diff --git a/public/templates/category.tpl b/public/templates/category.tpl
index e37cbd10aa..52b2148ac5 100644
--- a/public/templates/category.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/category.tpl
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 		</li></a>
 		<!-- END topics -->
 		</ul>
+		<hr />
+		<button id="new_post" class="btn btn-primary btn-large {show_category_features}">New Topic</button>
 	</div>
 	<div class="span3 {show_category_features}">
 		<div class="sidebar-block img-polaroid">
@@ -77,8 +79,6 @@
 </div>
 
 
-<hr />
-<button id="new_post" class="btn btn-primary btn-large {show_category_features}">New Topic</button>
 
 
 <input type="hidden" template-variable="category_id" value="{category_id}" />
diff --git a/src/topics.js b/src/topics.js
index bed9ac2416..82f353cc3e 100644
--- a/src/topics.js
+++ b/src/topics.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
+var	RDB = require('./redis.js')
+	schema = require('./schema.js'),
 	posts = require('./posts.js'),
 	utils = require('./../public/src/utils.js'),
 	user = require('./user.js'),
@@ -17,12 +18,12 @@ marked.setOptions({
 	Topics.getTopicById = function(tid, current_user, callback) {
 		function getTopicData(next) {
 			RDB.multi()
-				.get('tid:' + tid + ':title')
-				.get('tid:' + tid + ':locked')
-				.get('tid:' + tid + ':category_name')
-				.get('tid:' + tid + ':category_slug')
-				.get('tid:' + tid + ':deleted')
-				.get('tid:' + tid + ':pinned')
+				.get(schema.topics(tid).title)
+				.get(schema.topics(tid).locked)
+				.get(schema.topics(tid).category_name)
+				.get(schema.topics(tid).category_slug)
+				.get(schema.topics(tid).deleted)
+				.get(schema.topics(tid).pinned)
 				.exec(function(err, replies) {
 						next(null, {
 							topic_name: replies[0],
@@ -118,14 +119,14 @@ marked.setOptions({
 
 		function get_topic_data(next) {
 			RDB.mget([
-				'tid:' + tid + ':title',
-				'tid:' + tid + ':uid',
-				'tid:' + tid + ':timestamp',
-				'tid:' + tid + ':slug',
-				'tid:' + tid + ':postcount',
-				'tid:' + tid + ':locked',
-				'tid:' + tid + ':pinned',
-				'tid:' + tid + ':deleted'
+				schema.topics(tid).title,
+				schema.topics(tid).uid,
+				schema.topics(tid).timestamp,
+				schema.topics(tid).slug,
+				schema.topics(tid).postcount,
+				schema.topics(tid).locked,
+				schema.topics(tid).pinned,
+				schema.topics(tid).deleted
 			], function(err, topic) {
 				if (err) {
 					throw new Error(err);
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 		function get_read_status(next) {
 			// posts.create calls this function - should be an option to skip this because its always true
 			if (uid && parseInt(uid) > 0) {
-				RDB.sismember('tid:' + tid + ':read_by_uid', uid, function(err, read) {
+				RDB.sismember(schema.topics(tid).read_by_uid, uid, function(err, read) {
 					topicData.badgeclass = read ? '' : 'badge-important';
 
 					next();
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 	}
 
 	Topics.get_cid_by_tid = function(tid, callback) {
-		RDB.get('tid:' + tid + ':cid', function(err, cid) {
+		RDB.get(schema.topics(tid).cid, function(err, cid) {
 			if (cid && parseInt(cid) > 0) {
 				callback(cid);
 			} else {
@@ -192,7 +193,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 
 	Topics.markAsRead = function(tid, uid) {
 		// there is an issue with this fn. if you read a topic that is previously read you will mark the category as read anyways - there is no check
-		RDB.sadd('tid:' + tid + ':read_by_uid', uid);
+		RDB.sadd(schema.topics(tid).read_by_uid, uid);
 		Topics.get_cid_by_tid(tid, function(cid) {
 			RDB.sadd('cid:' + cid + ':read_by_uid', uid);
 		});
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 		var batch = RDB.multi();
 
 		for (var i=0, ii=tids.length; i<ii; i++) {
-			batch.sismember('tid:' + tids[i] + ':read_by_uid', uid);	
+			batch.sismember(schema.topics(tids[i]).read_by_uid, uid);	
 		}
 		
 		batch.exec(function(err, hasRead) {
@@ -230,8 +231,9 @@ marked.setOptions({
 		}
 	}
 
+// start: probably should be moved into posts
 	Topics.get_latest_undeleted_pid = function(tid, callback) {
-		RDB.lrange('tid:' + tid + ':posts', 0, -1, function(err, pids) {
+		RDB.lrange(schema.topics(tid).posts, 0, -1, function(err, pids) {
 			var pidKeys = [],
 				numPids = pids.length;
 
@@ -275,7 +277,7 @@ marked.setOptions({
 			}
 		});
 	}
-
+// end: probably should be moved into posts
 
 	Topics.post = function(socket, uid, title, content, category_id) {
 		if (!category_id) throw new Error('Attempted to post without a category_id');
@@ -305,33 +307,33 @@ marked.setOptions({
 				return;
 			}
 
-			RDB.incr('global:next_topic_id', function(err, tid) {
+			RDB.incr(schema.global().next_topic_id, function(err, tid) {
 				RDB.handle(err);
 
 				// Global Topics
 				if (uid == null) uid = 0;
 				if (uid !== null) {
-					RDB.sadd('topics:tid', tid);	
+					RDB.sadd(schema.topics().tid, tid);	
 				} else {
 					// need to add some unique key sent by client so we can update this with the real uid later
-					RDB.lpush('topics:queued:tid', tid);
+					RDB.lpush(schema.topics().queued_tids, tid);
 				}
 
 				var slug = tid + '/' + utils.slugify(title);
 
 				// Topic Info
-				RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':title', title);
-				RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':uid', uid);
-				RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':slug', slug);
-				RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':timestamp', new Date().getTime());
+				RDB.set(schema.topic(tid).title, title);
+				RDB.set(schema.topic(tid).uid, uid);
+				RDB.set(schema.topic(tid).slug, slug);
+				RDB.set(schema.topic(tid).timestamp, new Date().getTime());
 			
 				
-				RDB.set('topic:slug:' + slug + ':tid', tid);
+				RDB.set(schema.topic().slug(slug).tid, tid);
 
 				// Posts
 				posts.create(uid, tid, content, function(pid) {
 					if (pid > 0) {
-						RDB.lpush('tid:' + tid + ':posts', pid);
+						RDB.lpush(schema.topic(tid).posts, pid);
 
 						// Notify any users looking at the category that a new topic has arrived
 						Topics.get_topic(tid, uid, function(topicData) {
@@ -355,15 +357,15 @@ marked.setOptions({
 				// let everyone know that there is an unread topic in this category
 				RDB.del('cid:' + category_id + ':read_by_uid');
 
-				RDB.zadd('topics:recent', (new Date()).getTime(), tid);
+				RDB.zadd(schema.topics().recent, (new Date()).getTime(), tid);
 				//RDB.zadd('topics:active', tid);
 
 				// in future it may be possible to add topics to several categories, so leaving the door open here.
 				RDB.sadd('categories:' + category_id + ':tid', tid);
-				RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':cid', category_id);
+				RDB.set(schema.topics(tid).cid, category_id);
 				categories.getCategories([category_id], function(data) {
-					RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':category_name', data.categories[0].name);
-					RDB.set('tid:' + tid + ':category_slug', data.categories[0].slug);
+					RDB.set(schema.topics(tid).category_name, data.categories[0].name);
+					RDB.set(schema.topics(tid).category_slug, data.categories[0].slug);
 				});
 
 				RDB.incr('cid:' + category_id + ':topiccount');