Index: src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/BundleDbPersistenceManager.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/BundleDbPersistenceManager.java	(revision 598977)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/BundleDbPersistenceManager.java	(working copy)
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.bundle.util.BundleBinding;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.bundle.util.ErrorHandling;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.bundle.util.StringIndex;
-import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.util.Serializer;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.util.BLOBStore;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.util.FileSystemBLOBStore;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.fs.FileSystemResource;
@@ -1052,7 +1051,7 @@
         }
 
         ResultSet rs = null;
-        InputStream in = null;
+        DataInputStream din = null;
         try {
             Statement stmt = connectionManager.executeStmt(
                     nodeReferenceSelectSQL, getKey(targetId.getTargetId().getUUID()));
@@ -1061,10 +1060,8 @@
                 throw new NoSuchItemStateException(targetId.toString());
             }
 
-            in = rs.getBinaryStream(1);
-            NodeReferences refs = new NodeReferences(targetId);
-            Serializer.deserialize(refs, in);
-
+            din = new DataInputStream(rs.getBinaryStream(1));
+            NodeReferences refs = binding.readState(din, targetId, this);
             return refs;
         } catch (Exception e) {
             if (e instanceof NoSuchItemStateException) {
@@ -1074,7 +1071,7 @@
             log.error(msg, e);
             throw new ItemStateException(msg, e);
         } finally {
-            closeStream(in);
+            closeStream(din);
             closeResultSet(rs);
         }
     }
@@ -1101,7 +1098,9 @@
             ByteArrayOutputStream out =
                     new ByteArrayOutputStream(INITIAL_BUFFER_SIZE);
             // serialize references
-            Serializer.serialize(refs, out);
+            DataOutputStream dout = new DataOutputStream(out);
+            binding.writeState(new DataOutputStream(out), refs);
+            dout.close();             
 
             Object[] params = createParams(refs.getTargetId().getUUID(), out.toByteArray(), true);
             connectionManager.executeStmt(sql, params);
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/BundleFsPersistenceManager.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/BundleFsPersistenceManager.java	(revision 598977)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/BundleFsPersistenceManager.java	(working copy)
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.bundle.util.ErrorHandling;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.bundle.util.BundleBinding;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.bundle.util.TrackingInputStream;
-import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.util.Serializer;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.util.BLOBStore;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.util.FileSystemBLOBStore;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.NodeId;
@@ -527,16 +526,15 @@
         if (!initialized) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("not initialized");
         }
-        InputStream in = null;
+        DataInputStream din = null;
         try {
             String path = buildNodeReferencesFilePath(null, targetId).toString();
             if (!itemFs.exists(path)) {
                 // special case
                 throw new NoSuchItemStateException(targetId.toString());
             }
-            in = itemFs.getInputStream(path);
-            NodeReferences refs = new NodeReferences(targetId);
-            Serializer.deserialize(refs, in);
+            din = new DataInputStream(itemFs.getInputStream(path));
+            NodeReferences refs = binding.readState(din, targetId, this);
             return refs;
         } catch (NoSuchItemStateException e) {
             throw e;
@@ -545,7 +543,7 @@
             BundleFsPersistenceManager.log.error(msg, e);
             throw new ItemStateException(msg, e);
         } finally {
-            closeStream(in);
+            closeStream(din);
         }
     }
 
@@ -567,7 +565,11 @@
                 itemFs.createFolder(dir);
             }
             OutputStream out = itemFs.getOutputStream(fileName);
-            Serializer.serialize(refs, out);
+            
+            DataOutputStream dout = new DataOutputStream(out);
+            binding.writeState(new DataOutputStream(out), refs);
+            dout.close();
+            
             out.close();
         } catch (Exception e) {
             String msg = "failed to write property state: " + refs.getTargetId();
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/Oracle9PersistenceManager.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/Oracle9PersistenceManager.java	(revision 598977)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/Oracle9PersistenceManager.java	(working copy)
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.PMContext;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.bundle.util.NodePropBundle;
-import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.persistence.util.Serializer;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.state.ItemStateException;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.core.state.NodeReferences;
 
@@ -153,7 +152,9 @@
 
             ByteArrayOutputStream out = new ByteArrayOutputStream(INITIAL_BUFFER_SIZE);
             // serialize references
-            Serializer.serialize(refs, out);
+            DataOutputStream dout = new DataOutputStream(out);
+            binding.writeState(new DataOutputStream(out), refs);
+            dout.close();
 
             // we are synchronized on this instance, therefore we do not
             // not have to additionally synchronize on the preparedStatement
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/util/ItemStateBinding.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/util/ItemStateBinding.java	(revision 598977)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/core/persistence/bundle/util/ItemStateBinding.java	(working copy)
@@ -138,10 +138,16 @@
             throws IOException {
         NodeReferences state = new NodeReferences(id);
         int count = in.readInt();   // count & version
-        // int version = (count >> 24) | 0x0ff;
+        int version = (count >> 24) & 0x0ff;
         count &= 0x00ffffff;
         for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
-            state.addReference(readPropertyId(in));    // propertyId
+            if (version >= VERSION_1) {
+                state.addReference(readPropertyId(in));    // propertyId
+            }
+            else {
+                // for backward compatibility
+                state.addReference(PropertyId.valueOf(in.readUTF()));                
+            }
         }
         return state;
     }
@@ -423,7 +429,7 @@
      */
     public void writePropertyId(DataOutputStream out, PropertyId id) throws IOException {
         writeID(out, id.getParentId());
-        writeQName(out, id.getName());
+        writeIndexedQName(out, id.getName());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -434,7 +440,7 @@
      */
     public PropertyId readPropertyId(DataInputStream in) throws IOException {
         UUID uuid = readUUID(in);
-        Name name = readQName(in);
+        Name name = readIndexedQName(in);
         return new PropertyId(new NodeId(uuid), name);
     }
 }