diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 0b9e2e042..4d6a0b075 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -4122,7 +4122,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "getrandom",
  "polars-arrow",
@@ -4141,7 +4141,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-arrow"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "atoi",
@@ -4188,7 +4188,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-compute"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "bytemuck",
  "either",
@@ -4203,7 +4203,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-core"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "bitflags 2.6.0",
@@ -4227,7 +4227,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "regex",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
- "smartstring",
  "thiserror",
  "version_check",
  "xxhash-rust",
@@ -4236,7 +4235,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-error"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "avro-schema",
  "object_store",
@@ -4249,7 +4248,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-expr"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "bitflags 2.6.0",
@@ -4262,13 +4261,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "polars-time",
  "polars-utils",
  "rayon",
- "smartstring",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-io"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "async-trait",
@@ -4305,7 +4303,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde_json",
  "simd-json",
  "simdutf8",
- "smartstring",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-util",
  "url",
@@ -4314,7 +4311,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-json"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "chrono",
@@ -4335,7 +4332,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-lazy"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "bitflags 2.6.0",
@@ -4354,7 +4351,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "polars-time",
  "polars-utils",
  "rayon",
- "smartstring",
  "tokio",
  "version_check",
 ]
@@ -4362,7 +4358,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-mem-engine"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "futures",
  "memmap2",
@@ -4383,7 +4379,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-ops"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "argminmax",
@@ -4408,7 +4404,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "regex",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
- "smartstring",
  "unicode-reverse",
  "version_check",
 ]
@@ -4416,7 +4411,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-parquet"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "async-stream",
@@ -4443,7 +4438,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-pipe"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "crossbeam-channel",
  "crossbeam-queue",
@@ -4461,7 +4456,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "polars-row",
  "polars-utils",
  "rayon",
- "smartstring",
  "tokio",
  "uuid",
  "version_check",
@@ -4470,7 +4464,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-plan"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "bitflags 2.6.0",
@@ -4495,7 +4489,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "recursive",
  "regex",
  "serde",
- "smartstring",
  "strum_macros",
  "version_check",
 ]
@@ -4503,7 +4496,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-row"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "bytemuck",
  "polars-arrow",
@@ -4514,7 +4507,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-sql"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "hex",
  "once_cell",
@@ -4525,6 +4518,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "polars-ops",
  "polars-plan",
  "polars-time",
+ "polars-utils",
  "rand",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
@@ -4534,7 +4528,7 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-time"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "atoi",
  "bytemuck",
@@ -4549,13 +4543,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "polars-utils",
  "regex",
  "serde",
- "smartstring",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "polars-utils"
 version = "0.42.0"
-source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?tag=py-1.6.0#6ff1c70d25f108306ea53138b11eb262288b7251"
+source = "git+https://github.com/pola-rs/polars?rev=915f164#915f1648a9e2f461fdcd497db8c588c0419dfa35"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash",
  "bytemuck",
@@ -4569,7 +4562,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "polars-error",
  "raw-cpuid",
  "rayon",
- "smartstring",
+ "serde",
  "stacker",
  "sysinfo",
  "version_check",
@@ -4857,6 +4850,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "parking_lot 0.12.3",
  "phf 0.11.2",
  "polars",
+ "polars-utils",
  "postgres",
  "pyo3",
  "qsv-dateparser",
@@ -4886,7 +4880,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "serial_test",
  "simdutf8",
  "simple-expand-tilde",
- "smartstring",
  "snap",
  "strsim",
  "strum",
@@ -5948,18 +5941,6 @@ version = "1.13.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3c5e1a9a646d36c3599cd173a41282daf47c44583ad367b8e6837255952e5c67"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "smartstring"
-version = "1.0.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "3fb72c633efbaa2dd666986505016c32c3044395ceaf881518399d2f4127ee29"
-dependencies = [
- "autocfg",
- "serde",
- "static_assertions",
- "version_check",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "snafu"
 version = "0.7.5"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index faa880dea..737d8f11b 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ polars = { version = "0.42", features = [
     "streaming",
     "timezones",
 ], optional = true }
+polars-utils = { version = "0.42.0", default-features = false, optional = true}
 pyo3 = { version = "0.22", features = [
     "auto-initialize",
     "gil-refs",
@@ -214,7 +215,6 @@ serde_json = { version = "1", features = ["preserve_order"] }
 serde_stacker = { version = "0.1", optional = true }
 serde_urlencoded = { version = "0.7", optional = true }
 simple-expand-tilde = { version = "0.4.0", optional = true }
-smartstring = { version = "1", optional = true }
 snap = "1"
 strsim = { version = "0.11", optional = true }
 strum = { version = "0.26", features = ["phf"] }
@@ -285,10 +285,10 @@ local-encoding = { git = "https://github.com/slonopotamus/local-encoding-rs", br
 # BUILD NOTE: Be sure to set QSV_POLARS_REV below to the latest commit short hash or tag 
 # of polars/py-polars before building qsv. This allows us to show the polars rev/tag in --version.
 # if we are using a release version of Rust Polars, leave QSV_POLARS_REV empty
-# QSV_POLARS_REV=py-1.6.0
-polars = { git = "https://github.com/pola-rs/polars", tag = "py-1.6.0" }
-# polars = { git = "https://github.com/pola-rs/polars", rev = "f0ba999" }
-
+# QSV_POLARS_REV=915f164
+# polars = { git = "https://github.com/pola-rs/polars", tag = "py-1.6.0" }
+polars = { git = "https://github.com/pola-rs/polars", rev = "915f164" }
+polars-utils = { git = "https://github.com/pola-rs/polars", rev = "915f164" }
 
 [features]
 default = ["mimalloc"]
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ python = ["pyo3"]
 to = ["csvs_convert"]
 lite = []
 datapusher_plus = ["self_update"]
-polars = ["dep:polars", "smartstring"]
+polars = ["dep:polars", "polars-utils"]
 feature_capable = []
 nightly = [
     "rand/nightly",
diff --git a/src/cmd/count.rs b/src/cmd/count.rs
index f5f877df1..23ac860aa 100644
--- a/src/cmd/count.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/count.rs
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ pub fn polars_count_input(
     let mut comment_char = String::new();
     let comment_prefix = if let Some(c) = conf.comment {
         comment_char.push(c as char);
-        Some(comment_char.as_str())
+        Some(PlSmallStr::from_str(comment_char.as_str()))
     } else {
         None
     };
diff --git a/src/cmd/joinp.rs b/src/cmd/joinp.rs
index 778be0d5e..4f9d4b114 100644
--- a/src/cmd/joinp.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/joinp.rs
@@ -193,7 +193,6 @@ use std::{
 
 use polars::{datatypes::AnyValue, prelude::*, sql::SQLContext};
 use serde::Deserialize;
-use smartstring::SmartString;
 use tempfile::tempdir;
 
 use crate::{cmd::sqlp::compress_output_if_needed, config::Delimiter, util, CliResult};
@@ -335,7 +334,7 @@ pub fn run(argv: &[&str]) -> CliResult<()> {
                     args.flag_left_by
                         .unwrap()
                         .split(',')
-                        .map(smartstring::SmartString::from)
+                        .map(PlSmallStr::from_str)
                         .collect(),
                 );
             }
@@ -344,7 +343,7 @@ pub fn run(argv: &[&str]) -> CliResult<()> {
                     args.flag_right_by
                         .unwrap()
                         .split(',')
-                        .map(smartstring::SmartString::from)
+                        .map(PlSmallStr::from_str)
                         .collect(),
                 );
             }
@@ -448,19 +447,22 @@ impl JoinStruct {
         } else {
             if asof_join {
                 // sort by the asof columns, as asof joins require sorted join column data
-                let left_selcols_smartsvec: Vec<SmartString<smartstring::LazyCompact>> =
-                    self.left_sel.split(',').map(SmartString::from).collect();
+                let left_selcols_vec: Vec<PlSmallStr> =
+                    self.left_sel.split(',').map(PlSmallStr::from_str).collect();
 
                 self.left_lf = self
                     .left_lf
-                    .sort(&left_selcols_smartsvec, SortMultipleOptions::default());
+                    .sort(&left_selcols_vec, SortMultipleOptions::default());
 
-                let right_selcols_smartsvec: Vec<SmartString<smartstring::LazyCompact>> =
-                    self.right_sel.split(',').map(SmartString::from).collect();
+                let right_selcols_vec: Vec<PlSmallStr> = self
+                    .right_sel
+                    .split(',')
+                    .map(PlSmallStr::from_str)
+                    .collect();
 
                 self.right_lf = self
                     .right_lf
-                    .sort(&right_selcols_smartsvec, SortMultipleOptions::default());
+                    .sort(&right_selcols_vec, SortMultipleOptions::default());
             }
 
             self.left_lf
@@ -534,7 +536,7 @@ impl Args {
         };
 
         let comment_char = if let Ok(comment_char) = env::var("QSV_COMMENT_CHAR") {
-            Some(comment_char)
+            Some(PlSmallStr::from_string(comment_char))
         } else {
             None
         };
@@ -567,7 +569,7 @@ impl Args {
             LazyCsvReader::new(&self.arg_input1)
                 .with_has_header(true)
                 .with_missing_is_null(self.flag_nulls)
-                .with_comment_prefix(comment_char.as_deref())
+                .with_comment_prefix(comment_char.clone())
                 .with_separator(tsvssv_delim(&self.arg_input1, delim))
                 .with_infer_schema_length(num_rows)
                 .with_try_parse_dates(try_parsedates)
@@ -593,7 +595,7 @@ impl Args {
             LazyCsvReader::new(&self.arg_input2)
                 .with_has_header(true)
                 .with_missing_is_null(self.flag_nulls)
-                .with_comment_prefix(comment_char.as_deref())
+                .with_comment_prefix(comment_char)
                 .with_separator(tsvssv_delim(&self.arg_input2, delim))
                 .with_infer_schema_length(num_rows)
                 .with_try_parse_dates(try_parsedates)
diff --git a/src/cmd/sqlp.rs b/src/cmd/sqlp.rs
index 502125e52..0f0370320 100644
--- a/src/cmd/sqlp.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/sqlp.rs
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ use polars::{
     },
     sql::SQLContext,
 };
+use polars_utils::pl_str::PlSmallStr;
 use regex::Regex;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 
@@ -561,15 +562,15 @@ pub fn run(argv: &[&str]) -> CliResult<()> {
     };
 
     let rnull_values = if args.flag_rnull_values == "<empty string>" {
-        vec![String::new()]
+        vec![PlSmallStr::const_default()]
     } else {
         args.flag_rnull_values
             .split(',')
             .map(|value| {
                 if value == "<empty string>" {
-                    String::new()
+                    PlSmallStr::const_default()
                 } else {
-                    value.to_string()
+                    PlSmallStr::from_str(value)
                 }
             })
             .collect()
@@ -591,7 +592,7 @@ pub fn run(argv: &[&str]) -> CliResult<()> {
     };
 
     let comment_char = if let Ok(comment_char) = env::var("QSV_COMMENT_CHAR") {
-        Some(comment_char)
+        Some(PlSmallStr::from_string(comment_char))
     } else {
         None
     };
@@ -737,7 +738,7 @@ pub fn run(argv: &[&str]) -> CliResult<()> {
             let lf = LazyCsvReader::new(table)
                 .with_has_header(true)
                 .with_missing_is_null(true)
-                .with_comment_prefix(comment_char.as_deref())
+                .with_comment_prefix(comment_char.clone())
                 .with_null_values(Some(NullValues::AllColumns(rnull_values.clone())))
                 .with_separator(tsvssv_delim(table, delim))
                 .with_infer_schema_length(Some(args.flag_infer_len))
diff --git a/tests/test_sqlp.rs b/tests/test_sqlp.rs
index ce63e4c0e..138e06f59 100644
--- a/tests/test_sqlp.rs
+++ b/tests/test_sqlp.rs
@@ -1625,11 +1625,11 @@ fn sqlp_div_sign() {
     let got: Vec<Vec<String>> = wrk.read_stdout(&mut cmd);
     let expected = vec![
         svec!["a_div_b", "a_floordiv_b", "b_sign"],
-        svec!["-0.09950248756218906", "-1", "-1"],
-        svec!["2.857142857142857", "2", "1"],
-        svec!["12.0", "12", "1"],
+        svec!["-0.09950248756218906", "-1", "-1.0"],
+        svec!["2.857142857142857", "2", "1.0"],
+        svec!["12.0", "12", "1.0"],
         svec!["", "", ""],
-        svec!["-15.92356687898089", "-16", "-1"],
+        svec!["-15.92356687898089", "-16", "-1.0"],
     ];
 
     assert_eq!(got, expected);
@@ -2748,3 +2748,52 @@ IT	Rome,Milan,Turin,Naples,Venice
 
     assert_eq!(got, expected);
 }
+
+// #[test]
+// fn sqlp_generate_graphviz_plan() {
+//     let wrk = Workdir::new("sqlp_generate_graphviz_plan");
+
+//     wrk.create(
+//         "data.csv",
+//         vec![
+//             svec!["a", "b", "c"],
+//             svec!["1", "2", "3"],
+//             svec!["4", "5", "6"],
+//             svec!["7", "8", "9"],
+//         ],
+//     );
+
+//     let output_dotfile = wrk.path("output.dot").to_string_lossy().to_string();
+//     std::env::set_var("POLARS_VISUALIZE_PHYSICAL_PLAN", output_dotfile.as_str());
+
+//     let mut cmd = wrk.command("sqlp");
+//     cmd.arg("data.csv").arg(
+//         r#"
+//         SELECT a, b, c
+//         FROM data
+//         WHERE a > 2
+//         ORDER BY a DESC
+//     "#,
+//     ).arg("--streaming");
+
+//     wrk.assert_success(&mut cmd);
+
+//     // assert!(std::path::Path::new(&output_dotfile).exists());
+
+//     let got: Vec<Vec<String>> = wrk.read_stdout(&mut cmd);
+//     let expected = vec![
+//         svec!["a", "b", "c"],
+//         svec!["7", "8", "9"],
+//         svec!["4", "5", "6"],
+//     ];
+
+//     assert_eq!(got, expected);
+
+//     let got_dot = wrk.read_to_string(&output_dotfile);
+//     let expected_dot = r#"digraph {
+//     "Projection" -> "Filter";
+//     "Filter" -> "CsvScan";
+// }"#;
+
+//     assert_eq!(got_dot, expected_dot);
+// }