diff --git a/lib/src/op_heads_store.rs b/lib/src/op_heads_store.rs
index 3d323bec0..a0709267a 100644
--- a/lib/src/op_heads_store.rs
+++ b/lib/src/op_heads_store.rs
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ impl OpHeadsStore {
             let op_head_file_name = op_head_entry.unwrap().file_name();
             let op_head_file_name = op_head_file_name.to_str().unwrap();
             if let Ok(op_head) = hex::decode(op_head_file_name) {
-                op_heads.push(OperationId(op_head));
+                op_heads.push(OperationId::new(op_head));
             }
         }
         op_heads
diff --git a/lib/src/op_store.rs b/lib/src/op_store.rs
index bb41eaebc..6a7225294 100644
--- a/lib/src/op_store.rs
+++ b/lib/src/op_store.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ use std::fmt::{Debug, Error, Formatter};
 use crate::backend::{CommitId, Timestamp};
 
 #[derive(PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Clone, Hash)]
-pub struct ViewId(pub Vec<u8>);
+pub struct ViewId(Vec<u8>);
 
 impl Debug for ViewId {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -27,13 +27,29 @@ impl Debug for ViewId {
 }
 
 impl ViewId {
+    pub fn new(value: Vec<u8>) -> Self {
+        Self(value)
+    }
+
+    pub fn from_hex(hex: &str) -> Self {
+        Self(hex::decode(hex).unwrap())
+    }
+
+    pub fn as_bytes(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        &self.0
+    }
+
+    pub fn to_bytes(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
+        self.0.clone()
+    }
+
     pub fn hex(&self) -> String {
         hex::encode(&self.0)
     }
 }
 
 #[derive(PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Clone, Hash)]
-pub struct OperationId(pub Vec<u8>);
+pub struct OperationId(Vec<u8>);
 
 impl Debug for OperationId {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -42,6 +58,22 @@ impl Debug for OperationId {
 }
 
 impl OperationId {
+    pub fn new(value: Vec<u8>) -> Self {
+        Self(value)
+    }
+
+    pub fn from_hex(hex: &str) -> Self {
+        Self(hex::decode(hex).unwrap())
+    }
+
+    pub fn as_bytes(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        &self.0
+    }
+
+    pub fn to_bytes(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
+        self.0.clone()
+    }
+
     pub fn hex(&self) -> String {
         hex::encode(&self.0)
     }
diff --git a/lib/src/simple_op_store.rs b/lib/src/simple_op_store.rs
index 9ce3f139c..ebe5e39ff 100644
--- a/lib/src/simple_op_store.rs
+++ b/lib/src/simple_op_store.rs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ impl OpStore for SimpleOpStore {
 
         temp_file.as_file().write_all(&proto_bytes)?;
 
-        let id = ViewId(Blake2b::digest(&proto_bytes).to_vec());
+        let id = ViewId::new(Blake2b::digest(&proto_bytes).to_vec());
 
         persist_content_addressed_temp_file(temp_file, self.view_path(&id))?;
         Ok(id)
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ impl OpStore for SimpleOpStore {
 
         temp_file.as_file().write_all(&proto_bytes)?;
 
-        let id = OperationId(Blake2b::digest(&proto_bytes).to_vec());
+        let id = OperationId::new(Blake2b::digest(&proto_bytes).to_vec());
 
         persist_content_addressed_temp_file(temp_file, self.operation_path(&id))?;
         Ok(id)
@@ -178,18 +178,18 @@ fn operation_metadata_from_proto(
 
 fn operation_to_proto(operation: &Operation) -> crate::protos::op_store::Operation {
     let mut proto = crate::protos::op_store::Operation::new();
-    proto.set_view_id(operation.view_id.0.clone());
+    proto.set_view_id(operation.view_id.as_bytes().to_vec());
     for parent in &operation.parents {
-        proto.parents.push(parent.0.clone());
+        proto.parents.push(parent.to_bytes());
     }
     proto.set_metadata(operation_metadata_to_proto(&operation.metadata));
     proto
 }
 
 fn operation_from_proto(proto: &crate::protos::op_store::Operation) -> Operation {
-    let operation_id_from_proto = |parent: &Vec<u8>| OperationId(parent.clone());
+    let operation_id_from_proto = |parent: &Vec<u8>| OperationId::new(parent.clone());
     let parents = proto.parents.iter().map(operation_id_from_proto).collect();
-    let view_id = ViewId(proto.view_id.to_vec());
+    let view_id = ViewId::new(proto.view_id.clone());
     let metadata = operation_metadata_from_proto(proto.get_metadata());
     Operation {
         view_id,
@@ -399,10 +399,10 @@ mod tests {
         let temp_dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
         let store = SimpleOpStore::init(temp_dir.path().to_owned());
         let operation = Operation {
-            view_id: ViewId(b"aaa111".to_vec()),
+            view_id: ViewId::from_hex("aaa111"),
             parents: vec![
-                OperationId(b"bbb111".to_vec()),
-                OperationId(b"bbb222".to_vec()),
+                OperationId::from_hex("bbb111"),
+                OperationId::from_hex("bbb222"),
             ],
             metadata: OperationMetadata {
                 start_time: Timestamp {
diff --git a/src/commands.rs b/src/commands.rs
index 8f2e15678..e58ee43d8 100644
--- a/src/commands.rs
+++ b/src/commands.rs
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ fn resolve_single_op_from_store(
     op_str: &str,
 ) -> Result<Operation, CommandError> {
     if let Ok(binary_op_id) = hex::decode(op_str) {
-        let op_id = OperationId(binary_op_id);
+        let op_id = OperationId::new(binary_op_id);
         match op_store.read_operation(&op_id) {
             Ok(operation) => {
                 return Ok(Operation::new(op_store.clone(), op_id, operation));