diff --git a/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb b/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
index 75526a5..1d0b4f5 100644
--- a/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
+++ b/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
@@ -107,10 +107,10 @@ module RemoteStorage
             metadata[metadata_values[idx]] = metadata_values[idx + 1]
           end
 
-          listing[name] = {["ETag"] = metadata["etag"]}
+          listing[name] = {["ETag"] = metadata["e"]}
           if string.sub(name, -1) ~= "/" then
-            listing[name]["Content-Type"]   = metadata["type"]
-            listing[name]["Content-Length"] = tonumber(metadata["size"])
+            listing[name]["Content-Type"]   = metadata["t"]
+            listing[name]["Content-Length"] = tonumber(metadata["s"])
           end
         end
 
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ module RemoteStorage
     end
 
     def get_directory_listing_from_redis(user, directory)
-      etag = redis.hget "rsm:#{user}:#{directory}/", "etag"
+      etag = redis.hget "rsm:#{user}:#{directory}/", "e"
 
       none_match = (server.env["HTTP_IF_NONE_MATCH"] || "").split(",").map(&:strip)
       server.halt 304 if none_match.include? etag
@@ -192,10 +192,10 @@ module RemoteStorage
       timestamp = (Time.now.to_f * 1000).to_i
 
       metadata = {
-        etag: res.headers[:etag],
-        size: data.size,
-        type: content_type,
-        modified: timestamp
+        e: res.headers[:etag],
+        s: data.size,
+        t: content_type,
+        m: timestamp
       }
 
       if update_metadata_object(user, directory, key, metadata) &&
@@ -319,17 +319,17 @@ module RemoteStorage
         else
           redis_key = redis_key..directory.."/"..key.."/"
         end
-        if redis.call("hget", redis_key, "etag") then
+        if redis.call("hget", redis_key, "e") then
           return true
         end
 
         for index, dir in pairs(parent_directories) do
-          if redis.call("hget", "rsm:"..user..":"..dir.."/", "etag") then
+          if redis.call("hget", "rsm:"..user..":"..dir.."/", "e") then
             -- the directory already exists, no need to do further checks
             return false
           else
             -- check for existing document with same name as directory
-            if redis.call("hget", "rsm:"..user..":"..dir, "etag") then
+            if redis.call("hget", "rsm:"..user..":"..dir, "e") then
               return true
             end
           end
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ module RemoteStorage
         end
 
         key = "rsm:#{user}:#{dir}/"
-        metadata = {etag: etag, modified: timestamp}
+        metadata = {e: etag, m: timestamp}
         redis.hmset(key, *metadata)
         redis.sadd "rsm:#{user}:#{parent_directory_for(dir)}:i", "#{top_directory(dir)}/"
       end
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ module RemoteStorage
             get_response = do_get_request("#{container_url_for(user)}/?format=json&path=")
             etag = etag_for(get_response.body)
           end
-          metadata = {etag: etag, modified: timestamp}
+          metadata = {e: etag, m: timestamp}
           redis.hmset("rsm:#{user}:#{dir}/", *metadata)
         end
       end
diff --git a/migrate_metadata_to_redis.rb b/migrate_metadata_to_redis.rb
index d1211c8..a421d27 100755
--- a/migrate_metadata_to_redis.rb
+++ b/migrate_metadata_to_redis.rb
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ class Migrator
   def save_directory_data(dir, item, data, timestamp)
     key = "rsm:#{username}:#{dir.gsub(/^\//, "")}#{item}"
     metadata = {
-      etag: data["ETag"],
-      modified: timestamp_for(data["Last-Modified"])
+      e: data["ETag"],
+      m: timestamp_for(data["Last-Modified"])
     }
 
     logger.debug "Metadata for dir #{key}: #{metadata}"
@@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ class Migrator
   def save_document_data(dir, item, data)
     key = "rsm:#{username}:#{dir.gsub(/^\//, "")}#{item}"
     metadata = {
-      etag: data["ETag"],
-      size: data["Content-Length"],
-      type: data["Content-Type"],
-      modified: timestamp_for(data["Last-Modified"])
+      e: data["ETag"],
+      s: data["Content-Length"],
+      t: data["Content-Type"],
+      m: timestamp_for(data["Last-Modified"])
     }
     logger.debug "Metadata for document #{key}: #{metadata}"
     redis.hmset(key, *metadata) unless dry_run
diff --git a/spec/swift/app_spec.rb b/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
index 831c089..61204e3 100644
--- a/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ describe "App" do
         end
 
         metadata = redis.hgetall "rsm:phil:food/aguacate"
-        metadata["size"].must_equal "2"
-        metadata["type"].must_equal "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
-        metadata["etag"].must_equal "bla"
-        metadata["modified"].length.must_equal 13
+        metadata["s"].must_equal "2"
+        metadata["t"].must_equal "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
+        metadata["e"].must_equal "bla"
+        metadata["m"].length.must_equal 13
       end
 
       it "creates the directory objects metadata in redis" do
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ describe "App" do
         end
 
         metadata = redis.hgetall "rsm:phil:/"
-        metadata["etag"].must_equal "rootetag"
-        metadata["modified"].length.must_equal 13
+        metadata["e"].must_equal "rootetag"
+        metadata["m"].length.must_equal 13
 
         metadata = redis.hgetall "rsm:phil:food/"
-        metadata["etag"].must_equal "bla"
-        metadata["modified"].length.must_equal 13
+        metadata["e"].must_equal "bla"
+        metadata["m"].length.must_equal 13
 
         food_items = redis.smembers "rsm:phil:food/:i"
         food_items.each do |food_item|
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ describe "App" do
           last_response.status.must_equal 200
 
           metadata = redis.hgetall "rsm:phil:food/aguacate"
-          metadata["size"].must_equal "2"
+          metadata["s"].must_equal "2"
         end
 
         it "conflicts when there is a directory with same name as document" do
@@ -198,9 +198,9 @@ describe "App" do
         end
 
         metadata = redis.hgetall "rsm:phil:food/"
-        metadata["etag"].must_equal "newetag"
-        metadata["modified"].length.must_equal 13
-        metadata["modified"].wont_equal old_metadata["modified"]
+        metadata["e"].must_equal "newetag"
+        metadata["m"].length.must_equal 13
+        metadata["m"].wont_equal old_metadata["m"]
 
         food_items = redis.smembers "rsm:phil:food/:i"
         food_items.must_equal ["camaron"]