diff --git a/simdb/db.py b/simdb/db.py
index cef7ad3..e55209d 100644
--- a/simdb/db.py
+++ b/simdb/db.py
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 PY2 = sys.version_info.major == 2
 
 try:
+    from pymor.core.pickle import dumps, load
+except ImportError:
     from cPickle import dumps, load
 except ImportError:
     from pickle import dumps, load
diff --git a/simdb/run.py b/simdb/run.py
index 34c2529..dbd469f 100644
--- a/simdb/run.py
+++ b/simdb/run.py
@@ -30,9 +30,11 @@
 import atexit
 from collections import defaultdict
 try:
-    from cPickle import dump
+    from pymor.core.pickle import dump, PicklingError
 except ImportError:
-    from pickle import dump
+    from cPickle import dump, PicklingError
+except ImportError:
+    from pickle import dump, PicklingError
 import datetime
 import os
 if PY2:
@@ -288,7 +290,15 @@ def process_data(v):
     data = {k: process_data(v) for k, v in _current_dataset_data.items()}
 
     with open(os.path.join(_current_dataset, 'DATA'), 'wb') as f:
-        dump(data, f, protocol=-1)
+        try:
+            dump(data, f, protocol=-1)
+        except PicklingError:
+            for kk, vv in data.items():
+                try:
+                    dump({kk: vv}, f, protocol=-1)
+                except PicklingError as e:
+                    print(f'could not pickle "{kk}"')
+                    raise e
 
     def get_metadata(v):
         if isinstance(v, np.ndarray):
@@ -405,8 +415,7 @@ def dump_failed(filename):
 _saved_excepthook, sys.excepthook = sys.excepthook, _excepthook
 
 
-@atexit.register
-def _exit_hook():
+def declare_finished():
     if _run:
         finished = datetime.datetime.now()
         if _current_dataset:
@@ -415,3 +424,8 @@ def _exit_hook():
                 yaml.dump(finished, f)
         with open(os.path.join(_db_path, 'RUNS', _run, 'FINISHED'), 'wt') as f:
             yaml.dump(finished, f)
+
+
+@atexit.register
+def _exit_hook():
+    declare_finished()