diff --git a/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/core/CqlActivity.java b/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/core/CqlActivity.java
index 8c22191cc..9d51b4e14 100644
--- a/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/core/CqlActivity.java
+++ b/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/core/CqlActivity.java
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ public class CqlActivity extends SimpleActivity implements Activity, ActivityDef
 
             ParsedStmt parsed = stmtDef.getParsed().orError();
             boolean prepared = Boolean.valueOf(stmtDef.getParams().getOrDefault("prepared", "true"));
+            boolean raw = Boolean.valueOf(stmtDef.getParams().getOrDefault("raw", "false"));
             long ratio = Long.valueOf(stmtDef.getParams().getOrDefault("ratio", "1"));
 
             Optional<ConsistencyLevel> cl = Optional.ofNullable(
@@ -204,6 +205,17 @@ public class CqlActivity extends SimpleActivity implements Activity, ActivityDef
                         .getOrDefault("binder", CqlBinderTypes.DEFAULT.toString()));
 
                 template = new ReadyCQLStatementTemplate(binderType, getSession(), prepare, ratio, parsed.getName());
+            } else if (raw) {
+                cl.ifPresent((conlvl) -> {
+                    psummary.append(" consistency_level=>").append(conlvl);
+                });
+                serial_cl.ifPresent((scl) -> {
+                    psummary.append(" serial_consistency_level=>").append(scl);
+                });
+                idempotent.ifPresent((i) -> {
+                    psummary.append(" idempotent=>").append(i);
+                });
+                template = new ReadyCQLStatementTemplate(getSession(), stmtForDriver, ratio, parsed.getName(), cl, serial_cl, idempotent);
             } else {
                 SimpleStatement simpleStatement = new SimpleStatement(stmtForDriver);
                 cl.ifPresent((conlvl) -> {
diff --git a/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/statements/binders/RawValueBinder.java b/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/statements/binders/RawValueBinder.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b8823d4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/statements/binders/RawValueBinder.java
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package io.nosqlbench.activitytype.cql.statements.binders;
+
+import com.datastax.driver.core.ConsistencyLevel;
+import com.datastax.driver.core.SimpleStatement;
+import com.datastax.driver.core.Statement;
+import io.nosqlbench.engine.api.activityconfig.ParsedStmt;
+import io.nosqlbench.virtdata.core.bindings.ValuesArrayBinder;
+
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+public class RawValueBinder
+        implements ValuesArrayBinder<String[], Statement> {
+
+    private Optional<ConsistencyLevel> cl;
+    private Optional<ConsistencyLevel> serial_cl;
+    private Optional<Boolean> idempotent;
+
+    public RawValueBinder(Optional<ConsistencyLevel> cl, Optional<ConsistencyLevel> serial_cl, Optional<Boolean> idempotent) {
+        this.cl = cl;
+        this.serial_cl = serial_cl;
+        this.idempotent = idempotent;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Statement bindValues(String[] context, Object[] values) {
+        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+        sb.append(context[0]);
+        for(int i=1; i<context.length; i++){
+            sb.append(values[i-1]);
+            sb.append(context[i]);
+        }
+        SimpleStatement simpleStatement = new SimpleStatement(sb.toString());
+        cl.ifPresent((conlvl) -> {
+            simpleStatement.setConsistencyLevel(conlvl);
+        });
+        serial_cl.ifPresent((scl) -> {
+            simpleStatement.setSerialConsistencyLevel(scl);
+        });
+        idempotent.ifPresent((i) -> {
+            simpleStatement.setIdempotent(i);
+        });
+        return simpleStatement;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/statements/core/ReadyCQLStatementTemplate.java b/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/statements/core/ReadyCQLStatementTemplate.java
index c529e7d24..36bab463c 100644
--- a/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/statements/core/ReadyCQLStatementTemplate.java
+++ b/activitytype-cql/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/cql/statements/core/ReadyCQLStatementTemplate.java
@@ -2,15 +2,14 @@ package io.nosqlbench.activitytype.cql.statements.core;
 
 import com.codahale.metrics.Histogram;
 import com.codahale.metrics.Timer;
-import com.datastax.driver.core.PreparedStatement;
-import com.datastax.driver.core.Session;
-import com.datastax.driver.core.SimpleStatement;
-import com.datastax.driver.core.Statement;
+import com.datastax.driver.core.*;
 import io.nosqlbench.activitytype.cql.api.ResultSetCycleOperator;
 import io.nosqlbench.activitytype.cql.api.RowCycleOperator;
 import io.nosqlbench.activitytype.cql.core.CqlActivity;
 import io.nosqlbench.activitytype.cql.statements.binders.CqlBinderTypes;
+import io.nosqlbench.activitytype.cql.statements.binders.RawValueBinder;
 import io.nosqlbench.activitytype.cql.statements.binders.SimpleStatementValuesBinder;
+import io.nosqlbench.engine.api.activityconfig.ParsedStmt;
 import io.nosqlbench.engine.api.metrics.ActivityMetrics;
 import io.nosqlbench.virtdata.core.bindings.BindingsTemplate;
 import io.nosqlbench.virtdata.core.bindings.ContextualBindingsArrayTemplate;
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.io.Writer;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 public class ReadyCQLStatementTemplate {
 
@@ -61,6 +61,17 @@ public class ReadyCQLStatementTemplate {
         this.ratio = ratio;
     }
 
+    public ReadyCQLStatementTemplate(Session session, String stmtForDriver, long ratio, String name, Optional<ConsistencyLevel> cl, Optional<ConsistencyLevel> serial_cl, Optional<Boolean> idempotent) {
+        this.session = session;
+        this.name = name;
+        template = new ContextualBindingsArrayTemplate<>(
+                stmtForDriver.split("\\?"),
+                new BindingsTemplate(),
+                new RawValueBinder(cl, serial_cl, idempotent)
+        );
+        this.ratio = ratio;
+    }
+
     public ReadyCQLStatement resolve() {
         return new ReadyCQLStatement(template.resolveBindings(), ratio, name)
                 .withMetrics(this.successTimer, this.errorTimer, this.rowsFetchedHisto)