}
 
 int RocksDBStore::prepare_for_reshard(const std::string& new_sharding,
-                                     std::vector<std::string>& to_process_columns,
-                                     std::vector<rocksdb::ColumnFamilyHandle*>& to_process_handles)
+                                     RocksDBStore::columns_t& to_process_columns)
 {
   //0. lock db from opening
   //1. list existing columns
        }
       }
     }
+    to_process_columns.emplace(full_name, cf);
   }
 
   //8. check if all cf_handles are filled
       }
     }
   }
-  to_process_columns = existing_columns;
-  to_process_handles = handles;
   return 0;
 }
 
-int RocksDBStore::reshard_cleanup(const std::vector<std::string>& current_columns,
-                                 const std::vector<rocksdb::ColumnFamilyHandle*>& current_handles)
+int RocksDBStore::reshard_cleanup(const RocksDBStore::columns_t& current_columns)
 {
   std::vector<std::string> new_sharding_columns;
   for (const auto& [name, handle] : cf_handles) {
     }
   }
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < current_columns.size(); i++) {
-    bool found = false;
-    for (size_t j = 0; j < new_sharding_columns.size(); j++) {
-      if (current_columns[i] == new_sharding_columns[j]) {
-       found = true;
-       break;
-      }
-    }
-    if (found || current_columns[i] == rocksdb::kDefaultColumnFamilyName) {
-      dout(5) << "Column " << current_columns[i] << " is part of new sharding." << dendl;
+  for (auto& [name, handle] : current_columns) {
+    auto found = std::find(new_sharding_columns.begin(),
+                          new_sharding_columns.end(),
+                          name) != new_sharding_columns.end();
+    if (found || name == rocksdb::kDefaultColumnFamilyName) {
+      dout(5) << "Column " << name << " is part of new sharding." << dendl;
       continue;
     }
-    dout(5) << "Column " << current_columns[i] << " not part of new sharding. Deleting." << dendl;
+    dout(5) << "Column " << name << " not part of new sharding. Deleting." << dendl;
 
     // verify that column is empty
     std::unique_ptr<rocksdb::Iterator> it{
-      db->NewIterator(rocksdb::ReadOptions(), current_handles[i])};
+      db->NewIterator(rocksdb::ReadOptions(), handle)};
     ceph_assert(it);
     it->SeekToFirst();
     ceph_assert(!it->Valid());
 
-    if (rocksdb::Status status = db->DropColumnFamily(current_handles[i]);
-       !status.ok()) {
-      derr << __func__ << " Failed to drop column: "
-          << current_columns[i] << dendl;
+    if (rocksdb::Status status = db->DropColumnFamily(handle); !status.ok()) {
+      derr << __func__ << " Failed to drop column: "  << name << dendl;
       return -EINVAL;
     }
   }
 {
   rocksdb::Status status;
   int r;
-  std::vector<std::string> to_process_columns;
-  std::vector<rocksdb::ColumnFamilyHandle*> to_process_handles;
 
   resharding_ctrl ctrl = ctrl_in ? *ctrl_in : resharding_ctrl();
   size_t bytes_in_batch = 0;
     return 0;
   };
 
-  r = prepare_for_reshard(new_sharding, to_process_columns, to_process_handles);
+  columns_t to_process_columns;
+  r = prepare_for_reshard(new_sharding, to_process_columns);
   if (r != 0) {
     dout(1) << "failed to prepare db for reshard" << dendl;
     goto cleanup;
   }
 
-  ceph_assert(to_process_columns.size() == to_process_handles.size());
-  for (size_t idx = 0; idx < to_process_columns.size(); idx++) {
-    dout(5) << "Processing column=" << to_process_columns[idx] <<
-      " handle=" << to_process_handles[idx] << dendl;
-    if (to_process_columns[idx] == rocksdb::kDefaultColumnFamilyName) {
-      ceph_assert(to_process_handles[idx] == default_cf);
+  for (auto& [name, handle] : to_process_columns) {
+    dout(5) << "Processing column=" << name
+           << " handle=" << handle << dendl;
+    if (name == rocksdb::kDefaultColumnFamilyName) {
+      ceph_assert(handle == default_cf);
       r = process_column(default_cf, std::string());
     } else {
-      std::string fixed_prefix = to_process_columns[idx].substr(0, to_process_columns[idx].find('-'));
+      std::string fixed_prefix = name.substr(0, name.find('-'));
       dout(10) << "Prefix: " << fixed_prefix << dendl;
-      r = process_column(to_process_handles[idx], fixed_prefix);
+      r = process_column(handle, fixed_prefix);
     }
     if (r != 0) {
-      derr << "Error processing column " << to_process_columns[idx] << dendl;
+      derr << "Error processing column " << name << dendl;
       goto cleanup;
     }
     if (ctrl.unittest_fail_after_processing_column) {
     }
   }
 
-  r = reshard_cleanup(to_process_columns, to_process_handles);
+  r = reshard_cleanup(to_process_columns);
   if (r != 0) {
     dout(5) << "failed to cleanup after reshard" << dendl;
     goto cleanup;