diff --git a/api/src/extensions/KtormExtensions.kt b/api/src/extensions/KtormExtensions.kt
index f17ba49..75b07a5 100644
--- a/api/src/extensions/KtormExtensions.kt
+++ b/api/src/extensions/KtormExtensions.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 package be.vandewalleh.extensions
 
+import be.vandewalleh.tables.Notes
+import be.vandewalleh.tables.Tags
+import be.vandewalleh.tables.Users
+import me.liuwj.ktorm.database.*
+import me.liuwj.ktorm.entity.*
 import me.liuwj.ktorm.schema.*
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 import java.sql.PreparedStatement
@@ -25,3 +30,7 @@ class UuidBinarySqlType : SqlType<JavaUUID>(Types.BINARY, typeName = "uuidBinary
 fun <E : Any> BaseTable<E>.uuidBinary(name: String): Column<JavaUUID> {
     return registerColumn(name, UuidBinarySqlType())
 }
+
+val Database.users get() = this.sequenceOf(Users, withReferences = false)
+val Database.notes get() = this.sequenceOf(Notes, withReferences = false)
+val Database.tags get() = this.sequenceOf(Tags, withReferences = false)
diff --git a/api/src/services/NoteService.kt b/api/src/services/NoteService.kt
index 18bce91..16ba984 100644
--- a/api/src/services/NoteService.kt
+++ b/api/src/services/NoteService.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package be.vandewalleh.services
 
 import be.vandewalleh.entities.Note
 import be.vandewalleh.extensions.launchIo
+import be.vandewalleh.extensions.notes
+import be.vandewalleh.extensions.tags
 import be.vandewalleh.tables.Notes
 import be.vandewalleh.tables.Tags
 import me.liuwj.ktorm.database.*
@@ -9,6 +11,7 @@ import me.liuwj.ktorm.dsl.*
 import me.liuwj.ktorm.entity.*
 import java.time.LocalDateTime
 import java.util.*
+import kotlin.collections.HashMap
 
 /**
  * service to handle database queries at the Notes level.
@@ -23,13 +26,13 @@ class NoteService(private val db: Database) {
         var previous: LocalDateTime? = null
 
         if (after != null) {
-            previous = db.sequenceOf(Notes, withReferences = false)
+            previous = db.notes
                 .filter { it.userId eq userId and (it.uuid eq after) }
                 .mapColumns { it.updatedAt }
                 .firstOrNull() ?: return@launchIo emptyList()
         }
 
-        val notes = db.sequenceOf(Notes, withReferences = false)
+        val notes = db.notes
             .filterColumns { it.columns - it.userId }
             .filter {
                 if (previous == null) it.userId eq userId
@@ -41,13 +44,11 @@ class NoteService(private val db: Database) {
 
         if (notes.isEmpty()) return@launchIo emptyList()
 
-        val allTags =
-            db.sequenceOf(Tags, withReferences = false)
+        val tagsByUuid =
+            db.tags
                 .filterColumns { listOf(it.noteUuid, it.name) }
                 .filter { it.noteUuid inList notes.map { note -> note.uuid } }
-                .toList()
-
-        val tagsByUuid = allTags.groupByTo(HashMap(), { it.note.uuid }, { it.name })
+                .groupByTo(HashMap(), { it.note.uuid }, { it.name })
 
         notes.forEach {
             val tags = tagsByUuid[it.uuid]
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ class NoteService(private val db: Database) {
     }
 
     suspend fun exists(userId: Int, uuid: UUID) = launchIo {
-        db.sequenceOf(Notes, withReferences = false).any { it.userId eq userId and (it.uuid eq uuid) }
+        db.notes.any { (it.userId eq userId) and (it.uuid eq uuid) }
     }
 
     suspend fun create(userId: Int, note: Note): Note = launchIo {
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ class NoteService(private val db: Database) {
             this.updatedAt = LocalDateTime.now()
         }
         db.useTransaction {
-            db.sequenceOf(Notes).add(newNote)
+            db.notes.add(newNote)
             db.batchInsert(Tags) {
                 note.tags.forEach { tagName ->
                     item {
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ class NoteService(private val db: Database) {
     @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
     suspend fun find(userId: Int, noteUuid: UUID): Note? = launchIo {
         val note =
-            db.sequenceOf(Notes, withReferences = false)
+            db.notes
                 .filterColumns { it.columns - it.userId }
                 .filter { it.uuid eq noteUuid }
                 .find { it.userId eq userId }
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ class NoteService(private val db: Database) {
         if (note["uuid"] == null) error("UUID is required")
 
         db.useTransaction {
-            val currentNote = db.sequenceOf(Notes, withReferences = false)
+            val currentNote = db.notes
                 .find { it.uuid eq note.uuid and (it.userId eq userId) }
                 ?: return@launchIo false
 
diff --git a/api/src/services/UserService.kt b/api/src/services/UserService.kt
index 973fc13..0798797 100644
--- a/api/src/services/UserService.kt
+++ b/api/src/services/UserService.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package be.vandewalleh.services
 
 import be.vandewalleh.entities.User
 import be.vandewalleh.extensions.launchIo
+import be.vandewalleh.extensions.users
 import be.vandewalleh.features.PasswordHash
 import be.vandewalleh.tables.Users
 import me.liuwj.ktorm.database.*
@@ -18,22 +19,19 @@ class UserService(private val db: Database, private val passwordHash: PasswordHa
      * returns a user from it's username if found or null
      */
     suspend fun find(username: String): User? = launchIo {
-        db.sequenceOf(Users, withReferences = false)
-            .find { it.username eq username }
+        db.users.find { it.username eq username }
     }
 
     suspend fun find(id: Int): User? = launchIo {
-        db.sequenceOf(Users, withReferences = false)
-            .find { it.id eq id }
+        db.users.find { it.id eq id }
     }
 
     suspend fun exists(username: String) = launchIo {
-        db.sequenceOf(Users, withReferences = false)
-            .any { it.username eq username }
+        db.users.any { it.username eq username }
     }
 
     suspend fun exists(userId: Int) = launchIo {
-        db.sequenceOf(Users).any { it.id eq userId }
+        db.users.any { it.id eq userId }
     }
 
     suspend fun create(username: String, password: String): User? {
@@ -45,7 +43,7 @@ class UserService(private val db: Database, private val passwordHash: PasswordHa
         return try {
             launchIo {
                 db.useTransaction {
-                    db.sequenceOf(Users).add(newUser)
+                    db.users.add(newUser)
                     newUser
                 }
             }