diff --git a/api/src/main/java/com/todoroo/andlib/data/DatabaseDao.java b/api/src/main/java/com/todoroo/andlib/data/DatabaseDao.java
index ceb7933c3..718ef0a81 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/com/todoroo/andlib/data/DatabaseDao.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/com/todoroo/andlib/data/DatabaseDao.java
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ public class DatabaseDao<TYPE extends AbstractModel> {
         return result;
     }
 
+    public void query(Query query, Callback<TYPE> callback) {
+        query(callback, query);
+    }
+
     public void query(Callback<TYPE> callback, Query query) {
         TodorooCursor<TYPE> cursor = query(query);
         try {
diff --git a/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/backup/TasksXmlExporter.java b/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/backup/TasksXmlExporter.java
index 4d69a4a76..da04b16fc 100644
--- a/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/backup/TasksXmlExporter.java
+++ b/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/backup/TasksXmlExporter.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import com.todoroo.andlib.sql.Query;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.utility.DateUtilities;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.utility.DialogUtilities;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.MetadataDao;
-import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.MetadataDao.MetadataCriteria;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.TagDataDao;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.data.Metadata;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.data.TagData;
@@ -214,19 +213,18 @@ public class TasksXmlExporter {
     }
 
     private synchronized void serializeMetadata(Task task) throws IOException {
-        TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = metadataDao.query(Query.select(
-                Metadata.PROPERTIES).where(MetadataCriteria.byTask(task.getId())));
-        try {
-            for(cursor.moveToFirst(); !cursor.isAfterLast(); cursor.moveToNext()) {
-                Metadata metadata = new Metadata(cursor);
-
-                xml.startTag(null, BackupConstants.METADATA_TAG);
-                serializeModel(metadata, Metadata.PROPERTIES, Metadata.ID, Metadata.TASK);
-                xml.endTag(null, BackupConstants.METADATA_TAG);
+        metadataDao.byTask(task.getId(), new Callback<Metadata>() {
+            @Override
+            public void apply(Metadata metadata) {
+                try {
+                    xml.startTag(null, BackupConstants.METADATA_TAG);
+                    serializeModel(metadata, Metadata.PROPERTIES, Metadata.ID, Metadata.TASK);
+                    xml.endTag(null, BackupConstants.METADATA_TAG);
+                } catch (IOException e) {
+                    throw new RuntimeException(e);
+                }
             }
-        } finally {
-            cursor.close();
-        }
+        });
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/MetadataDao.java b/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/MetadataDao.java
index c5d791f6f..05b8a7dc5 100644
--- a/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/MetadataDao.java
+++ b/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/MetadataDao.java
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ public class MetadataDao extends DatabaseDao<Metadata> {
                 Metadata.TASK.eq(Task.ID))).where(Task.TITLE.isNull())));
     }
 
+    public void byTask(long taskId, Callback<Metadata> callback) {
+        query(callback, Query.select(Metadata.PROPERTIES).where(Metadata.TASK.eq(taskId)));
+    }
+
     public void byTaskAndKey(long taskId, String key, Callback<Metadata> callback) {
         query(callback, Query.select(Metadata.PROPERTIES).where(
                 Criterion.and(Metadata.TASK.eq(taskId), Metadata.KEY.eq(key))));
diff --git a/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/gtasks/GtasksMetadataService.java b/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/gtasks/GtasksMetadataService.java
index 70dc7511a..b7b3519cd 100644
--- a/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/gtasks/GtasksMetadataService.java
+++ b/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/gtasks/GtasksMetadataService.java
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ package com.todoroo.astrid.gtasks;
 import android.text.TextUtils;
 
 import com.todoroo.andlib.data.AbstractModel;
-import com.todoroo.andlib.data.TodorooCursor;
+import com.todoroo.andlib.data.Callback;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.sql.Criterion;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.sql.Field;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.sql.Functions;
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ public final class GtasksMetadataService extends SyncMetadataService<GtasksTaskC
         super(taskDao, metadataDao);
     }
 
-    public Criterion getLocalMatchCriteria(GtasksTaskContainer remoteTask) {
-        return GtasksMetadata.ID.eq(remoteTask.gtaskMetadata.getValue(GtasksMetadata.ID));
-    }
-
     @Override
     public String getMetadataKey() {
         return GtasksMetadata.METADATA_KEY;
@@ -58,35 +54,23 @@ public final class GtasksMetadataService extends SyncMetadataService<GtasksTaskC
         if(remoteTask.task.getId() != Task.NO_ID) {
             return;
         }
-        TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = metadataDao.query(Query.select(Metadata.PROPERTIES).
-                where(Criterion.and(MetadataCriteria.withKey(getMetadataKey()),
-                        getLocalMatchCriteria(remoteTask))));
-        try {
-            if(cursor.getCount() == 0) {
-                return;
-            }
-            cursor.moveToFirst();
-            remoteTask.task.setId(cursor.get(Metadata.TASK));
+        Metadata metadata = getMetadataByGtaskId(remoteTask.gtaskMetadata.getValue(GtasksMetadata.ID));
+        if (metadata != null) {
+            remoteTask.task.setId(metadata.getValue(Metadata.TASK));
             remoteTask.task.setUuid(taskDao.uuidFromLocalId(remoteTask.task.getId()));
-            remoteTask.gtaskMetadata = new Metadata(cursor);
-        } finally {
-            cursor.close();
+            remoteTask.gtaskMetadata = metadata;
         }
     }
 
     public long localIdForGtasksId(String gtasksId) {
-        TodorooCursor<Metadata> metadata = metadataDao.query(Query.select(Metadata.TASK).where(
-                Criterion.and(Metadata.KEY.eq(GtasksMetadata.METADATA_KEY), GtasksMetadata.ID.eq(gtasksId))));
-        try {
-            if (metadata.getCount() > 0) {
-                metadata.moveToFirst();
-                return (new Metadata(metadata).getTask());
-            } else {
-                return AbstractModel.NO_ID;
-            }
-        } finally {
-            metadata.close();
-        }
+        Metadata metadata = getMetadataByGtaskId(gtasksId);
+        return metadata == null ? AbstractModel.NO_ID : metadata.getTask();
+    }
+
+    private Metadata getMetadataByGtaskId(String gtaskId) {
+        return metadataDao.getFirst(Query.select(Metadata.PROPERTIES).where(Criterion.and(
+                Metadata.KEY.eq(getMetadataKey()),
+                GtasksMetadata.ID.eq(gtaskId))));
     }
 
     // --- list iterating helpers
@@ -96,7 +80,7 @@ public final class GtasksMetadataService extends SyncMetadataService<GtasksTaskC
         iterateThroughList(listId, iterator, 0, false);
     }
 
-    public void iterateThroughList(String listId, OrderedListIterator iterator, long startAtOrder, boolean reverse) {
+    private void iterateThroughList(String listId, final OrderedListIterator iterator, long startAtOrder, boolean reverse) {
         Field orderField = Functions.cast(GtasksMetadata.ORDER, "LONG");
         Order order = reverse ? Order.desc(orderField) : Order.asc(orderField);
         Criterion startAtCriterion = reverse ?  Functions.cast(GtasksMetadata.ORDER, "LONG").lt(startAtOrder) :
@@ -107,20 +91,17 @@ public final class GtasksMetadataService extends SyncMetadataService<GtasksTaskC
                         GtasksMetadata.LIST_ID.eq(listId),
                         startAtCriterion)).
                         orderBy(order);
-        TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = metadataDao.query(query);
-        try {
-            for(cursor.moveToFirst(); !cursor.isAfterLast(); cursor.moveToNext()) {
-                long taskId = cursor.get(Metadata.TASK);
+
+        metadataDao.query(query, new Callback<Metadata>() {
+            @Override
+            public void apply(Metadata entry) {
+                long taskId = entry.getValue(Metadata.TASK);
                 Metadata metadata = getTaskMetadata(taskId);
-                if(metadata == null) {
-                    continue;
+                if(metadata != null) {
+                    iterator.processTask(taskId, metadata);
                 }
-                iterator.processTask(taskId, metadata);
             }
-
-        } finally {
-            cursor.close();
-        }
+        });
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/utility/SyncMetadataService.java b/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/utility/SyncMetadataService.java
index c4fbfa84d..cac25e6c9 100644
--- a/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/utility/SyncMetadataService.java
+++ b/astrid/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/utility/SyncMetadataService.java
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ package com.todoroo.astrid.utility;
 
 import android.content.ContentValues;
 
-import com.todoroo.andlib.data.TodorooCursor;
+import com.todoroo.andlib.data.Callback;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.sql.Query;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.MetadataDao;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.MetadataDao.MetadataCriteria;
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import com.todoroo.astrid.sync.SyncContainer;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 abstract public class SyncMetadataService<TYPE extends SyncContainer> {
 
@@ -56,17 +57,8 @@ abstract public class SyncMetadataService<TYPE extends SyncContainer> {
      * @return null if no metadata found
      */
     public Metadata getTaskMetadata(long taskId) {
-        TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = metadataDao.query(Query.select(Metadata.PROPERTIES).where(
+        return metadataDao.getFirst(Query.select(Metadata.PROPERTIES).where(
                 MetadataCriteria.byTaskAndwithKey(taskId, getMetadataKey())));
-        try {
-            if(cursor.getCount() == 0) {
-                return null;
-            }
-            cursor.moveToFirst();
-            return new Metadata(cursor);
-        } finally {
-            cursor.close();
-        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -79,19 +71,16 @@ abstract public class SyncMetadataService<TYPE extends SyncContainer> {
      * @param metadataKey metadata key
      */
     private void synchronizeMetadata(long taskId, ArrayList<Metadata> metadata, String metadataKey) {
-        HashSet<ContentValues> newMetadataValues = new HashSet<>();
+        final Set<ContentValues> newMetadataValues = new HashSet<>();
         for(Metadata metadatum : metadata) {
             metadatum.setTask(taskId);
             metadatum.clearValue(Metadata.ID);
             newMetadataValues.add(metadatum.getMergedValues());
         }
 
-        TodorooCursor<Metadata> cursor = metadataDao.query(Query.select(Metadata.PROPERTIES).where(
-                MetadataCriteria.byTaskAndwithKey(taskId, metadataKey)));
-        try {
-            // try to find matches within our metadata list
-            for(cursor.moveToFirst(); !cursor.isAfterLast(); cursor.moveToNext()) {
-                Metadata item = new Metadata(cursor);
+        metadataDao.byTaskAndKey(taskId, metadataKey, new Callback<Metadata>() {
+            @Override
+            public void apply(Metadata item) {
                 long id = item.getId();
 
                 // clear item id when matching with incoming values
@@ -99,15 +88,12 @@ abstract public class SyncMetadataService<TYPE extends SyncContainer> {
                 ContentValues itemMergedValues = item.getMergedValues();
                 if(newMetadataValues.contains(itemMergedValues)) {
                     newMetadataValues.remove(itemMergedValues);
-                    continue;
+                } else {
+                    // not matched. cut it
+                    metadataDao.delete(id);
                 }
-
-                // not matched. cut it
-                metadataDao.delete(id);
             }
-        } finally {
-            cursor.close();
-        }
+        });
 
         // everything that remains shall be written
         for(ContentValues values : newMetadataValues) {