diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatter.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatter.java
index 85691e74..7dc51ca4 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatter.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatter.java
@@ -112,6 +112,12 @@ public class QValueFormatter
          {
             return formatLocalTime(lt);
          }
+
+         //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         // else, just return the value as a string, rather than going through String.formatted  //
+         // this saves some overhead incurred by String.formatted when called millions of times. //
+         //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         return (ValueUtils.getValueAsString(value));
       }
 
       ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/NoopLoadStep.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/NoopLoadStep.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1333edf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/implementations/etl/streamedwithfrontend/NoopLoadStep.java
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/*
+ * QQQ - Low-code Application Framework for Engineers.
+ * Copyright (C) 2021-2022.  Kingsrook, LLC
+ * 651 N Broad St Ste 205 # 6917 | Middletown DE 19709 | United States
+ * contact@kingsrook.com
+ * https://github.com/Kingsrook/
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.processes.implementations.etl.streamedwithfrontend;
+
+
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.exceptions.QException;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.actions.processes.RunBackendStepInput;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.actions.processes.RunBackendStepOutput;
+
+
+/*******************************************************************************
+ ** Load step that does nothing.
+ **
+ *******************************************************************************/
+public class NoopLoadStep extends AbstractLoadStep
+{
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Execute the backend step - using the request as input, and the result as output.
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Override
+   public void run(RunBackendStepInput runBackendStepInput, RunBackendStepOutput runBackendStepOutput) throws QException
+   {
+      ///////////
+      // noop. //
+      ///////////
+   }
+
+}
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/InMemoryStateProvider.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/InMemoryStateProvider.java
index 60fc22ed..73f54d12 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/InMemoryStateProvider.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/InMemoryStateProvider.java
@@ -90,4 +90,15 @@ public class InMemoryStateProvider implements StateProviderInterface
       }
    }
 
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Remove a block of data, under a key, from the state store.
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Override
+   public void remove(AbstractStateKey key)
+   {
+      map.remove(key);
+   }
+
 }
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/StateProviderInterface.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/StateProviderInterface.java
index b2196746..1c5415bf 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/StateProviderInterface.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/StateProviderInterface.java
@@ -52,4 +52,10 @@ public interface StateProviderInterface
     ** Get a block of data, under a key, from the state store.
     *******************************************************************************/
    <T extends Serializable> Optional<T> get(Class<? extends T> type, AbstractStateKey key);
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Remove a block of data, under a key, from the state store.
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   void remove(AbstractStateKey key);
+
 }
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/TempFileStateProvider.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/TempFileStateProvider.java
index b7f23768..b9f6ed5e 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/TempFileStateProvider.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/state/TempFileStateProvider.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import java.util.Optional;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.logging.QLogger;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.JsonUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
+import static com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.logging.LogUtils.logPair;
 
 
 /*******************************************************************************
@@ -110,6 +111,21 @@ public class TempFileStateProvider implements StateProviderInterface
 
 
 
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Remove a block of data, under a key, from the state store.
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Override
+   public void remove(AbstractStateKey key)
+   {
+      File file = getFile(key);
+      if(!file.delete())
+      {
+         LOG.warn("Error deleting state-providing tempFile", logPair("file", file.getAbsolutePath()));
+      }
+   }
+
+
+
    /*******************************************************************************
     ** Get the file referenced by a key
     *******************************************************************************/
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatterTest.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatterTest.java
index e6e783ed..52b9db39 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatterTest.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/values/QValueFormatterTest.java
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ class QValueFormatterTest extends BaseTest
    {
       assertNull(QValueFormatter.formatValue(new QFieldMetaData().withDisplayFormat(DisplayFormat.COMMAS), null));
 
+      assertEquals("1", QValueFormatter.formatValue(new QFieldMetaData(), 1));
+      assertEquals("1", QValueFormatter.formatValue(new QFieldMetaData().withDisplayFormat("%s"), 1));
+      assertEquals("Hello", QValueFormatter.formatValue(new QFieldMetaData().withDisplayFormat("%s"), "Hello"));
+
       assertEquals("1", QValueFormatter.formatValue(new QFieldMetaData().withDisplayFormat(DisplayFormat.COMMAS), 1));
       assertEquals("1,000", QValueFormatter.formatValue(new QFieldMetaData().withDisplayFormat(DisplayFormat.COMMAS), 1000));
       assertEquals("1000", QValueFormatter.formatValue(new QFieldMetaData().withDisplayFormat(null), 1000));