, defaultTransformer)
+export const root: Subspace = new Subspace(null, defaultTransformer, defaultTransformer)
 
 export interface GetSubspace<KI, KO, VI, VO> {
   getSubspace(): Subspace<KI, KO, VI, VO>
diff --git a/lib/transaction.ts b/lib/transaction.ts
index 18aeeaf..aac92f9 100644
--- a/lib/transaction.ts
+++ b/lib/transaction.ts
@@ -296,10 +296,11 @@ export default class Transaction<KeyIn = NativeValue, KeyOut = Buffer, ValIn = N
   getKey(_sel: KeySelector<KeyIn> | KeyIn): Promise<KeyOut | undefined> {
     const sel = keySelector.from(_sel)
     return this._tn.getKey(this._keyEncoding.pack(sel.key), sel.orEqual, sel.offset, this.isSnapshot)
-      .then(key => {
-        if (key.length === 0 || !this.subspace.contains(key)) return undefined
-        else return this._keyEncoding.unpack(key)
-      })
+      .then(key => (
+        (key.length === 0 || !this.subspace.contains(key))
+          ? undefined
+          : this._keyEncoding.unpack(key)
+      ))
   }
 
   /** Set the specified key/value pair in the database */
diff --git a/test/util.ts b/test/util.ts
index 3785bba..0b2d231 100644
--- a/test/util.ts
+++ b/test/util.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import 'mocha'
 import * as fdb from '../lib'
-import Subspace, { defaultSubspace } from '../lib/subspace'
 
 // We'll tuck everything behind this prefix and delete it all when the tests finish running.
 export const prefix = '__test_data__/'