diff --git a/wallet/db.c b/wallet/db.c
index 33a62d27e..63e84e687 100644
--- a/wallet/db.c
+++ b/wallet/db.c
@@ -690,54 +690,6 @@ void db_exec_prepared_(const char *caller, struct db *db, sqlite3_stmt *stmt)
 	db_stmt_done(stmt);
 }
 
-/* This one doesn't check if we're in a transaction. */
-static void db_do_exec(const char *caller, struct db *db, const char *cmd)
-{
-	char *errmsg;
-	int err;
-
-	err = sqlite3_exec(db->sql, cmd, NULL, NULL, &errmsg);
-	if (err != SQLITE_OK) {
-		db_fatal("%s:%s:%s:%s", caller, sqlite3_errstr(err), cmd, errmsg);
-		/* Only reached in testing */
-		sqlite3_free(errmsg);
-	}
-#if HAVE_SQLITE3_EXPANDED_SQL
-	tal_arr_expand(&db->changes, tal_strdup(db->changes, cmd));
-#endif
-}
-
-static void PRINTF_FMT(3, 4)
-    db_exec(const char *caller, struct db *db, const char *fmt, ...)
-{
-	va_list ap;
-	char *cmd;
-
-	assert(db->in_transaction);
-
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	cmd = tal_vfmt(db, fmt, ap);
-	va_end(ap);
-
-	db_do_exec(caller, db, cmd);
-	tal_free(cmd);
-}
-
-/* This one can fail: returns NULL if so */
-static sqlite3_stmt *db_query(const char *location,
-			      struct db *db, const char *query)
-{
-	sqlite3_stmt *stmt;
-
-	assert(db->in_transaction);
-
-	/* Sets stmt to NULL if not SQLITE_OK */
-	sqlite3_prepare_v2(db->sql, query, -1, &stmt, NULL);
-	if (stmt)
-		dev_statement_start(stmt, location);
-	return stmt;
-}
-
 sqlite3_stmt *db_select_(const char *location, struct db *db, const char *query)
 {
 	sqlite3_stmt *stmt;
@@ -892,18 +844,17 @@ static struct db *db_open(const tal_t *ctx, char *filename)
  */
 static int db_get_version(struct db *db)
 {
-	int res;
-	sqlite3_stmt *stmt = db_query(__func__,
-				      db, "SELECT version FROM version LIMIT 1");
+	int res = -1;
+	struct db_stmt *stmt = db_prepare_v2(db, SQL("SELECT version FROM version LIMIT 1"));
+	if (!db_query_prepared(stmt)) {
+		tal_free(stmt);
+		return res;
+	}
 
-	if (!stmt)
-		return -1;
+	if (db_step(stmt))
+		res = db_column_u64(stmt, 0);
 
-	if (!db_select_step(db, stmt))
-		return -1;
-
-	res = sqlite3_column_int64(stmt, 0);
-	db_stmt_done(stmt);
+	tal_free(stmt);
 	return res;
 }
 
@@ -914,6 +865,7 @@ static void db_migrate(struct lightningd *ld, struct db *db, struct log *log)
 {
 	/* Attempt to read the version from the database */
 	int current, orig, available;
+	struct db_stmt *stmt;
 
 	db_begin_transaction(db);
 
@@ -942,13 +894,20 @@ static void db_migrate(struct lightningd *ld, struct db *db, struct log *log)
 	}
 
 	/* Finally update the version number in the version table */
-	db_exec(__func__, db, "UPDATE version SET version=%d;", available);
+	stmt = db_prepare_v2(db, SQL("UPDATE version SET version=?;"));
+	db_bind_u64(stmt, 0, available);
+	db_exec_prepared_v2(stmt);
+	tal_free(stmt);
 
 	/* Annotate that we did upgrade, if any. */
-	if (current != orig)
-		db_exec(__func__, db,
-			"INSERT INTO db_upgrades VALUES (%i, '%s');",
-			orig, version());
+	if (current != orig) {
+		stmt = db_prepare_v2(
+		    db, SQL("INSERT INTO db_upgrades VALUES (?, ?);"));
+		db_bind_u64(stmt, 0, orig);
+		db_bind_text(stmt, 1, version());
+		db_exec_prepared_v2(stmt);
+		tal_free(stmt);
+	}
 
 	db_commit_transaction(db);
 }
@@ -963,39 +922,42 @@ struct db *db_setup(const tal_t *ctx, struct lightningd *ld, struct log *log)
 
 s64 db_get_intvar(struct db *db, char *varname, s64 defval)
 {
-	s64 res;
-	sqlite3_stmt *stmt;
-	const char *query;
+	s64 res = defval;
+	struct db_stmt *stmt = db_prepare_v2(
+	    db, SQL("SELECT val FROM vars WHERE name= ? LIMIT 1"));
+	db_bind_text(stmt, 0, varname);
+	if (!db_query_prepared(stmt))
+		goto done;
 
-	query = tal_fmt(db, "SELECT val FROM vars WHERE name='%s' LIMIT 1", varname);
-	stmt = db_query(__func__, db, query);
-	tal_free(query);
-
-	if (!stmt)
-		return defval;
-
-	if (db_select_step(db, stmt)) {
-		const unsigned char *stringvar = sqlite3_column_text(stmt, 0);
-		res = atol((const char *)stringvar);
-		db_stmt_done(stmt);
-	} else
-		res = defval;
+	if (db_step(stmt))
+		res = atol((const char*)db_column_text(stmt, 0));
 
+done:
+	tal_free(stmt);
 	return res;
 }
 
 void db_set_intvar(struct db *db, char *varname, s64 val)
 {
-	/* Attempt to update */
-	db_exec(__func__, db,
-		"UPDATE vars SET val='%" PRId64 "' WHERE name='%s';", val,
-		varname);
-	if (sqlite3_changes(db->sql) == 0)
-		db_exec(
-		    __func__, db,
-		    "INSERT INTO vars (name, val) VALUES ('%s', '%" PRId64
-		    "');",
-		    varname, val);
+	char *v = tal_fmt(NULL, "%"PRIi64, val);
+	size_t changes;
+	struct db_stmt *stmt = db_prepare_v2(db, SQL("UPDATE vars SET val=? WHERE name=?;"));
+	db_bind_text(stmt, 0, v);
+	db_bind_text(stmt, 1, varname);
+	if (!db_exec_prepared_v2(stmt))
+		db_fatal("Error executing update: %s", stmt->error);
+	changes = db_count_changes(stmt);
+	tal_free(stmt);
+
+	if (changes == 0) {
+		stmt = db_prepare_v2(db, SQL("INSERT INTO vars (name, val) VALUES (?, ?);"));
+		db_bind_text(stmt, 0, varname);
+		db_bind_text(stmt, 1, v);
+		if (!db_exec_prepared_v2(stmt))
+			db_fatal("Error executing insert: %s", stmt->error);
+		tal_free(stmt);
+	}
+	tal_free(v);
 }
 
 void *sqlite3_column_arr_(const tal_t *ctx, sqlite3_stmt *stmt, int col,
diff --git a/wallet/test/run-db.c b/wallet/test/run-db.c
index ba36aa152..bd8642250 100644
--- a/wallet/test/run-db.c
+++ b/wallet/test/run-db.c
@@ -78,7 +78,9 @@ static bool test_empty_db_migrate(struct lightningd *ld)
 
 static bool test_primitives(void)
 {
+	struct db_stmt *stmt;
 	struct db *db = create_test_db();
+	db_err = NULL;
 	db_begin_transaction(db);
 	CHECK(db->in_transaction);
 	db_commit_transaction(db);
@@ -87,11 +89,15 @@ static bool test_primitives(void)
 	db_commit_transaction(db);
 
 	db_begin_transaction(db);
-	db_exec(__func__, db, "SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table';");
+	stmt = db_prepare_v2(db, SQL("SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table';"));
+	CHECK_MSG(db_exec_prepared_v2(stmt), "db_exec_prepared must succeed");
 	CHECK_MSG(!db_err, "Simple correct SQL command");
+	tal_free(stmt);
 
-	db_exec(__func__, db, "not a valid SQL statement");
+	stmt = db_prepare_v2(db, SQL("not a valid SQL statement"));
+	CHECK_MSG(!db_exec_prepared_v2(stmt), "db_exec_prepared must fail");
 	CHECK_MSG(db_err, "Failing SQL command");
+	tal_free(stmt);
 	db_err = tal_free(db_err);
 	db_commit_transaction(db);
 	CHECK(!db->in_transaction);
diff --git a/wallet/test/run-wallet.c b/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
index 33c581a4a..93e4ecb8b 100644
--- a/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
+++ b/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
@@ -1126,6 +1126,7 @@ static bool test_channel_config_crud(struct lightningd *ld, const tal_t *ctx)
 
 static bool test_htlc_crud(struct lightningd *ld, const tal_t *ctx)
 {
+	struct db_stmt *stmt;
 	struct htlc_in in, *hin;
 	struct htlc_out out, *hout;
 	struct preimage payment_key;
@@ -1136,9 +1137,11 @@ static bool test_htlc_crud(struct lightningd *ld, const tal_t *ctx)
 	struct htlc_out_map *htlcs_out = tal(ctx, struct htlc_out_map);
 
 	/* Make sure we have our references correct */
-	CHECK(transaction_wrap(w->db,
-			       db_exec(__func__, w->db, "INSERT INTO channels (id) VALUES (1);")));
 	db_begin_transaction(w->db);
+	char *query = SQL("INSERT INTO channels (id) VALUES (1);");
+	stmt = db_prepare_v2(w->db, query);
+	db_exec_prepared_v2(stmt);
+	tal_free(stmt);
 	db_commit_transaction(w->db);
 
 	chan->dbid = 1;