diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 985d2c7..20393fd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- replace meta-work in database with a databaseMetadata field on all works' metadata. client libraries should be able to generate properly from the resulting, simpler JSON schema.
+
 ## [0.3.1] - 2024-04-13
 
 ### Fixed
@@ -26,11 +30,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 - Initial release
 
-[Unreleased]: https://github.com/ortfo/db/compare/v0.3.0...HEAD
-[0.3.1]: https://github.com/ortfo/db/-/releases/tag/v0.3.1
+[Unreleased]: https://github.com/ortfo/db/compare/v0.3.1...HEAD
+[0.3.1]: https://github.com/ortfo/db/compare/v0.3.0...v0.3.1
 [0.3.0]: https://github.com/ortfo/db/compare/v0.2.0...v0.3.0
 [0.2.0]: https://github.com/ortfo/db/releases/tag/v0.2.0
 
 [//]: # (C3-2-DKAC:GGH:Rortfo/db:Tv{t})
-
-[unreleased]: https://github.com/ortfo/db/-/compare/v0.3.1...main
diff --git a/build.go b/build.go
index 7911636..6571840 100644
--- a/build.go
+++ b/build.go
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ import (
 	"path"
 
 	jsoniter "github.com/json-iterator/go"
-	"github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
 )
 
 type Database map[string]AnalyzedWork
 
 type DatabaseMeta struct {
+	// Partial is true if the database was not fully built.
 	Partial bool
 }
 
@@ -38,25 +38,15 @@ func (w Database) AsSlice() []AnalyzedWork {
 	return works
 }
 
-// Works gets the mapping of all works (without the #meta "pseudo-work").
+// Works gets the mapping of all works
 func (w Database) Works() map[string]AnalyzedWork {
-	works := make(map[string]AnalyzedWork)
-	for id, work := range w {
-		if id == "#meta" {
-			continue
-		}
-		works[id] = work
-	}
-	return works
+	return w
 }
 
-// WorksSlice gets the slice of all works in the database (without the #meta "pseudo-work")
+// WorksSlice gets the slice of all works in the database
 func (w Database) WorksSlice() []AnalyzedWork {
 	works := make([]AnalyzedWork, 0)
-	for id, work := range w {
-		if id == "#meta" {
-			continue
-		}
+	for _, work := range w {
 		works = append(works, work)
 	}
 	return works
@@ -108,12 +98,10 @@ func (w Database) GroupWorksByYear() [][]AnalyzedWork {
 
 // Meta gets the database meta information
 func (w Database) Meta() DatabaseMeta {
-	for id, metaWork := range w {
-		if id == "#meta" {
-			return DatabaseMeta{Partial: metaWork.Partial}
-		}
+	for _, work := range w {
+		return work.Metadata.DatabaseMetadata
 	}
-	panic("no meta work found, database has no meta information (no #meta top-level key found)")
+	panic("no work in database, cannot get meta information")
 }
 
 // Partial returns true if the database results from a partial build.
@@ -416,20 +404,19 @@ func (ctx *RunContext) BuildSome(include string, databaseDirectory string, outpu
 
 func (ctx *RunContext) WriteDatabase(works Database, flags Flags, outputFilename string, partial bool) {
 	ctx.LogDebug("Writing database (partial=%v) to %s", partial, outputFilename)
-	worksWithMetadata := make(map[string]interface{})
-	err := mapstructure.Decode(works, &worksWithMetadata)
-	if err != nil {
-		ctx.DisplayError("while converting works to map", err)
-		return
+	worksWithDatabaseMetadata := make(Database, 0)
+	for id, work := range works {
+		work.Metadata.DatabaseMetadata = DatabaseMeta{Partial: partial}
+		worksWithDatabaseMetadata[id] = work
 	}
-	worksWithMetadata["#meta"] = struct{ Partial bool }{Partial: partial}
+
 	// Compile the database
 	var worksJSON []byte
 	json := jsoniter.ConfigFastest
 	if ctx.Flags.Minified {
-		worksJSON, _ = json.Marshal(worksWithMetadata)
+		worksJSON, _ = json.Marshal(worksWithDatabaseMetadata)
 	} else {
-		worksJSON, _ = json.MarshalIndent(worksWithMetadata, "", "    ")
+		worksJSON, _ = json.MarshalIndent(worksWithDatabaseMetadata, "", "    ")
 	}
 
 	// Output it
diff --git a/description.go b/description.go
index c5751d0..3b6974c 100644
--- a/description.go
+++ b/description.go
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ type WorkMetadata struct {
 	WIP                bool                          `json:"wip" yaml:",omitempty"`
 	Private            bool                          `json:"private" yaml:",omitempty"`
 	AdditionalMetadata map[string]interface{}        `mapstructure:",remain" json:"additionalMetadata" yaml:",omitempty"`
+	DatabaseMetadata   DatabaseMeta                  `json:"databaseMetadata" `
 }
 
 func (m WorkMetadata) CreatedAt() time.Time {
diff --git a/jsonschema.go b/jsonschema.go
index 3296e62..921af67 100644
--- a/jsonschema.go
+++ b/jsonschema.go
@@ -19,8 +19,12 @@ func setSchemaId(schema *jsonschema.Schema) {
 	schema.ID = jsonschema.ID(fmt.Sprintf("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ortfo/db/v%s/schemas/%s.schema.json", Version, base))
 }
 
-func makeJSONSchema(t any) string {
-	schema := yamlReflector.Reflect(t)
+func makeJSONSchema(t any, yaml bool) string {
+	selectedReflector := jsonschema.Reflector{}
+	if yaml {
+		selectedReflector = yamlReflector
+	}
+	schema := selectedReflector.Reflect(t)
 	setSchemaId(schema)
 	out, err := json.MarshalIndent(schema, "", "  ")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -30,54 +34,21 @@ func makeJSONSchema(t any) string {
 }
 
 func ConfigurationJSONSchema() string {
-	return makeJSONSchema(&Configuration{})
+	return makeJSONSchema(&Configuration{}, true)
 }
 
 func DatabaseJSONSchema() string {
-	schema := jsonschema.Reflect(&Database{})
-	setSchemaId(schema)
-
-	metaWorkProperties := jsonschema.NewProperties()
-	metaWorkProperties.Set("Partial", &jsonschema.Schema{
-		Type: "boolean",
-	})
-
-	schema.Definitions["MetaWork"] = &jsonschema.Schema{
-		Type:       "object",
-		Properties: metaWorkProperties,
-	}
-
-	dbWithWorkProperties := jsonschema.NewProperties()
-	dbWithWorkProperties.Set("#meta", &jsonschema.Schema{
-		Ref: "#/$defs/MetaWork",
-	})
-
-	schema.Definitions["DatabaseWithMetaWork"] = &jsonschema.Schema{
-		Type:       "object",
-		Properties: dbWithWorkProperties,
-		PatternProperties: map[string]*jsonschema.Schema{
-			"^(?!#meta).*$": {
-				Ref: "#/$defs/AnalyzedWork",
-			},
-		},
-	}
-	schema.Ref = "#/$defs/DatabaseWithMetaWork"
-
-	out, err := json.MarshalIndent(schema, "", "  ")
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	return string(out)
+	return makeJSONSchema(&Database{}, false)
 }
 
 type tags []Tag
 
 func TagsRepositoryJSONSchema() string {
-	return makeJSONSchema(&tags{})
+	return makeJSONSchema(&tags{}, true)
 }
 
 type technologies []Technology
 
 func TechnologiesRepositoryJSONSchema() string {
-	return makeJSONSchema(&technologies{})
+	return makeJSONSchema(&technologies{}, true)
 }