diff --git a/api/savedata/common.go b/api/savedata/common.go
index 657d916..7c03c54 100644
--- a/api/savedata/common.go
+++ b/api/savedata/common.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pagefaultgames/rogueserver/defs"
 )
 
-func readSystemSaveData(uuid []byte) (defs.SystemSaveData, error) {
+func legacyReadSystemSaveData(uuid []byte) (defs.SystemSaveData, error) {
 	var system defs.SystemSaveData
 
 	file, err := os.Open("userdata/" + hex.EncodeToString(uuid) + "/system.pzs")
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func readSystemSaveData(uuid []byte) (defs.SystemSaveData, error) {
 	return system, nil
 }
 
-func readSessionSaveData(uuid []byte, slotID int) (defs.SessionSaveData, error) {
+func legacyReadSessionSaveData(uuid []byte, slotID int) (defs.SessionSaveData, error) {
 	var session defs.SessionSaveData
 
 	fileName := "session"
diff --git a/api/savedata/get.go b/api/savedata/get.go
index 44e8c1b..7c844a9 100644
--- a/api/savedata/get.go
+++ b/api/savedata/get.go
@@ -29,7 +29,11 @@ import (
 func Get(uuid []byte, datatype, slot int) (any, error) {
 	switch datatype {
 	case 0: // System
-		system, err := readSystemSaveData(uuid)
+		if slot != 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid slot id for system data")
+		}
+
+		system, err := db.ReadSystemSaveData(uuid)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -49,7 +53,7 @@ func Get(uuid []byte, datatype, slot int) (any, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("slot id %d out of range", slot)
 		}
 
-		session, err := readSessionSaveData(uuid, slot)
+		session, err := db.ReadSessionSaveData(uuid, slot)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/api/savedata/update.go b/api/savedata/update.go
index c4ee109..1048ca5 100644
--- a/api/savedata/update.go
+++ b/api/savedata/update.go
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
 package savedata
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
-	"encoding/gob"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -45,7 +43,6 @@ func Update(uuid []byte, slot int, save any) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf(fmt.Sprintf("failed to create userdata folder: %s", err))
 	}
 
-	var filename string
 	switch save := save.(type) {
 	case defs.SystemSaveData: // System
 		if save.TrainerId == 0 && save.SecretId == 0 {
@@ -61,36 +58,26 @@ func Update(uuid []byte, slot int, save any) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to update account stats: %s", err)
 		}
 
-		filename = "system"
+		err = db.DeleteClaimedAccountCompensations(uuid)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete claimed compensations: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		return db.StoreSystemSaveData(uuid, save)
 
-		db.DeleteClaimedAccountCompensations(uuid)
 	case defs.SessionSaveData: // Session
 		if slot < 0 || slot >= defs.SessionSlotCount {
 			return fmt.Errorf("slot id %d out of range", slot)
 		}
 
-		filename = "session"
+		filename := "session"
 		if slot != 0 {
 			filename += strconv.Itoa(slot)
 		}
+
+		return db.StoreSessionSaveData(uuid, save, slot)
+
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid data type")
 	}
-
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	err = gob.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(save)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to serialize save: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	if buf.Len() == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("tried to write empty save file")
-	}
-
-	err = os.WriteFile(fmt.Sprintf("userdata/%x/%s.pzs", uuid, filename), zstdEncoder.EncodeAll(buf.Bytes(), nil), 0644)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write save to disk: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	return nil
 }
diff --git a/db/db.go b/db/db.go
index 1daa8bf..070a81c 100644
--- a/db/db.go
+++ b/db/db.go
@@ -36,5 +36,10 @@ func Init(username, password, protocol, address, database string) error {
 
 	handle.SetMaxOpenConns(1000)
 
+	handle.Exec("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS systemSaveData (uuid BINARY(16) PRIMARY KEY, data BLOB, timestamp TIMESTAMP)")
+	handle.Exec("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sessionSaveData (uuid BINARY(16) PRIMARY KEY, data BLOB, timestamp TIMESTAMP)")
+
+	//TODO iterate "userdata/accountid" and create rows for each account
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/db/savedata.go b/db/savedata.go
index 3390da5..13ba6d4 100644
--- a/db/savedata.go
+++ b/db/savedata.go
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@
 
 package db
 
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/gob"
+	"github.com/pagefaultgames/rogueserver/defs"
+)
+
 func TryAddDailyRunCompletion(uuid []byte, seed string, mode int) (bool, error) {
 	var count int
 	err := handle.QueryRow("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM dailyRunCompletions WHERE uuid = ? AND seed = ?", uuid, seed).Scan(&count)
@@ -33,3 +39,61 @@ func TryAddDailyRunCompletion(uuid []byte, seed string, mode int) (bool, error)
 
 	return true, nil
 }
+
+type DbSystemSaveData struct {
+	uuid []byte
+	data []byte
+}
+
+type DbSessionSaveData struct {
+	uuid []byte
+	data []byte
+}
+
+func ReadSystemSaveData(uuid []byte) (defs.SystemSaveData, error) {
+	var data DbSystemSaveData
+	err := handle.QueryRow("SELECT uuid, data FROM systemSaveData WHERE uuid = ?", uuid).Scan(&data)
+
+	reader := bytes.NewReader(data.data)
+	system := defs.SystemSaveData{}
+	err = gob.NewDecoder(reader).Decode(&system)
+	return system, err
+}
+
+func StoreSystemSaveData(uuid []byte, data defs.SystemSaveData) error {
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	err := gob.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = handle.Exec("INSERT INTO systemSaveData (uuid, data, timestamp) VALUES (?, ?, UTC_TIMESTAMP()) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE data = VALUES(data), timestamp = VALUES(timestamp)", uuid, buf.Bytes())
+
+	return err
+}
+
+func ReadSessionSaveData(uuid []byte, slot int) (defs.SessionSaveData, error) {
+
+	var data DbSystemSaveData
+	err := handle.QueryRow("SELECT uuid, data FROM sessionSaveData WHERE uuid = ?", uuid).Scan(&data)
+
+	reader := bytes.NewReader(data.data)
+	save := defs.SessionSaveData{}
+	err = gob.NewDecoder(reader).Decode(&save)
+
+	return save, err
+}
+
+func StoreSessionSaveData(uuid []byte, data defs.SessionSaveData, slot int) error {
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	err := gob.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = handle.Exec("INSERT INTO sessionSaveData (uuid, data, slot, timestamp) VALUES (?, ?, ?, UTC_TIMESTAMP()) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE data = VALUES(data), timestamp = VALUES(timestamp)", uuid, buf.Bytes(), slot)
+
+	return err
+}