diff --git a/beat/backend/python/library.py b/beat/backend/python/library.py
index 6cc40b67f6c547ef5f53a923bb1c0a1b9e5b2f0e..3d062c94a4520214403dd07074feb6538de2d97b 100755
--- a/beat/backend/python/library.py
+++ b/beat/backend/python/library.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class Storage(utils.CodeStorage):
 
     Parameters:
 
-      prefix (beat.backend.python.utils.Prefix): Establishes the prefix of
+      prefix (str): Establishes the prefix of
         your installation.
 
       name (str): The name of the library object in the format
@@ -59,11 +59,7 @@ class Storage(utils.CodeStorage):
 
         self.username, self.name, self.version = name.split('/')
         self.fullname = name
-
-        if isinstance(prefix, utils.Prefix):
-            self.prefix = prefix
-        else:
-            self.prefix = utils.Prefix(prefix)
+        self.prefix = prefix
 
         path = utils.hashed_or_simple(self.prefix, 'libraries', name, suffix='.json')
         path = path[:-5]
@@ -83,8 +79,7 @@ class Library(object):
 
     Parameters:
 
-      prefix (beat.backend.python.utils.Prefix): Establishes the prefix of
-        your installation.
+      prefix (str): Establishes the prefix of your installation.
 
       name (str): The fully qualified algorithm name (e.g. ``user/algo/1``)
 
@@ -357,8 +352,7 @@ class Library(object):
 
         Parameters:
 
-          prefix (beat.backend.python.utils.Prefix): Establishes the prefix of
-            your installation.
+          prefix (str): Establishes the prefix of your installation.
 
 
         Returns:
@@ -378,12 +372,9 @@ class Library(object):
         if not self.valid:
             raise RuntimeError("library is not valid")
 
-        if isinstance(prefix, six.string_types):
-            prefix = utils.Prefix(prefix)
-
-        if prefix.paths[0] in self.prefix.paths:
-            raise RuntimeError("Cannot export library to the same prefix (%s in " \
-                    "%s)" % (prefix.paths[0], self.prefix.paths))
+        if prefix == self.prefix:
+            raise RuntimeError("Cannot export library to the same prefix ("
+                               "%s)" % (prefix))
 
         for k in self.libraries.values():
             k.export(prefix)