diff --git a/dev-server-api/bun.lockb b/dev-server-api/bun.lockb
index d694e621..63511a13 100755
Binary files a/dev-server-api/bun.lockb and b/dev-server-api/bun.lockb differ
diff --git a/dev-server-api/package.json b/dev-server-api/package.json
index f5cb3674..488a40dc 100644
--- a/dev-server-api/package.json
+++ b/dev-server-api/package.json
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
     "better-sqlite3": "^11.0.0",
     "kysely": "^0.27.3",
     "kysely-bun-sqlite": "^0.3.2",
+    "level": "^8.0.1",
     "redaxios": "^0.5.1",
     "winterspec": "0.0.81",
     "zod": "^3.22.4"
diff --git a/dev-server-api/src/db/level-db.ts b/dev-server-api/src/db/level-db.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7a363141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev-server-api/src/db/level-db.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import { Level } from "level"
+import { z } from "zod"
+import { DBSchema, type DBSchemaType } from "./schema"
+
+// Create a wrapper class for Level with Zod validation
+export class ZodLevelDatabase {
+  private db: Level<string, any>
+
+  constructor(location: string) {
+    this.db = new Level(location)
+  }
+
+  async get<K extends keyof DBSchemaType>(
+    collection: K,
+    id: string
+  ): Promise<DBSchemaType[K]> {
+    const key = `${collection}:${id}`
+    const data = await this.db.get(key)
+    return DBSchema.shape[collection].parse(JSON.parse(data)) as any
+  }
+
+  async put<K extends keyof DBSchemaType>(
+    collection: K,
+    value: DBSchemaType[K]
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    const idkey = `${collection}_id`
+    const valueLoose: any = value
+    if (!valueLoose[idkey]) {
+      // generate an id using the "count" key
+      let count = await this.db.get(`${collection}:count`)
+      if (!count) count = 1
+      ;(value as any)[idkey] = count
+      await this.db.put(`${collection}:count`, count + 1)
+    }
+    const key = `${collection}:${valueLoose[idkey]}`
+    const validatedData = DBSchema.shape[collection].parse(value)
+    await this.db.put(key, JSON.stringify(validatedData))
+  }
+
+  async del<K extends keyof DBSchemaType>(
+    collection: K,
+    id: string
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    const key = `${collection}:${id}`
+    await this.db.del(key)
+  }
+
+  async find<K extends keyof DBSchemaType>(
+    collection: K,
+    partialObject: Partial<DBSchemaType[K]>
+  ): Promise<DBSchemaType[K] | null> {
+    const results: DBSchemaType[K][] = []
+    const schema = DBSchema.shape[collection]
+
+    for await (const [key, value] of this.db.iterator({
+      gte: `${collection}:`,
+      lte: `${collection}:\uffff`,
+    })) {
+      try {
+        const parsedValue = schema.parse(JSON.parse(value))
+        if (this.matchesPartialObject(parsedValue, partialObject)) {
+          return parsedValue as any
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error(`Error parsing value for key ${key}:`, error)
+      }
+    }
+
+    return null
+  }
+
+  async findOrThrow<K extends keyof DBSchemaType>(
+    collection: K,
+    partialObject: Partial<DBSchemaType[K]>
+  ): Promise<DBSchemaType[K]> {
+    const result = await this.find(collection, partialObject)
+    if (!result) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `No record in "${collection}" matches query ${JSON.stringify(
+          partialObject
+        )}`
+      )
+    }
+    return result
+  }
+
+  private matchesPartialObject<T>(
+    fullObject: T,
+    partialObject: Partial<T>
+  ): boolean {
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(partialObject)) {
+      if (fullObject[key as keyof T] !== value) {
+        return false
+      }
+    }
+    return true
+  }
+}
diff --git a/dev-server-api/src/db/schema.ts b/dev-server-api/src/db/schema.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f0079d3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev-server-api/src/db/schema.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { z } from "zod"
+
+// Helper function for nullable fields
+const nullableText = () => z.string().nullable()
+
+// PackageInfo schema
+export const PackageInfoSchema = z.object({
+  package_info_id: z.number().int(),
+  name: z.string(),
+})
+
+// DevPackageExample schema
+export const DevPackageExampleSchema = z.object({
+  dev_package_example_id: z.number().int(),
+  file_path: z.string(),
+  export_name: nullableText(),
+  tscircuit_soup: z.any().nullable(), // Using any for JSON type
+  completed_edit_events: z.any().nullable(), // Using any for JSON type
+  error: nullableText(),
+  is_loading: z.boolean(),
+  soup_last_updated_at: nullableText(),
+  edit_events_last_updated_at: nullableText(),
+  edit_events_last_applied_at: nullableText(),
+  last_updated_at: nullableText(),
+})
+
+// ExportRequest schema
+export const ExportRequestSchema = z.object({
+  export_request_id: z.number().int(),
+  example_file_path: nullableText(),
+  export_parameters: z.any().nullable(), // Using any for JSON type
+  export_name: nullableText(),
+  is_complete: z.boolean(),
+  has_error: z.boolean(),
+  error: nullableText(),
+  created_at: nullableText(),
+})
+
+// ExportFile schema
+export const ExportFileSchema = z.object({
+  export_file_id: z.number().int(),
+  file_name: nullableText(),
+  file_content: z.instanceof(Buffer).nullable(), // For BLOB type
+  is_complete: z.boolean(),
+  export_request_id: z.number().int().nullable(),
+  created_at: nullableText(),
+})
+
+// Combined DBSchema
+export const DBSchema = z.object({
+  package_info: PackageInfoSchema,
+  dev_package_example: DevPackageExampleSchema,
+  export_request: ExportRequestSchema,
+  export_file: ExportFileSchema,
+})
+
+// TypeScript type inference
+export type DBSchemaType = z.infer<typeof DBSchema>
+
+// You can also export individual types if needed
+export type PackageInfo = z.infer<typeof PackageInfoSchema>
+export type DevPackageExample = z.infer<typeof DevPackageExampleSchema>
+export type ExportRequest = z.infer<typeof ExportRequestSchema>
+export type ExportFile = z.infer<typeof ExportFileSchema>