diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d144d3ac..b5a9307c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -36,5 +36,8 @@ lib/libmosquitto.a
 
 test/ssl/*.csr
 
+test/lib/c/*.test
+test/lib/cpp/*.test
+
 build/
 dist/
diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index 5e7cc64f..6bfd74c6 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -438,7 +438,6 @@ int mqtt3_db_message_store(struct mosquitto_db *db, const char *source, uint16_t
 	temp = _mosquitto_malloc(sizeof(struct mosquitto_msg_store));
 	if(!temp) return MOSQ_ERR_NOMEM;
 
-	temp->next = db->msg_store;
 	temp->ref_count = 0;
 	if(source){
 		temp->source_id = _mosquitto_strdup(source);
@@ -490,7 +489,6 @@ int mqtt3_db_message_store(struct mosquitto_db *db, const char *source, uint16_t
 	temp->dest_ids = NULL;
 	temp->dest_id_count = 0;
 	db->msg_store_count++;
-	db->msg_store = temp;
 	(*stored) = temp;
 
 	if(!store_id){
@@ -499,6 +497,8 @@ int mqtt3_db_message_store(struct mosquitto_db *db, const char *source, uint16_t
 		temp->db_id = store_id;
 	}
 
+	HASH_ADD(hh, db->msg_store, db_id, sizeof(dbid_t), temp);
+
 	return MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -841,35 +841,25 @@ int mqtt3_db_message_write(struct mosquitto *context)
 void mqtt3_db_store_clean(struct mosquitto_db *db)
 {
 	/* FIXME - this may not be necessary if checks are made when messages are removed. */
-	struct mosquitto_msg_store *tail, *last = NULL;
+	struct mosquitto_msg_store *msg_store, *msg_tmp;
 	int i;
 	assert(db);
 
-	tail = db->msg_store;
-	while(tail){
-		if(tail->ref_count == 0){
-			if(tail->source_id) _mosquitto_free(tail->source_id);
-			if(tail->dest_ids){
-				for(i=0; i<tail->dest_id_count; i++){
-					if(tail->dest_ids[i]) _mosquitto_free(tail->dest_ids[i]);
+	HASH_ITER(hh, db->msg_store, msg_store, msg_tmp){
+		if(msg_store->ref_count == 0){
+			HASH_DELETE(hh, db->msg_store, msg_store);
+
+			if(msg_store->source_id) _mosquitto_free(msg_store->source_id);
+			if(msg_store->dest_ids){
+				for(i=0; i<msg_store->dest_id_count; i++){
+					if(msg_store->dest_ids[i]) _mosquitto_free(msg_store->dest_ids[i]);
 				}
-				_mosquitto_free(tail->dest_ids);
-			}
-			if(tail->msg.topic) _mosquitto_free(tail->msg.topic);
-			if(tail->msg.payload) _mosquitto_free(tail->msg.payload);
-			if(last){
-				last->next = tail->next;
-				_mosquitto_free(tail);
-				tail = last->next;
-			}else{
-				db->msg_store = tail->next;
-				_mosquitto_free(tail);
-				tail = db->msg_store;
+				_mosquitto_free(msg_store->dest_ids);
 			}
+			if(msg_store->msg.topic) _mosquitto_free(msg_store->msg.topic);
+			if(msg_store->msg.payload) _mosquitto_free(msg_store->msg.payload);
+			_mosquitto_free(msg_store);
 			db->msg_store_count--;
-		}else{
-			last = tail;
-			tail = tail->next;
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/mosquitto_broker.h b/src/mosquitto_broker.h
index 830f592d..88cf49a2 100644
--- a/src/mosquitto_broker.h
+++ b/src/mosquitto_broker.h
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ struct _mosquitto_subhier {
 };
 
 struct mosquitto_msg_store{
-	struct mosquitto_msg_store *next;
+	UT_hash_handle hh;
 	dbid_t db_id;
 	int ref_count;
 	char *source_id;
diff --git a/src/persist.c b/src/persist.c
index b8e2e484..cd1f0124 100644
--- a/src/persist.c
+++ b/src/persist.c
@@ -131,14 +131,13 @@ static int mqtt3_db_message_store_write(struct mosquitto_db *db, FILE *db_fptr)
 	uint32_t i32temp;
 	uint16_t i16temp, slen;
 	uint8_t i8temp;
-	struct mosquitto_msg_store *stored;
+	struct mosquitto_msg_store *stored, *stored_tmp;
 	bool force_no_retain;
 
 	assert(db);
 	assert(db_fptr);
 
-	stored = db->msg_store;
-	while(stored){
+	HASH_ITER(hh, db->msg_store, stored, stored_tmp){
 		if(!strncmp(stored->msg.topic, "$SYS", 4)){
 			/* Don't save $SYS messages as retained otherwise they can give
 			 * misleading information when reloaded. They should still be saved
@@ -193,8 +192,6 @@ static int mqtt3_db_message_store_write(struct mosquitto_db *db, FILE *db_fptr)
 		if(stored->msg.payloadlen){
 			write_e(db_fptr, stored->msg.payload, (unsigned int)stored->msg.payloadlen);
 		}
-
-		stored = stored->next;
 	}
 
 	return MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS;
@@ -428,20 +425,14 @@ static int _db_client_msg_restore(struct mosquitto_db *db, const char *client_id
 	cmsg->state = state;
 	cmsg->dup = dup;
 
-	store = db->msg_store;
-	while(store){
-		if(store->db_id == store_id){
-			cmsg->store = store;
-			cmsg->store->ref_count++;
-			break;
-		}
-		store = store->next;
-	}
-	if(!cmsg->store){
+	HASH_FIND(hh, db->msg_store, &store_id, sizeof(dbid_t), store);
+	if(!store){
 		_mosquitto_free(cmsg);
 		_mosquitto_log_printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_ERR, "Error restoring persistent database, message store corrupt.");
 		return 1;
 	}
+	cmsg->store = store;
+
 	context = _db_find_or_add_context(db, client_id, 0);
 	if(!context){
 		_mosquitto_free(cmsg);
@@ -655,13 +646,12 @@ static int _db_retain_chunk_restore(struct mosquitto_db *db, FILE *db_fptr)
 		return 1;
 	}
 	store_id = i64temp;
-	store = db->msg_store;
-	while(store){
-		if(store->db_id == store_id){
-			mqtt3_db_messages_queue(db, NULL, store->msg.topic, store->msg.qos, store->msg.retain, store);
-			break;
-		}
-		store = store->next;
+	HASH_FIND(hh, db->msg_store, &store_id, sizeof(dbid_t), store);
+	if(store){
+		mqtt3_db_messages_queue(db, NULL, store->msg.topic, store->msg.qos, store->msg.retain, store);
+	}else{
+		_mosquitto_log_printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_ERR, "Error: Corrupt database whilst restoring a retained message.");
+		return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
 	}
 	return MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS;
 }