diff --git a/src/core/skip.rs b/src/core/skip.rs
index 7f0062c4f..e2124ac96 100644
--- a/src/core/skip.rs
+++ b/src/core/skip.rs
@@ -4,16 +4,31 @@ use std::io::Read;
 use std::io::Cursor;
 use std::io::SeekFrom;
 use std::io::Seek;
+use std::marker;
 use core::DocId;
 use std::ops::DerefMut;
-use serde::Serialize;
-use serde;
 use bincode;
 use byteorder;
 use core::error;
 use byteorder::{BigEndian, ReadBytesExt, WriteBytesExt};
+use std::fmt;
 
 
+pub trait BinarySerializable : fmt::Debug + Sized {
+    // TODO move Result from Error.
+    fn serialize(&self, writer: &mut Write) -> error::Result<usize>;
+    fn deserialize(reader: &mut Read) -> error::Result<Self>;
+}
+
+impl BinarySerializable for () {
+    fn serialize(&self, writer: &mut Write) -> error::Result<usize> {
+        Ok(0)
+    }
+    fn deserialize(reader: &mut Read) -> error::Result<Self> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
 struct LayerBuilder {
     period: usize,
     buffer: Vec<u8>,
@@ -47,18 +62,17 @@ impl LayerBuilder {
         }
     }
 
-    fn insert<S: Serialize>(&mut self, doc_id: DocId, dest: S) -> InsertResult {
+    fn insert<S: BinarySerializable>(&mut self, doc_id: DocId, value: &S) -> InsertResult {
         self.remaining -= 1;
         self.len += 1;
+        let offset = self.written_size(); // TODO not sure if we want after or here
+        self.buffer.write_u32::<BigEndian>(doc_id);
+        value.serialize(&mut self.buffer);
         if self.remaining == 0 {
-            let offset = self.written_size();
-            dest.serialize(&mut bincode::serde::Serializer::new(&mut self.buffer));
             self.remaining = self.period;
-            InsertResult::SkipPointer(offset)
+            InsertResult::SkipPointer(offset as u32)
         }
         else {
-            doc_id.serialize(&mut bincode::serde::Serializer::new(&mut self.buffer));
-            dest.serialize(&mut bincode::serde::Serializer::new(&mut self.buffer));
             InsertResult::NoNeedForSkip
         }
     }
@@ -70,8 +84,9 @@ pub struct SkipListBuilder {
     layers: Vec<LayerBuilder>,
 }
 
+
 enum InsertResult {
-    SkipPointer(usize),
+    SkipPointer(u32),
     NoNeedForSkip,
 }
 
@@ -93,14 +108,14 @@ impl SkipListBuilder {
         &mut self.layers[layer_id]
     }
 
-    pub fn insert<S: Serialize>(&mut self, doc_id: DocId, dest: S) {
+    pub fn insert<S: BinarySerializable>(&mut self, doc_id: DocId, dest: &S) {
         let mut layer_id = 0;
         match self.get_layer(0).insert(doc_id, dest) {
             InsertResult::SkipPointer(mut offset) => {
                 loop {
                     layer_id += 1;
                     let skip_result = self.get_layer(layer_id)
-                        .insert(doc_id, offset);
+                        .insert(doc_id, &offset);
                     match skip_result {
                         InsertResult::SkipPointer(next_offset) => {
                             offset = next_offset;
@@ -130,45 +145,156 @@ impl SkipListBuilder {
 }
 
 
-// ---------------------------
+// the lower layer contains only the list of doc ids.
+// A docset is represented
+// SkipList<'a, Void>
 
-
-struct Layer<R: Read + Seek> {
-    reader: R,
+struct SkipLayer<'a, T> {
+    cursor: Cursor<&'a [u8]>,
     num_items: u32,
+    next_item: Option<T>,
 }
 
-impl<R: Read + Seek + Clone> Layer<R> {
-    fn read(reader: &mut R) -> Layer<R> {
+
+fn rebase_cursor<'a>(cursor: &Cursor<&'a [u8]>) -> Cursor<&'a [u8]>{
+    let data: &'a[u8] = *cursor.get_ref();
+    let from_idx = cursor.position() as usize;
+    let rebased_data = &data[from_idx..];
+    Cursor::new(rebased_data)
+}
+
+
+#[test]
+fn test_rebase_cursor() {
+    {
+        let a: Vec<u8> = vec!(1, 2, 3);
+        let mut cur: Cursor<&[u8]> = Cursor::new(&a);
+        assert_eq!(cur.read_u8().unwrap(), 1);
+        let mut rebased_cursor = rebase_cursor(&cur);
+        assert_eq!(cur.read_u8().unwrap(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(rebased_cursor.read_u8().unwrap(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(cur.position(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(rebased_cursor.position(), 1);
+        cur.seek(SeekFrom::Start(0));
+        assert_eq!(cur.read_u8().unwrap(), 1);
+        rebased_cursor.seek(SeekFrom::Start(0));
+        assert_eq!(rebased_cursor.read_u8().unwrap(), 2);
+    }
+}
+
+
+struct Layer<'a, T> {
+    _phantom_: marker::PhantomData<T>,
+    cursor: Cursor<&'a [u8]>,
+    item_idx: usize,
+    num_items: usize,
+    cur_id: u32,
+    next_id: Option<u32>,
+}
+
+
+impl<'a, T: BinarySerializable> Iterator for Layer<'a, T> {
+
+    type Item = (DocId, T);
+
+    fn next(&mut self,)-> Option<(DocId, T)> {
+        if self.item_idx >= self.num_items {
+            None
+        }
+        else {
+            let cur_val = T::deserialize(&mut self.cursor).unwrap();
+            let cur_id = self.next_id;
+            self.item_idx += 1;
+            if self.item_idx < self.num_items - 1 {
+                self.next_id = Some(u32::deserialize(&mut self.cursor).unwrap());
+            }
+            else {
+                self.next_id = None;
+            }
+            Some((self.cur_id.clone(), cur_val))
+        }
+
+    }
+}
+
+impl BinarySerializable for u32 {
+    fn serialize(&self, writer: &mut Write) -> error::Result<usize> {
+        // TODO error handling
+        writer.write_u32::<BigEndian>(self.clone());
+        Ok(4)
+    }
+
+    fn deserialize(reader: &mut Read) -> error::Result<Self> {
+        // TODO error handling
+        Ok(reader.read_u32::<BigEndian>().unwrap())
+    }
+}
+
+
+
+impl<'a, T: BinarySerializable> Layer<'a, T> {
+    fn read(cursor: &mut Cursor<&'a [u8]>) -> Layer<'a, T> {
         // TODO error handling?
-        let num_items = reader.read_u32::<BigEndian>().unwrap() as u32;
-        let num_bytes = reader.read_u32::<BigEndian>().unwrap() as u32;
-        let reader_clone = reader.clone();
-        reader.seek(SeekFrom::Current(num_bytes as i64));
+        let num_items = cursor.read_u32::<BigEndian>().unwrap() as u32;
+        println!("{} items ", num_items);
+        let num_bytes = cursor.read_u32::<BigEndian>().unwrap() as u32;
+        println!("{} bytes ", num_bytes);
+        let mut rebased_cursor = rebase_cursor(cursor);
+        cursor.seek(SeekFrom::Current(num_bytes as i64));
+        // println!("cur val {:?}", cur_val);
+        let next_id: Option<u32> = match rebased_cursor.read_u32::<BigEndian>() {
+                    Ok(val) => Some(val),
+                    Err(_) => None
+                };
         Layer {
-            reader: reader_clone,
-            num_items: num_items,
+            cursor: rebased_cursor,
+            item_idx: 0,
+            num_items: num_items as usize,
+            next_id: next_id,
+
         }
     }
+
+    fn seek(doc_id: DocId) {
+        // while self.next_doc_id < doc_id {
+        //     self.next_doc_id = cursor.read_u32::<BigEndian>();
+        //     self.cur_val = self.next_val;
+        //     self.next_doc_id = bincode::Deserializer::new(self.cursor, 8).read_u32();
+        //     self.next_val =  bincode::Deserializer::new(self.cursor, 8).read_u32();
+        // }
+    }
 }
 
-pub struct SkipList<R: Read + Seek> {
-    layers: Vec<Layer<R>>,
+pub struct SkipList<'a, T: BinarySerializable> {
+    data_layer: Layer<'a, T>,
+    skip_layers: Vec<Layer<'a, u32>>,
 }
 
-impl<R: Read + Seek> SkipList<R> {
+impl<'a, T: BinarySerializable> Iterator for SkipList<'a, T> {
 
-    pub fn read(data: &[u8]) -> SkipList<Cursor<&[u8]>> {
+
+    type Item = (DocId, T);
+
+    fn next(&mut self,)-> Option<(DocId, T)> {
+        self.data_layer.next()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: BinarySerializable> SkipList<'a, T> {
+
+    pub fn read(data: &'a [u8]) -> SkipList<'a, T> {
         let mut cursor = Cursor::new(data);
-        // TODO error handling?
         let num_layers = cursor.read_u8().unwrap();
-        let mut layers = Vec::new();
-        for _ in (0..num_layers) {
-            layers.push(Layer::read(&mut cursor));
+        println!("{} layers ", num_layers);
+        let mut skip_layers = Vec::new();
+        for _ in (0..num_layers - 1) {
+            let skip_layer: Layer<'a, u32> = Layer::read(&mut cursor);
+            skip_layers.push(skip_layer);
         }
+        let data_layer: Layer<'a, T> = Layer::read(&mut cursor);
         SkipList {
-            layers: layers
+            skip_layers: skip_layers,
+            data_layer: data_layer,
         }
     }
-
 }
diff --git a/tests/skip.rs b/tests/skip.rs
index 71bcbcf1c..6bee066e1 100644
--- a/tests/skip.rs
+++ b/tests/skip.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 extern crate tantivy;
-
-use std::io::Write;
-use tantivy::core::skip::SkipListBuilder;
+extern crate byteorder;
+use std::io::{Write, Seek};
+use std::io::SeekFrom;
+use tantivy::core::skip::{SkipListBuilder, SkipList};
+use std::io::Cursor;
+use byteorder::{BigEndian, ReadBytesExt, WriteBytesExt};
 
 #[test]
 fn test_skip_list_builder() {
     {
         let mut output: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
         let mut skip_list_builder: SkipListBuilder = SkipListBuilder::new(10);
-        skip_list_builder.insert(2, 3);
+        skip_list_builder.insert(2, &3);
         skip_list_builder.write::<Vec<u8>>(&mut output);
         assert_eq!(output.len(), 17);
         assert_eq!(output[0], 1);
@@ -17,7 +20,7 @@ fn test_skip_list_builder() {
         let mut output: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
         let mut skip_list_builder: SkipListBuilder = SkipListBuilder::new(3);
         for i in (0..9) {
-            skip_list_builder.insert(i, i);
+            skip_list_builder.insert(i, &i);
         }
         skip_list_builder.write::<Vec<u8>>(&mut output);
         assert_eq!(output.len(), 129);
@@ -28,7 +31,7 @@ fn test_skip_list_builder() {
         let mut output: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
         let mut skip_list_builder: SkipListBuilder = SkipListBuilder::new(3);
         for i in (0..9) {
-            skip_list_builder.insert(i, ());
+            skip_list_builder.insert(i, &());
         }
         skip_list_builder.write::<Vec<u8>>(&mut output);
         assert_eq!(output.len(), 93);
@@ -36,15 +39,13 @@ fn test_skip_list_builder() {
     }
 }
 
-
 #[test]
-fn test_skip_list_builder() {
-    {
-        let mut output: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
-        let mut skip_list_builder: SkipListBuilder = SkipListBuilder::new(10);
-        skip_list_builder.insert(2, 3);
-        skip_list_builder.write::<Vec<u8>>(&mut output);
-        let skip_list = SkipList::read(output.as_slice());
-    }
-
+fn test_skip_list_reader() {
+    let mut output: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
+    let mut skip_list_builder: SkipListBuilder = SkipListBuilder::new(10);
+    skip_list_builder.insert(2, &3);
+    skip_list_builder.write::<Vec<u8>>(&mut output);
+    let skip_list: SkipList<u32> = SkipList::read(&mut output);
+    // assert_eq!(output.len(), 17);
+    // assert_eq!(output[0], 1);
 }