diff --git a/common_test.go b/common_test.go
index 31653445..ffe2653f 100644
--- a/common_test.go
+++ b/common_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func fileExists(name string) bool {
 func openDB(dbType, dbName string) (btcdb.Db, error) {
 	// Handle memdb specially since it has no files on disk.
 	if dbType == "memdb" {
-		db, err := btcdb.OpenDB(dbType, "")
+		db, err := btcdb.OpenDB(dbType)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error opening db: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func createDB(dbType, dbName string, close bool) (btcdb.Db, func(), error) {
 	// Handle memory database specially since it doesn't need the disk
 	// specific handling.
 	if dbType == "memdb" {
-		db, err := btcdb.CreateDB(dbType, "")
+		db, err := btcdb.CreateDB(dbType)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating db: %v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index 4e7f03e1..c5b392de 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -106,9 +106,9 @@ type Db interface {
 // DriverDB defines a structure for backend drivers to use when they registered
 // themselves as a backend which implements the Db interface.
 type DriverDB struct {
-	DbType string
-	Create func(argstr string) (pbdb Db, err error)
-	Open   func(filepath string) (pbdb Db, err error)
+	DbType   string
+	CreateDB func(args ...interface{}) (pbdb Db, err error)
+	OpenDB   func(args ...interface{}) (pbdb Db, err error)
 }
 
 // TxListReply is used to return individual transaction information when
@@ -138,20 +138,20 @@ func AddDBDriver(instance DriverDB) {
 }
 
 // CreateDB intializes and opens a database.
-func CreateDB(dbtype string, argstr string) (pbdb Db, err error) {
+func CreateDB(dbtype string, args ...interface{}) (pbdb Db, err error) {
 	for _, drv := range driverList {
 		if drv.DbType == dbtype {
-			return drv.Create(argstr)
+			return drv.CreateDB(args...)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil, DbUnknownType
 }
 
 // OpenDB opens an existing database.
-func OpenDB(dbtype string, argstr string) (pbdb Db, err error) {
+func OpenDB(dbtype string, args ...interface{}) (pbdb Db, err error) {
 	for _, drv := range driverList {
 		if drv.DbType == dbtype {
-			return drv.Open(argstr)
+			return drv.OpenDB(args...)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil, DbUnknownType
diff --git a/db_test.go b/db_test.go
index 74a3b89b..75fc6174 100644
--- a/db_test.go
+++ b/db_test.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func TestAddDuplicateDriver(t *testing.T) {
 	// driver function and intentionally returns a failure that can be
 	// detected if the interface allows a duplicate driver to overwrite an
 	// existing one.
-	bogusCreateDB := func(string) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+	bogusCreateDB := func(args ...interface{}) (btcdb.Db, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("duplicate driver allowed for database "+
 			"type [%v]", dbType)
 	}
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ func TestAddDuplicateDriver(t *testing.T) {
 	// create and open functions to a function that causes a test failure if
 	// they are invoked.
 	driver := btcdb.DriverDB{
-		DbType: dbType,
-		Create: bogusCreateDB,
-		Open:   bogusCreateDB,
+		DbType:   dbType,
+		CreateDB: bogusCreateDB,
+		OpenDB:   bogusCreateDB,
 	}
 	btcdb.AddDBDriver(driver)
 
@@ -111,16 +111,16 @@ func TestCreateOpenFail(t *testing.T) {
 	dbType := "createopenfail"
 	openError := fmt.Errorf("failed to create or open database for "+
 		"database type [%v]", dbType)
-	bogusCreateDB := func(string) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+	bogusCreateDB := func(args ...interface{}) (btcdb.Db, error) {
 		return nil, openError
 	}
 
 	// Create and add driver that intentionally fails when created or opened
 	// to ensure errors on database open and create are handled properly.
 	driver := btcdb.DriverDB{
-		DbType: dbType,
-		Create: bogusCreateDB,
-		Open:   bogusCreateDB,
+		DbType:   dbType,
+		CreateDB: bogusCreateDB,
+		OpenDB:   bogusCreateDB,
 	}
 	btcdb.AddDBDriver(driver)
 
diff --git a/ldb/leveldb.go b/ldb/leveldb.go
index 8c6b5d0e..2209d833 100644
--- a/ldb/leveldb.go
+++ b/ldb/leveldb.go
@@ -55,14 +55,33 @@ type LevelDb struct {
 	txSpentUpdateMap map[btcwire.ShaHash]*spentTxUpdate
 }
 
-var self = btcdb.DriverDB{DbType: "leveldb", Create: CreateDB, Open: OpenDB}
+var self = btcdb.DriverDB{DbType: "leveldb", CreateDB: CreateDB, OpenDB: OpenDB}
 
 func init() {
 	btcdb.AddDBDriver(self)
 }
 
+// parseArgs parses the arguments from the btcdb Open/Create methods.
+func parseArgs(funcName string, args ...interface{}) (string, error) {
+	if len(args) != 1 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Invalid arguments to ldb.%s -- "+
+			"expected database path string", funcName)
+	}
+	dbPath, ok := args[0].(string)
+	if !ok {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("First argument to ldb.%s is invalid -- "+
+			"expected database path string", funcName)
+	}
+	return dbPath, nil
+}
+
 // OpenDB opens an existing database for use.
-func OpenDB(dbpath string) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+func OpenDB(args ...interface{}) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+	dbpath, err := parseArgs("OpenDB", args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	log = btcdb.GetLog()
 
 	db, err := openDB(dbpath, false)
@@ -216,7 +235,12 @@ func openDB(dbpath string, create bool) (pbdb btcdb.Db, err error) {
 }
 
 // CreateDB creates, initializes and opens a database for use.
-func CreateDB(dbpath string) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+func CreateDB(args ...interface{}) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+	dbpath, err := parseArgs("Create", args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	log = btcdb.GetLog()
 
 	// No special setup needed, just OpenBB
diff --git a/memdb/driver.go b/memdb/driver.go
index 53e72c26..581c0feb 100644
--- a/memdb/driver.go
+++ b/memdb/driver.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package memdb
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"github.com/conformal/btcdb"
 	"github.com/conformal/btclog"
 )
@@ -12,18 +13,36 @@ import (
 var log = btclog.Disabled
 
 func init() {
-	driver := btcdb.DriverDB{DbType: "memdb", Create: CreateDB, Open: OpenDB}
+	driver := btcdb.DriverDB{DbType: "memdb", CreateDB: CreateDB, OpenDB: OpenDB}
 	btcdb.AddDBDriver(driver)
 }
 
+// parseArgs parses the arguments from the btcdb Open/Create methods.
+func parseArgs(funcName string, args ...interface{}) error {
+	if len(args) != 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("memdb.%s does not accept any arguments",
+			funcName)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // OpenDB opens an existing database for use.
-func OpenDB(dbpath string) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+func OpenDB(args ...interface{}) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+	if err := parseArgs("OpenDB", args...); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// A memory database is not persistent, so let CreateDB handle it.
-	return CreateDB(dbpath)
+	return CreateDB()
 }
 
 // CreateDB creates, initializes, and opens a database for use.
-func CreateDB(dbpath string) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+func CreateDB(args ...interface{}) (btcdb.Db, error) {
+	if err := parseArgs("CreateDB", args...); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	log = btcdb.GetLog()
 	return newMemDb(), nil
 }
diff --git a/memdb/memdb_test.go b/memdb/memdb_test.go
index 73a1d57b..4d96b149 100644
--- a/memdb/memdb_test.go
+++ b/memdb/memdb_test.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import (
 // and does not panic or otherwise misbehave for functions which do not return
 // errors.
 func TestClosed(t *testing.T) {
-	db, err := btcdb.CreateDB("memdb", "")
+	db, err := btcdb.CreateDB("memdb")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Failed to open test database %v", err)
 		return