diff --git a/proto/common.proto b/proto/common.proto
index adae915..0b45c4d 100644
--- a/proto/common.proto
+++ b/proto/common.proto
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ package common;
 
 // a wrapper payload representing an uuid
 message Identity {
-	// uuid bytes, as string
-	required string id = 1;
+	required uint64 hi = 1;
+	required uint64 lo = 2;
 }
 
 // a collection of identities
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index fb4c737..fed3963 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -4,25 +4,27 @@ pub mod common {
 
 	impl From<uuid::Uuid> for Identity {
 		fn from(id: uuid::Uuid) -> Self {
-			Identity { id: id.to_string() }
+			let (hi, lo) = id.as_u64_pair();
+			Identity { hi, lo }
 		}
 	}
 
 	impl From<&uuid::Uuid> for Identity {
 		fn from(id: &uuid::Uuid) -> Self {
-			Identity { id: id.to_string() }
+			let (hi, lo) = id.as_u64_pair();
+			Identity { hi, lo }
 		}
 	}
 
 	impl From<Identity> for uuid::Uuid {
 		fn from(value: Identity) -> Self {
-			uuid::Uuid::parse_str(&value.id).expect("invalid uuid in identity")
+			uuid::Uuid::from_u64_pair(value.hi, value.lo)
 		}
 	}
 
 	impl From<&Identity> for uuid::Uuid {
 		fn from(value: &Identity) -> Self {
-			uuid::Uuid::parse_str(&value.id).expect("invalid uuid in identity")
+			uuid::Uuid::from_u64_pair(value.hi, value.lo)
 		}
 	}
 }