diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1b0b380..f5e7941 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 .idea
 cmake-build-debug
 Testing
+debug
diff --git a/include/matador/sql/record.hpp b/include/matador/sql/record.hpp
index 9e2e660..47d3e17 100644
--- a/include/matador/sql/record.hpp
+++ b/include/matador/sql/record.hpp
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ struct column;
 class record
 {
 private:
-  using field_by_index = std::vector<field>;
-  using field_index_pair = std::pair<std::reference_wrapper<field>, field_by_index::difference_type>;
+  using field_ref = std::reference_wrapper<field>;
+  using field_by_index = std::vector<field_ref>;
+  using field_index_pair = std::pair<field, field_by_index::difference_type>;
   using field_by_name_map = std::unordered_map<std::string, field_index_pair>;
 
 public:
@@ -36,13 +37,13 @@ public:
   void process(Operator &op)
   {
     for(auto &f : fields_) {
-      f.process(op);
+      f.get().process(op);
     }
   }
 
-  void append(field col);
+  void append(const field &col);
 
-  [[nodiscard]] const std::vector<field>& columns() const;
+  [[nodiscard]] const std::vector<field_ref>& columns() const;
 
   [[nodiscard]] const field& at(const column &col) const;
   [[nodiscard]] const field& at(size_t index) const;
diff --git a/src/sql/backend_provider.cpp b/src/sql/backend_provider.cpp
index 00f2af1..ab9a198 100644
--- a/src/sql/backend_provider.cpp
+++ b/src/sql/backend_provider.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "matador/sql/noop_connection.hpp"
 #include "matador/sql/dialect_builder.hpp"
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace matador::sql {
diff --git a/src/sql/record.cpp b/src/sql/record.cpp
index cd17cfb..674c475 100644
--- a/src/sql/record.cpp
+++ b/src/sql/record.cpp
@@ -7,23 +7,27 @@
 namespace matador::sql {
 
 record::record(std::initializer_list<field> columns)
-: fields_(columns)
 {
-  init();
+  for (auto &&col :columns) {
+    const auto it = fields_by_name_.emplace(col.name(), field_index_pair {col, fields_.size()});
+    fields_.push_back(std::ref(it.first->second.first));
+  }
 }
 
 record::record(const std::vector<field> &columns)
-: fields_(columns)
 {
-  init();
+  for (auto &&col :columns) {
+    const auto it = fields_by_name_.emplace(col.name(), field_index_pair {col, fields_.size()});
+    fields_.push_back(std::ref(it.first->second.first));
+  }
 }
 
 record::record(const record &x)
-: fields_(x.fields_)
+: fields_by_name_(x.fields_by_name_)
 //, pk_index_(x.pk_index_)
 {
-  for (auto& col : fields_) {
-    add_to_map(col, col.index());
+  for (auto& col : fields_by_name_) {
+    fields_.push_back(std::ref(col.second.first));
   }
 }
 
@@ -33,16 +37,16 @@ record &record::operator=(const record &x)
     return *this;
   }
 
-  fields_ = x.fields_;
-  fields_by_name_.clear();
+  fields_by_name_ = x.fields_by_name_;
+  fields_.clear();
 //  pk_index_ = x.pk_index_;
-  for (auto& col : fields_) {
-    add_to_map(col, col.index());
+  for (auto& col : fields_by_name_) {
+    fields_.push_back(std::ref(col.second.first));
   }
   return *this;
 }
 
-const std::vector<field> &record::columns() const
+const std::vector<record::field_ref> &record::columns() const
 {
   return fields_;
 }
@@ -63,7 +67,9 @@ const std::vector<field> &record::columns() const
 
 const field &record::at(const column &col) const
 {
-  return fields_by_name_.at(col.name).first;
+  const auto &res = fields_by_name_.at(col.name);
+  const auto &f = res.first;
+  return f;
 }
 
 const field &record::at(size_t index) const
@@ -82,10 +88,10 @@ record::const_iterator record::find(const std::string &column_name) const {
   return it != fields_by_name_.end() ? fields_.begin() + it->second.second : fields_.end();
 }
 
-void record::append(field col)
+void record::append(const field &col)
 {
-  auto &ref = fields_.emplace_back(std::move(col));
-  add_to_map(ref, fields_.size() - 1);
+  const auto it = fields_by_name_.emplace(col.name(), field_index_pair {col, fields_.size()});
+  fields_.push_back(std::ref(it.first->second.first));
 }
 
 record::iterator record::begin()