diff --git a/include/sqlpp11/core/basic/value.h b/include/sqlpp11/core/basic/value.h
index 05b34fd4..8fa034cc 100644
--- a/include/sqlpp11/core/basic/value.h
+++ b/include/sqlpp11/core/basic/value.h
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ namespace sqlpp
   auto to_sql_string(Context& context, const value_t<T>& t) -> std::string
   {
 #warning: Untested
-    to_sql_string(context, t._value);
-
-    return context;
+    return to_sql_string(context, t._value);
   }
 
   template <typename T, typename = check_value_arg<T>>
diff --git a/include/sqlpp11/core/clause/select.h b/include/sqlpp11/core/clause/select.h
index 6dd52b8b..bea78a3a 100644
--- a/include/sqlpp11/core/clause/select.h
+++ b/include/sqlpp11/core/clause/select.h
@@ -57,9 +57,7 @@ namespace sqlpp
   template <typename Context>
   auto to_sql_string(Context& context, const select_name_t&) -> std::string
   {
-    context << "SELECT ";
-
-    return context;
+    return "SELECT ";
   }
 
   using blank_select_t = statement_t<no_with_t,
diff --git a/include/sqlpp11/core/clause/select_column_list.h b/include/sqlpp11/core/clause/select_column_list.h
index be90ecc3..1bd61feb 100644
--- a/include/sqlpp11/core/clause/select_column_list.h
+++ b/include/sqlpp11/core/clause/select_column_list.h
@@ -311,8 +311,7 @@ namespace sqlpp
   template <typename Context, typename... Columns>
   auto to_sql_string(Context& context, const std::tuple<Columns...>& t) -> std::string
   {
-    interpret_tuple(t, ',', context);
-    return context;
+    return interpret_tuple(t, ",", context);
   }
 
   template <typename... T>
diff --git a/include/sqlpp11/core/interpret_tuple.h b/include/sqlpp11/core/interpret_tuple.h
index f3ae6a64..67267273 100644
--- a/include/sqlpp11/core/interpret_tuple.h
+++ b/include/sqlpp11/core/interpret_tuple.h
@@ -34,20 +34,20 @@
 namespace sqlpp
 {
   template <typename Element, typename Separator, typename Context, typename UseBraces>
-  static void interpret_tuple_element(
-      const Element& element, const Separator& separator, Context& context, const UseBraces& /*unused*/, size_t index)
+  static auto interpret_tuple_element(
+      const Element& element, const Separator& separator, Context& context, const UseBraces& /*unused*/, size_t index) -> std::string
   {
     if (index)
     {
-      context << separator;
+      return separator;
     }
     if (UseBraces::value)
     {
-      operand_to_sql_string(context, element);
+      return operand_to_sql_string(context, element);
     }
     else
     {
-      to_sql_string(context, element);
+      return to_sql_string(context, element);
     }
   }
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ namespace sqlpp
                             Context& context,
                             const UseBraces& useBraces,
                             const ::sqlpp::index_sequence<Is...> &
-                            /*unused*/) -> Context&
+                            /*unused*/) -> std::string
   {
     // Note: A braced-init-list does guarantee the order of evaluation according to 12.6.1 [class.explicit.init]
     // paragraph 2 and 8.5.4 [dcl.init.list] paragraph 4.
@@ -65,21 +65,22 @@ namespace sqlpp
     // See also: "http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6245735/pretty-print-stdtuple/6245777#6245777"
     // Beware of gcc-bug: "http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=51253", otherwise an empty swallow struct could
     // be used
+    auto result = std::string{};
     using swallow = int[];
     (void)swallow{0,  // workaround against -Wpedantic GCC warning "zero-size array 'int [0]'"
-                  (interpret_tuple_element(std::get<Is>(t), separator, context, useBraces, Is), 0)...};
-    return context;
+                  (result += interpret_tuple_element(std::get<Is>(t), separator, context, useBraces, Is), 0)...};
+    return result;
   }
 
   template <typename Tuple, typename Separator, typename Context>
-  auto interpret_tuple(const Tuple& t, const Separator& separator, Context& context) -> Context&
+  auto interpret_tuple(const Tuple& t, const Separator& separator, Context& context) -> std::string
   {
     return interpret_tuple_impl(t, separator, context, std::true_type{},
                                 ::sqlpp::make_index_sequence<std::tuple_size<Tuple>::value>{});
   }
 
   template <typename Tuple, typename Separator, typename Context>
-  auto interpret_tuple_without_braces(const Tuple& t, const Separator& separator, Context& context) -> Context&
+  auto interpret_tuple_without_braces(const Tuple& t, const Separator& separator, Context& context) -> std::string
   {
     return interpret_tuple_impl(t, separator, context, std::false_type{},
                                 ::sqlpp::make_index_sequence<std::tuple_size<Tuple>::value>{});
diff --git a/include/sqlpp11/core/no_data.h b/include/sqlpp11/core/no_data.h
index 02fe9f9e..2ab4fc9b 100644
--- a/include/sqlpp11/core/no_data.h
+++ b/include/sqlpp11/core/no_data.h
@@ -36,6 +36,6 @@ namespace sqlpp
   template <typename Context>
   auto to_sql_string(Context& context, const no_data_t&) -> std::string
   {
-    return context;
+    return {};
   }
 }  // namespace sqlpp
diff --git a/include/sqlpp11/core/query/statement.h b/include/sqlpp11/core/query/statement.h
index 0cfbd4e1..102cfac6 100644
--- a/include/sqlpp11/core/query/statement.h
+++ b/include/sqlpp11/core/query/statement.h
@@ -281,10 +281,13 @@ namespace sqlpp
   {
     using P = detail::statement_policies_t<Policies...>;
 
+    auto result = std::string{};
     using swallow = int[];
-    (void)swallow{0, (to_sql_string(context, static_cast<const typename Policies::template _base_t<P>&>(t)._data), 0)...};
+    (void)swallow{
+        0,
+        (result += to_sql_string(context, static_cast<const typename Policies::template _base_t<P>&>(t)._data), 0)...};
 
-    return context;
+    return result;
   }
 
   template <typename NameData, typename Tag = tag::is_noop>
diff --git a/include/sqlpp11/core/to_sql_string.h b/include/sqlpp11/core/to_sql_string.h
index 8d7de43b..7500229b 100644
--- a/include/sqlpp11/core/to_sql_string.h
+++ b/include/sqlpp11/core/to_sql_string.h
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@
  * SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
 
+#include <string>
+#include <cmath>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <iomanip>
+
+#include <sqlpp11/core/compat/optional.h>
+#include <sqlpp11/core/compat/span.h>
+#include <sqlpp11/core/compat/string_view.h>
 #include <sqlpp11/core/type_traits.h>
 #include <sqlpp11/core/database/exception.h>
 
@@ -156,7 +164,7 @@ namespace sqlpp
   {
     auto result = std::string{"'"};
     result.reserve(t.size() * 2);
-    for (const auto c : s)
+    for (const auto c : t)
     {
       if (c == '\'')
         result.push_back(c);  // Escaping
diff --git a/tests/core/serialize/compare.h b/tests/core/serialize/compare.h
index a6740b99..277f7a90 100644
--- a/tests/core/serialize/compare.h
+++ b/tests/core/serialize/compare.h
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
   {                                                                \
     MockDb::_serializer_context_t printer = {};                    \
                                                                    \
-    using sqlpp::serialize;                                        \
-    const auto result = to_sql_string(printer, expr).str();            \
+    using sqlpp::to_sql_string;                                    \
+    const auto result = to_sql_string(printer, expr);              \
                                                                    \
     if (result != expected_string)                                 \
     {                                                              \