diff --git a/mongorm/connection.py b/mongorm/connection.py
index 87fe3b9..12e7d6a 100644
--- a/mongorm/connection.py
+++ b/mongorm/connection.py
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ def ensureIndexes( ):
 				#	database[collection].drop_index(key)
 				#	droppedIndexes.append(key)
 
+		# Build the index in the background
+		kwargs['background'] = True
+
 		database[collection].ensure_index(key_or_list, **kwargs)
 	
 	registeredIndexes += stagedIndexes
diff --git a/mongorm/fields/DictField.py b/mongorm/fields/DictField.py
index 12f48d6..03715d8 100644
--- a/mongorm/fields/DictField.py
+++ b/mongorm/fields/DictField.py
@@ -18,8 +18,3 @@ def toPython( self, bsonValue ):
 		if bsonValue is None:
 			bsonValue = {}
 		return bsonValue
-	
-	def toQuery( self, pythonValue, dereferences=[] ):
-		return {
-			'.'.join( dereferences ): pythonValue
-		}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mongorm/fields/EmbeddedDocumentField.py b/mongorm/fields/EmbeddedDocumentField.py
index f6792c8..c2f8d18 100644
--- a/mongorm/fields/EmbeddedDocumentField.py
+++ b/mongorm/fields/EmbeddedDocumentField.py
@@ -35,6 +35,4 @@ def toPython( self, bsonValue ):
 	def toQuery( self, pythonValue, dereferences=[] ):
 		# FIXME: this doesn't consider converting the value to/from python
 		# should check the types of the fields the whole way down the chain
-		return {
-			'.'.join( dereferences ): pythonValue
-		}
\ No newline at end of file
+		return pythonValue
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mongorm/fields/ReferenceField.py b/mongorm/fields/ReferenceField.py
index f17bc08..452364d 100644
--- a/mongorm/fields/ReferenceField.py
+++ b/mongorm/fields/ReferenceField.py
@@ -61,11 +61,7 @@ def fromPython( self, pythonValue, dereferences=[], modifier=None ):
 		return data
 	
 	def toQuery( self, pythonValue, dereferences=[] ):
-		if pythonValue is None:
-			return None
-		return {
-			'_ref': self.fromPython( pythonValue )['_ref']
-		}
+		return self.fromPython( pythonValue )
 	
 	def toPython( self, bsonValue ):
 		self._getClassInfo( )
@@ -104,4 +100,4 @@ def toPython( self, bsonValue ):
 		return documentClass( )._fromMongo( initialData )
 	
 	def optimalIndex( self ):
-		return self.dbField + '._ref'
+		return self.dbField
diff --git a/mongorm/queryset/Q.py b/mongorm/queryset/Q.py
index 62cea2e..b9afb9c 100644
--- a/mongorm/queryset/Q.py
+++ b/mongorm/queryset/Q.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def toMongo( self, document, forUpdate=False, modifier=None ):
 			
 			fieldName = name
 			
-			MONGO_COMPARISONS = ['gt', 'lt', 'lte', 'gte', 'exists', 'ne', 'all', 'in', 'nin', 'elemMatch']
+			MONGO_COMPARISONS = ['gt', 'lt', 'lte', 'gte', 'exists', 'eq', 'ne', 'all', 'in', 'nin', 'elemMatch']
 			REGEX_COMPARISONS = {
 				'contains': ( '%s', '' ),
 				'icontains': ( '%s', 'i' ),
@@ -64,36 +64,20 @@ def toMongo( self, document, forUpdate=False, modifier=None ):
 			field = document._fields[fieldName]
 			if not forUpdate:
 				if comparison in ARRAY_VALUE_COMPARISONS:
-					searchValues = [field.toQuery( item, dereferences=dereferences ) for item in value]
-					if searchValues and isinstance(searchValues[0], dict):
-						searchValue = {}
-						for dictValue in searchValues:
-							for key in dictValue:
-								# using setdefault instead of defaultdict in case python < 2.5
-								searchValue.setdefault(key, []).append( dictValue[key] )
-					else:
-						searchValue = searchValues
+					searchValue = [field.toQuery( item, dereferences=dereferences ) for item in value]
 				else:
 					searchValue = field.toQuery( value, dereferences=dereferences )
-				targetSearchKey = field.dbField
 			else:
 				if comparison in ARRAY_VALUE_COMPARISONS:
-					searchValues = [field.fromPython( item, dereferences=dereferences, modifier=modifier ) for item in value]
-					if searchValues and isinstance(searchValues[0], dict):
-						searchValue = {}
-						for dictValue in searchValues:
-							for key in dictValue:
-								# using setdefault instead of defaultdict in case python < 2.5
-								searchValue.setdefault(key, []).append( dictValue[key] )
-					else:
-						searchValue = searchValues
+					searchValue = [field.fromPython( item, dereferences=dereferences, modifier=modifier ) for item in value]
 				else:
 					searchValue = field.fromPython( value, dereferences=dereferences, modifier=modifier )
-				targetSearchKey = '.'.join( [field.dbField] + dereferences)
-			
+
+			targetSearchKey = '.'.join( [field.dbField] + dereferences)
+
 			valueMapper = lambda value: value
-			
-			
+
+
 			if comparison is not None:
 				if comparison in REGEX_COMPARISONS:
 					regex,options = REGEX_COMPARISONS[comparison]
@@ -113,24 +97,13 @@ def toMongo( self, document, forUpdate=False, modifier=None ):
 					valueMapper = lambda value: { '$'+comparison: value }
 					#newSearch[targetSearchKey] = { '$'+comparison: searchValue }
 
-			if isinstance(searchValue, dict):
-				if not forUpdate:
-					for name,value in searchValue.iteritems( ):
-						if name:
-							key = targetSearchKey + '.' + name
-						else:
-							key = targetSearchKey
-						newSearch[key] = valueMapper(value)
-				else:
-					newSearch[targetSearchKey] = valueMapper(searchValue)
-			else:
-				newSearch[targetSearchKey] = valueMapper(searchValue)
-		
+			newSearch[targetSearchKey] = valueMapper(searchValue)
+
 		return newSearch
-	
+
 	def __or__( self, other ):
 		return self.do_merge( other, '$or' )
-	
+
 	def __and__( self, other ):
 		if len( set( self.query.keys() ).intersection( other.query.keys() ) ) > 0:
 			# if the 2 queries have overlapping keys, we need to use a $and to join them.
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 67ecdc9..3cb2197 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages
 
 setup(name='mongorm',
-      version='0.5.8.11',
+      version='0.5.8.15',
       packages=find_packages(),
       author='Theo Julienne, John Garland',
       author_email='theo@icy.com.au, john@openlearning.com',