diff --git a/src/taxis.c b/src/taxis.c
index 5acf45b5715e6dba9f64f41f1473927f3a56ddfd..e0363e598c3a59c65b47e9dbacca9b4fc8c6ff52 100644
--- a/src/taxis.c
+++ b/src/taxis.c
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ void
 ptaxisInit(taxis_t *taxisptr)
 {
   taxisptr->self = CDI_UNDEFID;
-  taxisptr->datatype = CDI_DATATYPE_FLT64;
   taxisptr->type = DefaultTimeType;
   taxisptr->calendar = CDI_Default_Calendar;
   taxisptr->unit = DefaultTimeUnit;
@@ -120,6 +119,10 @@ ptaxisInit(taxis_t *taxisptr)
   taxisptr->name = NULL;
   taxisptr->longname = NULL;
   taxisptr->units = NULL;
+
+  cdiInitKeys(&taxisptr->keys);
+  cdiDefVarKeyInt(&taxisptr->keys, CDI_KEY_DATATYPE, CDI_DATATYPE_FLT64);
+  taxisptr->datatype = CDI_DATATYPE_FLT64;
 }
 
 static taxis_t *
@@ -235,6 +238,7 @@ taxisDefType(int taxisID, int taxistype)
   if (taxisptr->type != taxistype)
     {
       taxisptr->type = taxistype;
+      cdiDefVarKeyInt(&taxisptr->keys, CDI_KEY_DATATYPE, CDI_DATATYPE_FLT64);
       taxisptr->datatype = CDI_DATATYPE_FLT64;
       delete_refcount_string(taxisptr->units);
       taxisptr->units = NULL;
@@ -849,6 +853,7 @@ taxisPtr(int taxisID)
 void
 ptaxisDefDatatype(taxis_t *taxisptr, int datatype)
 {
+  cdiDefVarKeyInt(&taxisptr->keys, CDI_KEY_DATATYPE, datatype);
   taxisptr->datatype = datatype;
 }
 
@@ -1349,7 +1354,6 @@ ptaxisCopy(taxis_t *dest, taxis_t *source)
   reshLock();
 
   // memcpy(dest, source, sizeof(taxis_t));
-  dest->datatype = source->datatype;
   dest->type = source->type;
   dest->calendar = source->calendar;
   dest->unit = source->unit;
@@ -1374,6 +1378,10 @@ ptaxisCopy(taxis_t *dest, taxis_t *source)
   dest->units = dup_refcount_string(source->units);
   if (dest->self != CDI_UNDEFID) reshSetStatus(dest->self, &taxisOps, RESH_DESYNC_IN_USE);
 
+  dest->datatype = source->datatype;
+  cdiInitKeys(&dest->keys);
+  cdiCopyVarKeys(&source->keys, &dest->keys);
+
   reshUnlock();
 }
 
@@ -1480,6 +1488,7 @@ taxisGetPackSize(void *p, void *context)
                        + (taxisptr->longname ? serializeGetSize((int) strlen(taxisptr->longname), CDI_DATATYPE_TXT, context) : 0)
                        + (taxisptr->units ? serializeGetSize((int) strlen(taxisptr->units), CDI_DATATYPE_TXT, context) : 0)
                        + serializeGetSize(1, CDI_DATATYPE_UINT32, context);
+  packBufferSize += serializeKeysGetPackSize(&taxisptr->keys, context);
   return packBufferSize;
 }
 
@@ -1546,6 +1555,8 @@ taxisUnpack(char *unpackBuffer, int unpackBufferSize, int *unpackBufferPos, int
       taxisP->units = units;
     }
 
+  serializeKeysUnpack(unpackBuffer, unpackBufferSize, unpackBufferPos, &taxisP->keys, context);
+
   reshSetStatus(taxisP->self, &taxisOps, reshGetStatus(taxisP->self, &taxisOps) & ~RESH_SYNC_BIT);
 #undef adaptKey
 
@@ -1596,6 +1607,8 @@ taxisPack(void *voidP, void *packBuffer, int packBufferSize, int *packBufferPos,
   if (taxisP->longname)
     serializePack(taxisP->longname, lnameLen, CDI_DATATYPE_TXT, packBuffer, packBufferSize, packBufferPos, context);
   if (taxisP->units) serializePack(taxisP->units, unitsLen, CDI_DATATYPE_TXT, packBuffer, packBufferSize, packBufferPos, context);
+
+  serializeKeysPack(&taxisP->keys, packBuffer, packBufferSize, packBufferPos, context);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/taxis.h b/src/taxis.h
index b7eac28932fc67368597f4fc030714c3782325e6..7f98b99ad7bcd5bacd91acb909b17e420e4e1bec 100644
--- a/src/taxis.h
+++ b/src/taxis.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include "cdi.h"
 
+#include "cdi_key.h"
+
 #ifndef RESOURCE_HANDLE_H
 #include "resource_handle.h"
 #endif
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ typedef struct
   char *units;
   bool climatology;
   bool hasBounds;
+  cdi_keys_t keys;
 } taxis_t;
 
 //      taxisInqSdatetime: Get the start date/time