diff --git a/src/operators/compare.sql b/src/operators/compare.sql
index eb74ce9..ef233e0 100644
--- a/src/operators/compare.sql
+++ b/src/operators/compare.sql
@@ -59,7 +59,9 @@ AS $$
       RETURN 1;
     END IF;
 
-    -- Use ORE if both parameters have ore index
+    a := eql_v2.to_ste_vec_value(a);
+    b := eql_v2.to_ste_vec_value(b);
+
     IF eql_v2.has_ore_block_u64_8_256(a) AND eql_v2.has_ore_block_u64_8_256(b) THEN
       RETURN eql_v2.compare_ore_block_u64_8_256(a, b);
     END IF;
@@ -72,7 +74,6 @@ AS $$
       RETURN eql_v2.compare_ore_cllw_var_8(a, b);
     END IF;
 
-    -- Fallback to hmac if both parameters have hmac index
     IF eql_v2.has_hmac_256(a) AND eql_v2.has_hmac_256(b) THEN
       RETURN eql_v2.compare_hmac_256(a, b);
     END IF;
diff --git a/src/ste_vec/functions.sql b/src/ste_vec/functions.sql
index c84d2a3..bac3415 100644
--- a/src/ste_vec/functions.sql
+++ b/src/ste_vec/functions.sql
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 -- REQUIRE: src/schema.sql
 -- REQUIRE: src/encrypted/types.sql
+-- REQUIRE: src/encrypted/casts.sql
+-- REQUIRE: src/encrypted/functions.sql
 
 
 --
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ AS $$
       sv := jsonb_build_array(val);
     END IF;
 
-    SELECT array_agg(elem::eql_v2_encrypted)
+    SELECT array_agg(eql_v2.to_encrypted(elem))
       INTO ary
       FROM jsonb_array_elements(sv) AS elem;
 
@@ -38,7 +40,68 @@ AS $$
   END;
 $$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
 
+--
+-- Returns true if val is an SteVec with a single array item.
+-- SteVec value items can be treated as regular eql_encrypted
+--
+CREATE FUNCTION eql_v2.is_ste_vec_value(val jsonb)
+  RETURNS boolean
+  IMMUTABLE STRICT PARALLEL SAFE
+AS $$
+	BEGIN
+    IF val ? 'sv' THEN
+      RETURN jsonb_array_length(val->'sv') = 1;
+    END IF;
+
+    RETURN false;
+  END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
 
+CREATE FUNCTION eql_v2.is_ste_vec_value(val eql_v2_encrypted)
+  RETURNS boolean
+  IMMUTABLE STRICT PARALLEL SAFE
+AS $$
+	BEGIN
+    RETURN eql_v2.is_ste_vec_value(val.data);
+  END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+--
+-- Returns an SteVec with a single array item as an eql_encrypted
+--
+CREATE FUNCTION eql_v2.to_ste_vec_value(val jsonb)
+  RETURNS eql_v2_encrypted
+  IMMUTABLE STRICT PARALLEL SAFE
+AS $$
+  DECLARE
+    meta jsonb;
+    sv jsonb;
+	BEGIN
+
+    IF val IS NULL THEN
+      RETURN NULL;
+    END IF;
+
+    IF eql_v2.is_ste_vec_value(val) THEN
+      meta := eql_v2.meta_data(val);
+      sv := val->'sv';
+      sv := sv[0];
+
+      RETURN eql_v2.to_encrypted(meta || sv);
+    END IF;
+
+    RETURN eql_v2.to_encrypted(val);
+  END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+CREATE FUNCTION eql_v2.to_ste_vec_value(val eql_v2_encrypted)
+  RETURNS eql_v2_encrypted
+  IMMUTABLE STRICT PARALLEL SAFE
+AS $$
+	BEGIN
+    RETURN eql_v2.to_ste_vec_value(val.data);
+  END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
 
 CREATE FUNCTION eql_v2.selector(val jsonb)
   RETURNS text
@@ -119,7 +182,7 @@ AS $$
 $$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
 
 
--- Returns truy if a contains b
+-- Returns true if a contains b
 -- All values of b must be in a
 CREATE FUNCTION eql_v2.ste_vec_contains(a eql_v2_encrypted, b eql_v2_encrypted)
   RETURNS boolean
diff --git a/src/ste_vec/functions_test.sql b/src/ste_vec/functions_test.sql
index 20ba634..620262b 100644
--- a/src/ste_vec/functions_test.sql
+++ b/src/ste_vec/functions_test.sql
@@ -28,12 +28,10 @@ $$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
 DO $$
   DECLARE
     e eql_v2_encrypted;
-    sv eql_v2_encrypted[];
   BEGIN
     e := '{ "a": 1 }'::jsonb::eql_v2_encrypted;
     ASSERT eql_v2.is_ste_vec_array(e);
 
-
     e := '{ "a": 0 }'::jsonb::eql_v2_encrypted;
     ASSERT NOT eql_v2.is_ste_vec_array(e);
 
@@ -43,6 +41,47 @@ DO $$
 $$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
 
 
+DO $$
+  DECLARE
+    e jsonb;
+  BEGIN
+    -- extract the ste_vec array item as an eeql_v2_encrypted
+    e := eql_v2.to_ste_vec_value('{ "i": "i", "v": 2, "sv": [ { "ocf": "ocf" }] }'::jsonb);
+
+    ASSERT e ? 'i';
+    ASSERT e ? 'v';
+    ASSERT e ? 'ocf';
+
+    -- Returns the original if not an stevec value
+    e := eql_v2.to_ste_vec_value('{ "i": "i", "v": 2, "b3": "b3" }'::jsonb);
+
+    ASSERT e ? 'i';
+    ASSERT e ? 'v';
+    ASSERT e ? 'b3';
+
+  END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+
+
+DO $$
+  DECLARE
+    e eql_v2_encrypted;
+    sv eql_v2_encrypted[];
+  BEGIN
+    e := '{ "sv": [1] }'::jsonb::eql_v2_encrypted;
+    ASSERT eql_v2.is_ste_vec_value(e);
+
+    e := '{ "sv": [] }'::jsonb::eql_v2_encrypted;
+    ASSERT NOT eql_v2.is_ste_vec_value(e);
+
+    e := '{ }'::jsonb::eql_v2_encrypted;
+    ASSERT NOT eql_v2.is_ste_vec_value(e);
+
+  END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+
 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 --