diff --git a/src/kademlia/KademliaNode.java b/src/kademlia/KademliaNode.java
index 277d4bf..586e94c 100644
--- a/src/kademlia/KademliaNode.java
+++ b/src/kademlia/KademliaNode.java
@@ -289,7 +289,23 @@ public class KademliaNode
      */
     public int put(KadContent content) throws IOException
     {
-        StoreOperation sop = new StoreOperation(this.server, this, content, this.dht, this.config);
+        return this.put(new StorageEntry(content));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Stores the specified value under the given key
+     * This value is stored on K nodes on the network, or all nodes if there are > K total nodes in the network
+     *
+     * @param entry The StorageEntry with the content to put onto the DHT
+     *
+     * @return Integer How many nodes the content was stored on
+     *
+     * @throws java.io.IOException
+     *
+     */
+    private int put(StorageEntry entry) throws IOException
+    {
+        StoreOperation sop = new StoreOperation(this.server, this, entry, this.dht, this.config);
         sop.execute();
 
         /* Return how many nodes the content was stored on */
@@ -305,7 +321,7 @@ public class KademliaNode
      */
     public void putLocally(KadContent content) throws IOException
     {
-        this.dht.store(content);
+        this.dht.store(new StorageEntry(content));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/kademlia/operation/StoreOperation.java b/src/kademlia/operation/StoreOperation.java
index c43eae2..09f4dc3 100644
--- a/src/kademlia/operation/StoreOperation.java
+++ b/src/kademlia/operation/StoreOperation.java
@@ -23,22 +23,22 @@ public class StoreOperation implements Operation
 
     private final KadServer server;
     private final KademliaNode localNode;
-    private final KadContent content;
+    private final StorageEntry storageEntry;
     private final DHT localDht;
     private final KadConfiguration config;
 
     /**
      * @param server
      * @param localNode
-     * @param content   The content to be stored on the DHT
-     * @param localDht  The local DHT
+     * @param storageEntry The content to be stored on the DHT
+     * @param localDht     The local DHT
      * @param config
      */
-    public StoreOperation(KadServer server, KademliaNode localNode, KadContent content, DHT localDht, KadConfiguration config)
+    public StoreOperation(KadServer server, KademliaNode localNode, StorageEntry storageEntry, DHT localDht, KadConfiguration config)
     {
         this.server = server;
         this.localNode = localNode;
-        this.content = content;
+        this.storageEntry = storageEntry;
         this.localDht = localDht;
         this.config = config;
     }
@@ -47,20 +47,20 @@ public class StoreOperation implements Operation
     public synchronized void execute() throws IOException
     {
         /* Get the nodes on which we need to store the content */
-        NodeLookupOperation ndlo = new NodeLookupOperation(this.server, this.localNode, this.content.getKey(), this.config);
+        NodeLookupOperation ndlo = new NodeLookupOperation(this.server, this.localNode, this.storageEntry.getContentMetadata().getKey(), this.config);
         ndlo.execute();
         List<Node> nodes = ndlo.getClosestNodes();
 
         /* Create the message */
-        Message msg = new StoreContentMessage(this.localNode.getNode(), new StorageEntry(this.content));
+        Message msg = new StoreContentMessage(this.localNode.getNode(), this.storageEntry);
 
         /*Store the message on all of the K-Nodes*/
         for (Node n : nodes)
         {
-            if (n.equals(this.localNode))
+            if (n.equals(this.localNode.getNode()))
             {
                 /* Store the content locally */
-                this.localDht.store(content);
+                this.localDht.store(this.storageEntry);
             }
             else
             {