diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 79c76a4..d9c1bff 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ async-trait = "0.1.41"
 lazy_static = "1.4.0"
 barrel = { version = "0.6.5", features = ["pg"] }
 refinery = { version = "0.3.0", features = ["postgres"] }
-sqlx = { version = "0.4.0-beta.1", features = ["postgres", "json", "chrono"] }
+sqlx = { version = "0.4.0", features = ["runtime-async-std-native-tls", "postgres", "json", "chrono"] }
 strum = "0.19.5"
 strum_macros = "0.19"
 anyhow = "1.0.33"
diff --git a/src/entity/gateway/postgres/migrations/V0001__initial.sql b/src/entity/gateway/postgres/migrations/V0001__initial.sql
index 98e2f63..b4cd507 100644
--- a/src/entity/gateway/postgres/migrations/V0001__initial.sql
+++ b/src/entity/gateway/postgres/migrations/V0001__initial.sql
@@ -122,27 +122,3 @@ create table mag_modifier (
   modifier jsonb not null,
   created_at timestamptz default current_timestamp not null
 );
-
-create table equipped (
-  pchar integer references player_character (id) unique not null,
-  weapon integer references item (id),
-  armor integer references item (id),
-  shield integer references item (id),
-  unit0 integer references item (id),
-  unit1 integer references item (id),
-  unit2 integer references item (id),
-  unit3 integer references item (id),
-  mag integer references item (id)
-);
-
-create table inventory (
-  pchar integer references player_character (id) unique not null,
-  items jsonb not null
-);
-
-create table bank (
-  pchar integer references player_character (id) not null,
-  items jsonb not null,
-  name varchar(128) not null,
-  unique (pchar, name)
-);
diff --git a/src/entity/gateway/postgres/migrations/V0002__equips.sql b/src/entity/gateway/postgres/migrations/V0002__equips.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a88a1e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/entity/gateway/postgres/migrations/V0002__equips.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+create table equipped (
+  pchar integer references player_character (id) unique not null,
+  weapon integer references item (id),
+  armor integer references item (id),
+  shield integer references item (id),
+  unit0 integer references item (id),
+  unit1 integer references item (id),
+  unit2 integer references item (id),
+  unit3 integer references item (id),
+  mag integer references item (id)
+);
+
+create table inventory (
+  pchar integer references player_character (id) unique not null,
+  items jsonb not null
+);
+
+create table bank (
+  pchar integer references player_character (id) not null,
+  items jsonb not null,
+  name varchar(128) not null,
+  unique (pchar, name)
+);
diff --git a/src/entity/item/mod.rs b/src/entity/item/mod.rs
index a1aa305..22e2913 100644
--- a/src/entity/item/mod.rs
+++ b/src/entity/item/mod.rs
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ use crate::ship::drops::ItemDropType;
 pub struct ItemEntityId(pub u32);
 #[derive(Hash, PartialEq, Eq, Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct ItemId(u32);
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, PartialOrd, Ord)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, PartialOrd, Ord, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct BankName(pub String);
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub enum ItemLocation {
     Inventory {
         character_id: CharacterEntityId,
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ pub struct NewItemEntity {
     pub item: ItemDetail,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct ItemEntity {
     pub id: ItemEntityId,
     pub location: ItemLocation,
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ pub struct ItemEntity {
 }
 
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub enum InventoryItemEntity {
     Individual(ItemEntity),
     Stacked(Vec<ItemEntity>),
diff --git a/src/login/character.rs b/src/login/character.rs
index a991ed9..af796db 100644
--- a/src/login/character.rs
+++ b/src/login/character.rs
@@ -266,13 +266,13 @@ async fn new_character<EG: EntityGateway>(entity_gateway: &mut EG, user: &UserAc
         items: vec![InventoryItemEntity::Individual(weapon.clone()), InventoryItemEntity::Individual(armor.clone()), InventoryItemEntity::Individual(mag.clone()),
                     InventoryItemEntity::Stacked(monomates), InventoryItemEntity::Stacked(monofluids)],
     };
-    entity_gateway.set_character_inventory(&character.id, &inventory);
-    entity_gateway.set_character_bank(&character.id, &BankEntity::default(), BankName("".into()));
+    entity_gateway.set_character_inventory(&character.id, &inventory).await;
+    entity_gateway.set_character_bank(&character.id, &BankEntity::default(), BankName("".into())).await;
     let mut equipped = EquippedEntity::default();
     equipped.weapon = Some(weapon.id);
     equipped.armor = Some(armor.id);
     equipped.mag = Some(mag.id);
-    entity_gateway.set_character_equips(&character.id, &equipped);
+    entity_gateway.set_character_equips(&character.id, &equipped).await;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/ship/items/mod.rs b/src/ship/items/mod.rs
index 3268b04..d70a7f4 100644
--- a/src/ship/items/mod.rs
+++ b/src/ship/items/mod.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 mod bank;
 mod floor;
-mod inventory;
+pub mod inventory;
 mod manager;
 pub mod use_tool;
+use serde::{Serialize, Deserialize};
 
-#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, Hash, PartialEq, Eq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, Hash, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct ClientItemId(pub u32);
 
 // TODO: remove these and fix use statements in the rest of the codebase