diff --git a/spike.rb b/spike.rb
index 58f3310..4a3e54e 100644
--- a/spike.rb
+++ b/spike.rb
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ o = V8::C::ObjectTemplate.new
 o.Set("hello", f)
 o.Set("nello", f2)
 V8::C::Context.new(o).open do |cxt|
-  puts "r1: " + cxt.eval('nello()')
+  puts "r1: " + cxt.eval('nello()').to_s
   puts "r2: " + cxt.eval('hello()')
-end;
+end
 
 
 
diff --git a/v8_cxt.cpp b/v8_cxt.cpp
index 87a25ef..b596865 100644
--- a/v8_cxt.cpp
+++ b/v8_cxt.cpp
@@ -11,20 +11,20 @@ VALUE v8_Context_New(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self) {
   if (NIL_P(scope)) {
     return V8_Ref_Create(self, Context::New());
   } else {
-    V8_Ref_Get(ObjectTemplate, t, scope);
+    Local<ObjectTemplate> t = V8_Ref_Get<ObjectTemplate>(scope);    
     return V8_Ref_Create(self, Context::New(0, t));
   }
 }
 
 VALUE v8_cxt_Global(VALUE self) {
-  V8_Ref_Get(Context, cxt, self);
+  Local<Context> cxt = V8_Ref_Get<Context>(self);
   cxt->Global();
   return Qnil;  
 }
 
 VALUE v8_cxt_open(VALUE self) {
   HandleScope handles;
-  V8_Ref_Get(Context, cxt, self);
+  Local<Context> cxt = V8_Ref_Get<Context>(self);
   Context::Scope enter(cxt);
   if (rb_block_given_p()) {
     return rb_yield(self);
diff --git a/v8_ref.cpp b/v8_ref.cpp
index 6997a44..0d586d1 100644
--- a/v8_ref.cpp
+++ b/v8_ref.cpp
@@ -22,3 +22,6 @@ void v8_ref_free(v8_ref* ref) {
   delete ref;
 }
 
+VALUE V8_Ref_Create(VALUE ruby_class, v8::Handle<void> handle, VALUE ref) {
+  return Data_Wrap_Struct(ruby_class, v8_ref_mark, v8_ref_free, new v8_ref(handle, ref));
+}
diff --git a/v8_ref.h b/v8_ref.h
index 0408de0..e4b3ae2 100644
--- a/v8_ref.h
+++ b/v8_ref.h
@@ -20,23 +20,12 @@ struct v8_ref  {
 void v8_ref_mark(v8_ref* ref);
 void v8_ref_free(v8_ref* ref);
 
+VALUE V8_Ref_Create(VALUE ruby_class, v8::Handle<void> handle, VALUE ref = 0);
 
-//macros for helping make references
-
-//creates a ruby VALUE reference out of any v8::Handle
-// *clazz* a ruby VALUE corresponding to the ruby class of the resulting reference
-// *handle* a v8::Handle<T> object to reference from ruby.
-// example:
-// VALUE myclass = rb_define_class("MyClass");
-// VALUE instance = V8_Ref_Create(clazz, String::New("This is my instance"));
-
-#define V8_Ref_Create(clazz,handle) Data_Wrap_Struct(clazz,v8_ref_mark, v8_ref_free, new v8_ref(handle))
-#define V8_Ref_Create2(clazz,handle, references) Data_Wrap_Struct(clazz,v8_ref_mark, v8_ref_free, new v8_ref(handle, references))
-
-//Dereferences a ruby reference to a V8 object and place it in a Local<T> handle.
-// *type* V8 type of the reference. e.g. Context, Object, FunctionTemplate
-// *var* the name of the variable to stuff the V8 object in.
-// *value* the ruby VALUE object which contains the V8 reference (usually created with V8_Ref_Create())
-#define V8_Ref_Get(type,var,value) v8_ref* __ ## var ## _ref__ = 0; Data_Get_Struct(value, struct v8_ref, __ ## var ## _ref__); Local<type> var = (type *)*__ ## var ## _ref__->handle;
+template <class T> v8::Local<T> V8_Ref_Get(VALUE object) {
+  v8_ref* ref = 0;
+  Data_Get_Struct(object, struct v8_ref, ref); 
+  return (T *)*ref->handle;  
+}
 
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/v8_script.cpp b/v8_script.cpp
index e18f660..c3e9944 100644
--- a/v8_script.cpp
+++ b/v8_script.cpp
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ using namespace v8;
 
 VALUE v8_script_new(VALUE self, VALUE source) {
   HandleScope handles;
-  V8_Ref_Get(String, src, source);
+  Local<String> src = V8_Ref_Get<String>(source);
   return V8_Ref_Create(self, Script::New(src));
 }
 
 VALUE v8_script_Run(VALUE self) {
   HandleScope handles;
-  V8_Ref_Get(Script, script, self);
+  Local<Script> script = V8_Ref_Get<Script>(self);
   V8HandleSource<RubyDest, VALUE> toValue;
   Local<Value> result = script->Run();
   return toValue.push(result);  
diff --git a/v8_str.cpp b/v8_str.cpp
index 446813f..2f1b554 100644
--- a/v8_str.cpp
+++ b/v8_str.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@ VALUE v8_str_new(VALUE clazz, VALUE str) {
 
 VALUE v8_str_to_s(VALUE self){
   HandleScope handles;
-  V8_Ref_Get(String, str, self);
+  Local<String> str = V8_Ref_Get<String>(self);
   return rb_str_new2(*String::AsciiValue(str));
 }
diff --git a/v8_template.cpp b/v8_template.cpp
index dfca950..969608b 100644
--- a/v8_template.cpp
+++ b/v8_template.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ using namespace v8;
 Handle<Value> RubyInvocationCallback(const Arguments& args) {
   VALUE code = (VALUE)External::Unwrap(args.Data());
   if (NIL_P(code)) {
-    return String::New("Code was nil");
+    return Null();
   } else {    
     VALUE result = rb_funcall(code, rb_intern("call"), 0);
     return String::New("Function Was Called");
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ Handle<Value> RubyInvocationCallback(const Arguments& args) {
  
 VALUE v8_Template_Set(VALUE self, VALUE name, VALUE value) {
   HandleScope handles;
-  V8_Ref_Get(Template, tmpl, self);
-  V8_Ref_Get(Data, data, value);
+  Local<Template> tmpl = V8_Ref_Get<Template>(self);
+  Local<Data> data = V8_Ref_Get<Data>(value);
   tmpl->Set(RSTRING(name)->ptr, data);
   return Qnil;
 }
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ VALUE v8_FunctionTemplate_New(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self) {
   rb_scan_args(argc, argv, "00&", &code);
   HandleScope handles;
   Local<FunctionTemplate> t = FunctionTemplate::New(RubyInvocationCallback, External::Wrap((void *)code));
-  return V8_Ref_Create2(self,t,code);
+  return V8_Ref_Create(self,t,code);
 }