diff --git a/executor.go b/executor.go
index 8d31c739b..89c371aff 100644
--- a/executor.go
+++ b/executor.go
@@ -3170,9 +3170,10 @@ func (e *executor) translateCall(index string, idx *Index, c *pql.Call) error {
 	// Translate column key.
 	if idx.Keys() {
 		if c.Args[colKey] != nil && !isString(c.Args[colKey]) {
-			return errors.New("column value must be a string when index 'keys' option enabled")
-		}
-		if value := callArgString(c, colKey); value != "" {
+			if !isValidID(c.Args[colKey]) {
+				return errors.Errorf("column value must be a string or non-negative integer, but got: %v of %[1]T", c.Args[colKey])
+			}
+		} else if value := callArgString(c, colKey); value != "" {
 			id, err := idx.translateStore.TranslateKey(value)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -3216,9 +3217,11 @@ func (e *executor) translateCall(index string, idx *Index, c *pql.Call) error {
 			}
 		} else if field.keys() {
 			if c.Args[rowKey] != nil && !isString(c.Args[rowKey]) {
-				return errors.New("row value must be a string when field 'keys' option enabled")
-			}
-			if value := callArgString(c, rowKey); value != "" {
+				// allow passing row id directly (this can come in handy, but make sure it is a valid row id)
+				if !isValidID(c.Args[rowKey]) {
+					return errors.Errorf("row value must be a string or non-negative integer, but got: %v of %[1]T", c.Args[rowKey])
+				}
+			} else if value := callArgString(c, rowKey); value != "" {
 				id, err := field.translateStore.TranslateKey(value)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
@@ -3626,6 +3629,29 @@ func isString(v interface{}) bool {
 	return ok
 }
 
+// isValidID returns whether v can be interpreted as a valid row or
+// column ID. In short, is v a non-negative integer? I think the int64
+// and default cases are the only ones actually used since the PQL
+// parser doesn't return any other integer types.
+func isValidID(v interface{}) bool {
+	switch vt := v.(type) {
+	case uint, uint64, uint32, uint16, uint8:
+		return true
+	case int64:
+		return vt >= 0
+	case int:
+		return vt >= 0
+	case int32:
+		return vt >= 0
+	case int16:
+		return vt >= 0
+	case int8:
+		return vt >= 0
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 // groupByIterator contains several slices. Each slice contains a number of
 // elements equal to the number of fields in the group by (the number of Rows
 // calls).
diff --git a/executor_test.go b/executor_test.go
index 834532fa8..ce40d56f0 100644
--- a/executor_test.go
+++ b/executor_test.go
@@ -526,10 +526,8 @@ func TestExecutor_Execute_Set(t *testing.T) {
 
 			if res, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set(1, f=11)`}); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
-			} else {
-				if !res.Results[0].(bool) {
-					t.Fatalf("expected column changed")
-				}
+			} else if !res.Results[0].(bool) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected column changed")
 			}
 
 			if n := hldr.Row("i", "f", 11).Count(); n != 1 {
@@ -537,10 +535,8 @@ func TestExecutor_Execute_Set(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			if res, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set(1, f=11)`}); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
-			} else {
-				if res.Results[0].(bool) {
-					t.Fatalf("expected column unchanged")
-				}
+			} else if res.Results[0].(bool) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected column unchanged")
 			}
 		})
 
@@ -591,10 +587,8 @@ func TestExecutor_Execute_Set(t *testing.T) {
 
 			if res, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set("foo", f=11)`}); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
-			} else {
-				if !res.Results[0].(bool) {
-					t.Fatalf("expected column changed")
-				}
+			} else if !res.Results[0].(bool) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected column changed")
 			}
 
 			if n := hldr.Row("i", "f", 11).Count(); n != 1 {
@@ -602,10 +596,20 @@ func TestExecutor_Execute_Set(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			if res, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set("foo", f=11)`}); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
-			} else {
-				if res.Results[0].(bool) {
-					t.Fatalf("expected column unchanged")
-				}
+			} else if res.Results[0].(bool) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected column unchanged")
+			}
+
+			if res, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set(2, f=11)`}); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			} else if !res.Results[0].(bool) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected column changed with integer column key")
+			}
+
+			if res, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set(2, f=11)`}); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			} else if res.Results[0].(bool) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected column unchanged with integer column key")
 			}
 		})
 
@@ -617,9 +621,15 @@ func TestExecutor_Execute_Set(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 
-			if _, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set(2, f=1)`}); err == nil || errors.Cause(err).Error() != `column value must be a string when index 'keys' option enabled` {
+			if _, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set(2.1, f=1)`}); err == nil || strings.Contains(err.Error(), `column value must be a string or non-negative integer`) {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
+
+			if res, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set(2, f=1)`}); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			} else if !res.Results[0].(bool) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected column changed with integer column key")
+			}
 		})
 
 		t.Run("ErrInvalidRowValueType", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -627,9 +637,16 @@ func TestExecutor_Execute_Set(t *testing.T) {
 			if _, err := index.CreateField("f", pilosa.OptFieldTypeDefault(), pilosa.OptFieldKeys()); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
-			if _, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "inokey", Query: `Set(2, f=1)`}); err == nil || errors.Cause(err).Error() != `row value must be a string when field 'keys' option enabled` {
+			if _, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "inokey", Query: `Set(2, f=1.2)`}); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "row value must be a string or non-negative integer") {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
+
+			if res, err := cmd.API.Query(context.Background(), &pilosa.QueryRequest{Index: "i", Query: `Set(2, f=9)`}); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			} else if !res.Results[0].(bool) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected column changed with integer column key")
+			}
+
 		})
 	})
 }
diff --git a/snapshotqueue.go b/snapshotqueue.go
index d355824e3..9df79e26d 100644
--- a/snapshotqueue.go
+++ b/snapshotqueue.go
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ func (sq *prioritySnapshotQueue) scanHolderWorker(h *Holder, background chan sna
 			sq.logger.Printf("background scan: %d fragments needed snapshots\n", hits)
 			hits = 0
 		} else {
-			sq.logger.Printf("background scan: no fragments needed snapshots, waiting\n")
+			sq.logger.Debugf("background scan: no fragments needed snapshots, waiting\n")
 			// No reason to be active if we're not finding anything.
 			select {
 			case <-time.After(60 * time.Second):