diff --git a/src/common/query.hpp b/src/common/query.hpp
index e47f93019..db6b454b8 100644
--- a/src/common/query.hpp
+++ b/src/common/query.hpp
@@ -327,7 +327,8 @@ namespace lumiera {
           return Query<RES>::build(id_.kind).withConditions(def_);
         }
       
-      operator string()  const
+      string
+      display()  const
         {
           return "kind=" + lexical_cast<string>(id_.kind)
                +",type=" + lexical_cast<string>(id_.type)
@@ -431,6 +432,13 @@ namespace lumiera {
           return *this;
         }
       
+      Builder&
+      fromText (string queryPredicates)
+        {
+          this->predicateForm_ = queryPredicates;
+          return *this;
+        }
+      
     };
   
   
diff --git a/src/common/query/defs-registry.hpp b/src/common/query/defs-registry.hpp
index 8ee58d40d..58d1791dd 100644
--- a/src/common/query/defs-registry.hpp
+++ b/src/common/query/defs-registry.hpp
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ namespace query  {
           return one.queryKey < two.queryKey;
         }
         
-        operator string ()  const { return dumpRecord % degree % queryKey % dumpObj(); }
+        operator string ()  const { return dumpRecord % degree % queryKey.display() % dumpObj(); }
         string  dumpObj ()  const { P<TAR> o (objRef.lock()); return o? string(*o):"dead"; }
       };
       
diff --git a/src/proc/mobject/session/query/fake-configrules.hpp b/src/proc/mobject/session/query/fake-configrules.hpp
index e9bd0e50d..75c882a26 100644
--- a/src/proc/mobject/session/query/fake-configrules.hpp
+++ b/src/proc/mobject/session/query/fake-configrules.hpp
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ namespace session {
             string querySpec ;//(q);////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO
             if (treat_as_defaults_query (querySpec))
               {
-                Query<TY> defaultsQuery(querySpec);
+                Query<TY> defaultsQuery = Query<TY>::build().fromText(querySpec);
                 return solution = Session::current->defaults (defaultsQuery);
               }                             //   may cause recursion
                                             
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defs-registry-impl-test.cpp b/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defs-registry-impl-test.cpp
index a9208082a..0d35f95ab 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defs-registry-impl-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defs-registry-impl-test.cpp
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ namespace test    {
       scoped_ptr<DefsRegistry> reg_;
       
       typedef P<Dummy<13> > Obj;
-      typedef P<Dummy<23> > Prd;
+      typedef P<Dummy<23> > Pra;
       
       typedef Query<Dummy<13> > Q13;
       typedef Query<Dummy<23> > Q23;
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ namespace test    {
       // some test objects...
       Obj o1, o2, o3;
       Q13 q1, q2, q3, q4, q5;
-      map<Q23, Prd> ps;
+      map<QueryKey, Pra> ps;
       
     public:
       DefsRegistryImpl_test ()
@@ -162,13 +162,13 @@ namespace test    {
           ps.clear();
           for (int i=0; i<100; ++i)
             {
-              Prd px (fabricate<23>());
+              Pra px (fabricate<23>());
               Q23 qx (garbage_query());
-              UNIMPLEMENTED ("generic query key and ordering for map access");////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO
-//            ps[qx] = px;
               reg_->put (px, qx);
-              UNIMPLEMENTED ("Query building from predicate string");////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO
-//            px->instanceID = qx;////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO
+              
+              // store for verification....
+              px->instanceID = QueryKey(qx).display();
+              ps[qx] = px; 
             }
         }
       
@@ -214,10 +214,8 @@ namespace test    {
             {
               CHECK ( *j );
               Q23 qx ((*j)->instanceID);
-              UNIMPLEMENTED ("generic query key and ordering for map access");////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO
-//            CHECK ( ps[qx] == (*j));////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO
-              UNIMPLEMENTED ("Query remolding");////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO
-//            d = lib::query::countPred (qx);////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO
+              CHECK ( ps[qx] == (*j));
+              d = QueryKey(qx).degree();
               CHECK ( d_prev <= d );
               d_prev = d;
             }
@@ -225,7 +223,8 @@ namespace test    {
           
           // calling with an arbitrary (registered) query
           // yields the corresponding object at start of the enumeration
-          j = reg_->candidates(ps.begin()->first);
+          Q23 someQuery(ps.begin()->first);
+          j = reg_->candidates(someQuery);
           CHECK ( *j == ps.begin()->second);
           
         }