diff --git a/src/syndicate/capabilities.nim b/src/syndicate/capabilities.nim
index de71b82..1c32892 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/capabilities.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/capabilities.nim
@@ -19,31 +19,24 @@ proc hmac(key, data: openarray[byte]): seq[byte] =
   count[Hmac[BLAKE2S_256]](key, data).data[0..15].toSeq
 
 proc mint*(key: openarray[byte]; oid: Value): SturdyRef =
-  SturdyRef(parameters: {
-        Symbol"oid": oid,
-        Symbol"sig": hmac(key, encode(oid)).toPreserves,
-      }.toTable,
-    )
+  result.parameters.oid = oid
+  result.parameters.sig = hmac(key, oid.encode)
 
 proc mint*(): SturdyRef =
   var key: array[16, byte]
   mint(key, "syndicate".toPreserves)
 
 proc attenuate*(r: SturdyRef; caveats: seq[Caveat]): SturdyRef =
-  var sig = hmac(r.parameters[Symbol"sig"].bytes, caveats.toPreserves.encode)
-  result = SturdyRef(parameters: {
-      Symbol"oid": r.parameters[Symbol"oid"],
-      Symbol"caveats": r.parameters[Symbol"caveats"] & caveats.toPreserves,
-      Symbol"sig": sig.toPreserves,
-    }.toTable)
+  if r.parameters.caveats.isSome:
+    result.parameters.caveats = some(r.parameters.caveats.get & caveats.toPreserves)
+  result.parameters.oid = r.parameters.oid
+  result.parameters.sig = hmac(r.parameters.sig, caveats.toPreserves.encode)
 
 proc validate*(key: openarray[byte]; sturdy: SturdyRef): bool =
-  let oid = sturdy.parameters[Symbol"oid"]
-  let ctrl = sturdy.parameters[Symbol"sig"]
-  var sig = hmac(key, oid.encode)
-  let caveats = sturdy.parameters[Symbol"caveats"]
-  for cav in caveats.sequence:
-    sig = hmac(sig, encode cav)
-  result = (sig == ctrl.bytes)
+  var sig = hmac(key, sturdy.parameters.oid.encode)
+  if sturdy.parameters.caveats.isSome:
+    for cav in sturdy.parameters.caveats.get:
+      sig = hmac(sig, encode cav)
+  result = (sig == sturdy.parameters.sig)
 
 # mint utility moved to syndicate_utils/src/mintsturdyref.nim
diff --git a/src/syndicate/protocols/noise.nim b/src/syndicate/protocols/noise.nim
index ee5df75..b220c1f 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/protocols/noise.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/protocols/noise.nim
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 import
-  preserves, std/tables
+  preserves, std/options
 
 type
   NoiseDescriptionDetail* = NoiseServiceSpec
@@ -71,10 +71,28 @@ type
 
   
   NoisePathStepDetail* = NoiseSpec
-  `NoiseServiceSpec`* = Table[Symbol, Value]
+  NoiseServiceSpecKey* = seq[byte]
+  NoiseServiceSpecPreSharedKeys* = Option[Value]
+  NoiseServiceSpecProtocol* = Option[Value]
+  NoiseServiceSpecSecretKey* = Option[Value]
+  `NoiseServiceSpec`* {.preservesDictionary.} = object
+    `key`*: seq[byte]
+    `preSharedKeys`*: Option[Value]
+    `protocol`*: Option[Value]
+    `secretKey`*: Option[Value]
+    `service`*: ServiceSelector
+
   ServiceSelector* = Value
   NoiseStepDetail* = ServiceSelector
-  `NoiseSpec`* = Table[Symbol, Value]
+  NoiseSpecKey* = seq[byte]
+  NoiseSpecPreSharedKeys* = Option[Value]
+  NoiseSpecProtocol* = Option[Value]
+  `NoiseSpec`* {.preservesDictionary.} = object
+    `key`*: seq[byte]
+    `preSharedKeys`*: Option[Value]
+    `protocol`*: Option[Value]
+    `service`*: ServiceSelector
+
   PacketKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `complete`, `fragmented`
   PacketComplete* = seq[byte]
diff --git a/src/syndicate/protocols/sturdy.nim b/src/syndicate/protocols/sturdy.nim
index d3a2d07..752e481 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/protocols/sturdy.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/protocols/sturdy.nim
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 import
-  preserves, std/tables
+  preserves, std/tables, std/options
 
 type
   PCompoundKind* {.pure.} = enum
@@ -64,7 +64,14 @@ type
     `pattern`*: Pattern
     `template`*: Template
 
-  `Parameters`* = Table[Symbol, Value]
+  ParametersCaveats* = Option[Value]
+  ParametersOid* = Value
+  ParametersSig* = seq[byte]
+  `Parameters`* {.preservesDictionary.} = object
+    `caveats`*: Option[Value]
+    `oid`*: Value
+    `sig`*: seq[byte]
+
   TRef* {.preservesRecord: "ref".} = object
     `binding`*: BiggestInt