diff --git a/src/database.rs b/src/database.rs
index 74168c9..184ef55 100644
--- a/src/database.rs
+++ b/src/database.rs
@@ -6,17 +6,17 @@ use std::path::Path;
 use {Result, Statement};
 
 /// A database.
-pub struct Database<'l> {
+pub struct Database {
     raw: *mut raw::sqlite3,
-    phantom: PhantomData<&'l raw::sqlite3>,
+    phantom: PhantomData<raw::sqlite3>,
 }
 
 /// A callback triggered for each row of an executed SQL query.
 pub type ExecuteCallback<'l> = FnMut(Vec<(String, String)>) -> bool + 'l;
 
-impl<'l> Database<'l> {
+impl Database {
     /// Open a database.
-    pub fn open(path: &Path) -> Result<Database<'l>> {
+    pub fn open(path: &Path) -> Result<Database> {
         let mut raw = 0 as *mut _;
         unsafe {
             success!(raw::sqlite3_open(path_to_c_str!(path), &mut raw));
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ impl<'l> Database<'l> {
     }
 
     /// Execute an SQL statement.
-    pub fn execute<'c>(&mut self, sql: &str,
-                       callback: Option<&mut ExecuteCallback<'c>>) -> Result<()> {
+    pub fn execute<'l>(&mut self, sql: &str,
+                       callback: Option<&mut ExecuteCallback<'l>>) -> Result<()> {
 
         unsafe {
             match callback {
@@ -49,12 +49,12 @@ impl<'l> Database<'l> {
 
     /// Create a prepared statement.
     #[inline]
-    pub fn statement(&mut self, sql: &str) -> Result<Statement<'l>> {
+    pub fn statement<'l>(&'l mut self, sql: &str) -> Result<Statement<'l>> {
         ::statement::new(self, sql)
     }
 }
 
-impl<'l> Drop for Database<'l> {
+impl Drop for Database {
     #[inline]
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         unsafe { raw::sqlite3_close(self.raw) };
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index a34c6ab..28b838f 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -65,6 +65,6 @@ pub use statement::{Statement, Binding, Value};
 
 /// Open a database.
 #[inline]
-pub fn open<'l>(path: &std::path::Path) -> Result<Database<'l>> {
+pub fn open(path: &std::path::Path) -> Result<Database> {
     Database::open(path)
 }
diff --git a/src/statement.rs b/src/statement.rs
index 87f99df..f2b9b0f 100644
--- a/src/statement.rs
+++ b/src/statement.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use {Database, Result, ResultCode};
 /// A prepared statement.
 pub struct Statement<'l> {
     raw: *mut raw::sqlite3_stmt,
-    phantom: PhantomData<&'l raw::sqlite3_stmt>,
+    phantom: PhantomData<(&'l raw::sqlite3, raw::sqlite3_stmt)>,
 }
 
 /// A binding of a prepared statement.
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ impl Value for String {
 }
 
 #[inline]
-pub fn new<'l>(database: &mut Database<'l>, sql: &str) -> Result<Statement<'l>> {
+pub fn new<'l>(database: &'l mut Database, sql: &str) -> Result<Statement<'l>> {
     let mut raw = 0 as *mut _;
     unsafe {
         success!(database, raw::sqlite3_prepare(::database::as_raw(database), str_to_c_str!(sql),