diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5928ca64..d2c1e9cf 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ url = "2.1.0"
 [dev-dependencies]
 matches = "0.1.8"
 tokio = { version = "0.2.0-alpha.4", default-features = false, features = [ "rt-full" ] }
+sqlx-macros = { path = "sqlx-macros/" }
 
 [profile.release]
 lto = true
diff --git a/sqlx-macros/Cargo.toml b/sqlx-macros/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1eae8dc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sqlx-macros/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+[package]
+name = "sqlx-macros"
+version = "0.1.0"
+authors = ["Austin Bonander <austin.bonander@gmail.com>"]
+edition = "2018"
+
+[lib]
+proc-macro = true
+
+[dependencies]
+futures-preview = "0.3.0-alpha.18"
+hex = "0.4.0"
+proc-macro2 = "1.0.6"
+sqlx = { path = "../", features = ["postgres"] }
+syn = "1.0"
+quote = "1.0"
+sha2 = "0.8.0"
+tokio = { version = "0.2.0-alpha.4", default-features = false, features = [ "tcp" ] }
+
diff --git a/sqlx-macros/src/lib.rs b/sqlx-macros/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..75b0b3ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sqlx-macros/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+extern crate proc_macro;
+
+use proc_macro::TokenStream;
+
+use quote::quote;
+
+use syn::parse_macro_input;
+
+use sha2::{Sha256, Digest};
+use sqlx::Postgres;
+
+use tokio::runtime::Runtime;
+
+type Error = Box<dyn std::error::Error>;
+type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, Error>;
+
+#[proc_macro]
+pub fn sql(input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
+    let string = parse_macro_input!(input as syn::LitStr).value();
+
+    eprintln!("expanding macro");
+
+    match Runtime::new().map_err(Error::from).and_then(|runtime| runtime.block_on(process_sql(&string))) {
+        Ok(ts) => ts,
+        Err(e) => {
+            let msg = e.to_string();
+            quote! ( compile_error!(#msg) ).into()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+async fn process_sql(sql: &str) -> Result<TokenStream> {
+    let hash = dbg!(hex::encode(&Sha256::digest(sql.as_bytes())));
+
+    let conn = sqlx::Connection::<Postgres>::establish("postgresql://postgres@127.0.0.1/sqlx_test")
+        .await
+        .map_err(|e| format!("failed to connect to database: {}", e))?;
+
+    eprintln!("connection established");
+
+    let prepared = conn.prepare(&hash, sql).await?;
+
+    let msg = format!("{:?}", prepared);
+
+    Ok(quote! { compile_error!(#msg) }.into())
+}
diff --git a/src/connection.rs b/src/connection.rs
index 9da34521..18c43f78 100644
--- a/src/connection.rs
+++ b/src/connection.rs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ pub trait RawConnection: Send {
 
     async fn prepare(&mut self, name: &str, body: &str) -> crate::Result<PreparedStatement> {
         // TODO: implement for other backends
-        Err("connection does not support prepare() operation".into())
+        unimplemented!()
     }
 }
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ where
     /// Prepares a statement.
     pub async fn prepare(&self, name: &str, body: &str) -> crate::Result<PreparedStatement> {
         let mut live = self.0.acquire().await;
-        let ret = live.raw.prepare(name, body)?;
+        let ret = live.raw.prepare(name, body).await?;
         self.0.release(live);
         Ok(ret)
     }
diff --git a/src/io/buf.rs b/src/io/buf.rs
index ff73cfe8..65cc1b7a 100644
--- a/src/io/buf.rs
+++ b/src/io/buf.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ pub trait Buf {
 
     fn get_u16<T: ByteOrder>(&mut self) -> io::Result<u16>;
 
+    fn get_i16<T: ByteOrder>(&mut self) -> io::Result<i16>;
+
     fn get_u24<T: ByteOrder>(&mut self) -> io::Result<u32>;
 
     fn get_i32<T: ByteOrder>(&mut self) -> io::Result<i32>;
@@ -42,6 +44,13 @@ impl<'a> Buf for &'a [u8] {
         Ok(val)
     }
 
+    fn get_i16<T: ByteOrder>(&mut self) -> io::Result<i16> {
+        let val = T::read_i16(*self);
+        self.advance(2);
+
+        Ok(val)
+    }
+
     fn get_i32<T: ByteOrder>(&mut self) -> io::Result<i32> {
         let val = T::read_i32(*self);
         self.advance(4);
diff --git a/src/postgres/connection.rs b/src/postgres/connection.rs
index a7da6f5f..ef6725b2 100644
--- a/src/postgres/connection.rs
+++ b/src/postgres/connection.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 use super::{Postgres, PostgresQueryParameters, PostgresRawConnection, PostgresRow};
 use crate::{connection::RawConnection, postgres::raw::Step, url::Url, Error};
+use crate::query::QueryParameters;
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use futures_core::stream::BoxStream;
 use crate::prepared::{PreparedStatement, Field};
+use crate::postgres::error::ProtocolError;
 
 #[async_trait]
 impl RawConnection for PostgresRawConnection {
@@ -94,21 +96,26 @@ impl RawConnection for PostgresRawConnection {
         Ok(row)
     }
 
-    fn prepare(&mut self, name: &str, body: &str) -> crate::Result<PreparedStatement> {
-        self.parse(name, body, &[]);
+    async fn prepare(&mut self, name: &str, body: &str) -> crate::Result<PreparedStatement> {
+        self.parse(name, body, &PostgresQueryParameters::new());
         self.describe(name);
+        self.sync().await?;
 
         let param_desc= loop {
-           if let Step::ParamDesc(desc) = self.step().await?
-               .ok_or("did not receive ParameterDescription")?
+            let step = self.step().await?
+                .ok_or(ProtocolError("did not receive ParameterDescription"));
+
+           if let Step::ParamDesc(desc) = dbg!(step)?
            {
                break desc;
            }
         };
 
         let row_desc = loop {
-            if let Step::RowDesc(desc) = self.step().await?
-                .ok_or("did not receive RowDescription")?
+            let step = self.step().await?
+                .ok_or(ProtocolError("did not receive RowDescription"));
+
+            if let Step::RowDesc(desc) = dbg!(step)?
             {
                 break desc;
             }
diff --git a/src/postgres/error.rs b/src/postgres/error.rs
index 8be36995..fbd00f2a 100644
--- a/src/postgres/error.rs
+++ b/src/postgres/error.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,22 @@
 use super::protocol::Response;
 use crate::error::DatabaseError;
+use std::borrow::Cow;
+use std::fmt::Debug;
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct PostgresDatabaseError(pub(super) Box<Response>);
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct ProtocolError<T>(pub(super) T);
+
 impl DatabaseError for PostgresDatabaseError {
     fn message(&self) -> &str {
         self.0.message()
     }
 }
+
+impl<T: AsRef<str> + Debug + Send + Sync> DatabaseError for ProtocolError<T> {
+    fn message(&self) -> &str {
+        self.0.as_ref()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/postgres/protocol/describe.rs b/src/postgres/protocol/describe.rs
index 6df51885..d042c312 100644
--- a/src/postgres/protocol/describe.rs
+++ b/src/postgres/protocol/describe.rs
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ pub enum DescribeKind {
 }
 
 pub struct Describe<'a> {
-    kind: DescribeKind,
+    pub kind: DescribeKind,
 
     /// The name of the prepared statement or portal to describe (an empty string selects the
     /// unnamed prepared statement or portal).
-    name: &'a str,
+    pub name: &'a str,
 }
 
 impl Encode for Describe<'_> {
diff --git a/src/postgres/protocol/mod.rs b/src/postgres/protocol/mod.rs
index d908c5dc..9e81a143 100644
--- a/src/postgres/protocol/mod.rs
+++ b/src/postgres/protocol/mod.rs
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ fn read_string(buf: &mut &[u8]) -> io::Result<String> {
     let str_len = memchr::memchr(0u8, buf)
         .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidData, "unterminated string"))?;
 
-    let string = str::from_utf8(&*buf[..str_len])
+    let string = str::from_utf8(&buf[..str_len])
         .map_err(|e| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidData, e))?;
 
-    *buf = &*buf[str_len + 1..];
+    *buf = &buf[str_len + 1..];
 
     Ok(string.to_owned())
 }
diff --git a/src/postgres/protocol/row_description.rs b/src/postgres/protocol/row_description.rs
index c767f211..10740057 100644
--- a/src/postgres/protocol/row_description.rs
+++ b/src/postgres/protocol/row_description.rs
@@ -26,15 +26,15 @@ impl Decode for RowDescription {
         let mut fields = Vec::with_capacity(cnt);
 
         for _ in 0..cnt {
-            fields.push(RowField {
+            fields.push(dbg!(RowField {
                 name: super::read_string(&mut buf)?,
                 table_id: buf.get_u32::<NetworkEndian>()?,
                 attr_num: buf.get_i16::<NetworkEndian>()?,
                 type_id: buf.get_u32::<NetworkEndian>()?,
-                type_size: buf.get_16::<NetworkEndian>()?,
+                type_size: buf.get_i16::<NetworkEndian>()?,
                 type_mod: buf.get_i32::<NetworkEndian>()?,
                 format_code: buf.get_i16::<NetworkEndian>()?,
-            });
+            }));
         }
 
         Ok(Self {
diff --git a/src/postgres/raw.rs b/src/postgres/raw.rs
index 929c8c65..110ad33a 100644
--- a/src/postgres/raw.rs
+++ b/src/postgres/raw.rs
@@ -204,7 +204,9 @@ impl PostgresRawConnection {
                     return Ok(Some(Step::ParamDesc(desc)));
                 },
 
-                Message::
+                Message::RowDescription(desc) => {
+                    return Ok(Some(Step::RowDesc(desc)));
+                },
 
                 message => {
                     return Err(io::Error::new(
@@ -296,6 +298,7 @@ impl PostgresRawConnection {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub(super) enum Step {
     Command(u64),
     Row(PostgresRow),
diff --git a/src/postgres/row.rs b/src/postgres/row.rs
index d115b51e..361b49b1 100644
--- a/src/postgres/row.rs
+++ b/src/postgres/row.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use super::{protocol::DataRow, Postgres};
 use crate::row::Row;
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct PostgresRow(pub(crate) DataRow);
 
 impl Row for PostgresRow {
diff --git a/src/prepared.rs b/src/prepared.rs
index e096f474..9292d4d4 100644
--- a/src/prepared.rs
+++ b/src/prepared.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct PreparedStatement {
     pub name: String,
     pub param_types: Box<[u32]>,
     pub fields: Vec<Field>,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct Field {
     pub name: String,
     pub table_id: u32,
diff --git a/tests/sql-macro-test.rs b/tests/sql-macro-test.rs
index 382c576b..1e4a5161 100644
--- a/tests/sql-macro-test.rs
+++ b/tests/sql-macro-test.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#![feature(proc_macro_hygiene)]
+
 fn main() {
-    sqlx::sql!("SELECT * from accounts");
+    sqlx_macros::sql!("SELECT * from accounts");
 }