diff --git a/aiida/backends/querybuild/dummy_model.py b/aiida/backends/querybuild/dummy_model.py
index d90598e3f9..32f73da569 100644
--- a/aiida/backends/querybuild/dummy_model.py
+++ b/aiida/backends/querybuild/dummy_model.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from sa_init import (
     Column, Table, ForeignKey,
     Integer, String, DateTime, Float, Boolean, Text,  # basic column types
-    UUID, JSONB,                                      # Fancy column types
+    UUID, JSONB, array,                               # Fancy column types
     UniqueConstraint,aliased,
     select, func, join, and_, or_, not_, except_,     # join and filter ops
     relationship, backref, column_property,           # Table to table relationsships
@@ -385,35 +385,78 @@ def get_aiida_class(self):
 )
 
 
-DbAttribute.value_str = column_property(
-        case([
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'txt', DbAttribute.tval),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'float', cast(DbAttribute.fval, String)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'int', cast(DbAttribute.ival, String)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'bool', cast(DbAttribute.bval, String)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'date', cast(DbAttribute.dval, String)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'txt', cast(DbAttribute.tval, String)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'float', cast(DbAttribute.fval, String)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'list', None),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'dict', None),
-        ])
-    )
 
-DbAttribute.value_float = column_property(
-        case([
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'txt', cast(DbAttribute.tval, Float)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'float', DbAttribute.fval),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'int', cast(DbAttribute.ival, Float)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'bool', cast(DbAttribute.bval, Float)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'date', cast(DbAttribute.dval, Float)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'txt', cast(DbAttribute.tval, Float)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'float', cast(DbAttribute.fval, Float)),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'list', None),
-            (DbAttribute.datatype == 'dict', None),
-        ])
+node_aliased = aliased(DbNode)
+
+walk = select([
+        DbNode.id.label('start'),
+        DbNode.id.label('end'),
+        cast(-1, Integer).label('depth'),
+        array([DbNode.id]).label('path')
+    ]).select_from(DbNode).cte(recursive=True) #, name="incl_aliased3")
+
+
+descendants_beta = walk.union_all(
+    select([
+            walk.c.start,
+            node_aliased.id,
+            walk.c.depth + cast(1, Integer),
+            (walk.c.path+array([node_aliased.id])).label('path'),
+        ]).select_from(
+            join(
+                node_aliased,
+                DbLink,
+                DbLink.output_id==node_aliased.id,
+            )
+        ).where(
+            and_(
+                DbLink.input_id == walk.c.end,
+            )
+        )
     )
 
 
+class DbPathBeta(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, start, end, depth):
+        self.start = start
+        self.out = end
+        self.depth = depth
+
+
+
+mapper(DbPathBeta, descendants_beta)
+
+
+#~ DbAttribute.value_str = column_property(
+        #~ case([
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'txt', DbAttribute.tval),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'float', cast(DbAttribute.fval, String)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'int', cast(DbAttribute.ival, String)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'bool', cast(DbAttribute.bval, String)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'date', cast(DbAttribute.dval, String)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'txt', cast(DbAttribute.tval, String)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'float', cast(DbAttribute.fval, String)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'list', None),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'dict', None),
+        #~ ])
+    #~ )
+#~
+#~ DbAttribute.value_float = column_property(
+        #~ case([
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'txt', cast(DbAttribute.tval, Float)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'float', DbAttribute.fval),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'int', cast(DbAttribute.ival, Float)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'bool', cast(DbAttribute.bval, Float)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'date', cast(DbAttribute.dval, Float)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'txt', cast(DbAttribute.tval, Float)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'float', cast(DbAttribute.fval, Float)),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'list', None),
+            #~ (DbAttribute.datatype == 'dict', None),
+        #~ ])
+    #~ )
+
+
 
 profile = get_profile_config(settings.AIIDADB_PROFILE)
 
diff --git a/aiida/backends/querybuild/querybuilder_base.py b/aiida/backends/querybuild/querybuilder_base.py
index f8337dd3ce..a57475863e 100644
--- a/aiida/backends/querybuild/querybuilder_base.py
+++ b/aiida/backends/querybuild/querybuilder_base.py
@@ -1288,6 +1288,8 @@ def _join_inputs(self, joined_entity, entity_to_join, aliased_edge):
                 aliased_edge.input_id == entity_to_join.id
         )
 
+    #~ def _join_descendants_beta(self, joined_entity, entity_to_join, aliased_path):
+
     def _join_descendants(self, joined_entity, entity_to_join, aliased_path):
         """
         :param joined_entity: The (aliased) ORMclass that is an ancestor
diff --git a/aiida/backends/querybuild/querybuilder_django.py b/aiida/backends/querybuild/querybuilder_django.py
index f8f9f2e425..242693b4b2 100644
--- a/aiida/backends/querybuild/querybuilder_django.py
+++ b/aiida/backends/querybuild/querybuilder_django.py
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@
     DbGroup     as DummyGroup,
     DbExtra     as DummyExtra,
     DbAttribute as DummyAttribute,
+    descendants_beta as DummyDescendants_beta,
     table_groups_nodes  as Dummy_table_groups_nodes,
     session,                             # session with DB
+
 )
 
 from aiida.backends.djsite.db.models import DbAttribute, DbExtra, ObjectDoesNotExist
@@ -53,11 +55,13 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.User               = DummyUser
         self.Group              = DummyGroup
         self.table_groups_nodes = Dummy_table_groups_nodes
+        self.descendants_beta   = DummyDescendants_beta
         self.AiidaNode          = AiidaNode
         self.AiidaGroup         = AiidaGroup
         self.AiidaComputer      = AiidaComputer
         self.AiidaUser          = AiidaUser
 
+
         super(QueryBuilder, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
diff --git a/aiida/backends/querybuild/sa_init.py b/aiida/backends/querybuild/sa_init.py
index f72e47fbf7..9976e91022 100644
--- a/aiida/backends/querybuild/sa_init.py
+++ b/aiida/backends/querybuild/sa_init.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 )
 from sqlalchemy.orm.attributes import InstrumentedAttribute
 from sqlalchemy.sql.elements import Cast
-from sqlalchemy.dialects.postgresql import UUID, JSONB
+from sqlalchemy.dialects.postgresql import UUID, JSONB, INTEGER, array
 # TO COMPILE MY OWN FUNCTIONALITIES:
 from sqlalchemy.sql.expression import FunctionElement, cast
 from sqlalchemy.ext.compiler import compiles