diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aa734e06..92025e06 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ from {{ref('my_model')}}
 ```
 
 #### union_tables ([source](macros/sql/union.sql))
-This macro implements an "outer union." The list of tables provided to this macro will be unioned together, and any columns exclusive to a subset of these tables will be filled with `null` where not present. The `column_override` argument is used to explicitly assign the column type for a set of columns. The `source_column_name` argument is used to change the name of the`_dbt_source_table` field.
+This macro implements an "outer union." The list of relations provided to this macro will be unioned together, and any columns exclusive to a subset of these tables will be filled with `null` where not present. The `column_override` argument is used to explicitly assign the column type for a set of columns. The `source_column_name` argument is used to change the name of the`_dbt_source_table` field.
 
 Usage:
 ```
diff --git a/integration_tests/models/sql/test_nullcheck_table.sql b/integration_tests/models/sql/test_nullcheck_table.sql
index 6c49b19d..ea66c8ec 100644
--- a/integration_tests/models/sql/test_nullcheck_table.sql
+++ b/integration_tests/models/sql/test_nullcheck_table.sql
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 with nulled as (
 
-    {{ dbt_utils.nullcheck_table(tbl.schema, tbl.name) }}
+    {{ dbt_utils.nullcheck_table(tbl) }}
 
 )
 
diff --git a/macros/cross_db_utils/_is_relation.sql b/macros/cross_db_utils/_is_relation.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bee6db97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/macros/cross_db_utils/_is_relation.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{% macro _is_relation(obj, macro) %}
+    {%- if not (obj is mapping and obj.get('metadata', {}).get('type', '').endswith('Relation')) -%}
+        {%- do exceptions.raise_compiler_error("Macro " ~ macro ~ " expected a Relation but received the value: " ~ obj) -%}
+    {%- endif -%}
+{% endmacro %}
diff --git a/macros/schema_tests/equality.sql b/macros/schema_tests/equality.sql
index 7f97bbdd..519dd198 100644
--- a/macros/schema_tests/equality.sql
+++ b/macros/schema_tests/equality.sql
@@ -9,11 +9,8 @@
 {% endif %}
 
 -- setup
-
-{% set schema = model.schema %}
-{% set model_a_name = model.name %}
-
-{% set dest_columns = adapter.get_columns_in_table(schema, model_a_name) %}
+{%- do dbt_utils._is_relation(model, 'test_equality') -%}
+{% set dest_columns = adapter.get_columns_in_relation(model) %}
 {% set dest_cols_csv = dest_columns | map(attribute='quoted') | join(', ') %}
 
 with a as (
diff --git a/macros/sql/get_tables_by_prefix.sql b/macros/sql/get_tables_by_prefix.sql
index 648c13dd..b7ce7f48 100644
--- a/macros/sql/get_tables_by_prefix.sql
+++ b/macros/sql/get_tables_by_prefix.sql
@@ -1,16 +1,21 @@
-{% macro get_tables_by_prefix(schema, prefix, exclude='') %}
+{% macro get_tables_by_prefix(schema, prefix, exclude='', database=target.database) %}
 
-    {%- call statement('tables', fetch_result=True) %}
+    {%- call statement('get_tables', fetch_result=True) %}
 
-      {{ dbt_utils.get_tables_by_prefix_sql(schema, prefix, exclude) }}
+      {{ dbt_utils.get_tables_by_prefix_sql(schema, prefix, exclude, database) }}
 
     {%- endcall -%}
 
-    {%- set table_list = load_result('tables') -%}
+    {%- set table_list = load_result('get_tables') -%}
 
-    {%- if table_list and table_list['data'] -%}
-        {%- set tables = table_list['data'] | map(attribute=0) | list %}
-        {{ return(tables) }}
+    {%- if table_list and table_list['table'] -%}
+        {%- set tbl_relations = [] -%}
+        {%- for row in table_list['table'] -%}
+            {%- set tbl_relation = api.Relation.create(database, row.table_schema, row.table_name) -%}
+            {%- do tbl_relations.append(tbl_relation) -%}
+        {%- endfor -%}
+                
+        {{ return(tbl_relations) }}
     {%- else -%}
         {{ return([]) }}
     {%- endif -%}
diff --git a/macros/sql/get_tables_by_prefix_sql.sql b/macros/sql/get_tables_by_prefix_sql.sql
index 0ee7f806..3c27c825 100644
--- a/macros/sql/get_tables_by_prefix_sql.sql
+++ b/macros/sql/get_tables_by_prefix_sql.sql
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-{% macro get_tables_by_prefix_sql(schema, prefix, exclude='') %}
+{% macro get_tables_by_prefix_sql(schema, prefix, exclude='', database=target.database) %}
     {{ adapter_macro('dbt_utils.get_tables_by_prefix_sql', schema, prefix, exclude) }}
 {% endmacro %}
 
-{% macro default__get_tables_by_prefix_sql(schema, prefix, exclude='') %}
+{% macro default__get_tables_by_prefix_sql(schema, prefix, exclude='', database=target.database) %}
 
         select distinct 
-            table_schema || '.' || table_name as ref
-        from information_schema.tables
+            table_schema as "table_schema", table_name as "table_name"
+        from {{database}}.information_schema.tables
         where table_schema = '{{ schema }}'
         and table_name ilike '{{ prefix }}%'
         and table_name not ilike '{{ exclude }}'
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@
 {% endmacro %}
 
 
-{% macro bigquery__get_tables_by_prefix_sql(schema, prefix, exclude='') %}
+{% macro bigquery__get_tables_by_prefix_sql(schema, prefix, exclude='', database=target.database) %}
     
         select distinct
-            concat(dataset_id, '.', table_id) as ref
+            dataset_id as table_schema, table_id as table_name
 
-        from {{schema}}.__TABLES_SUMMARY__
+        from {{adapter.quote(database)}}.{{schema}}.__TABLES_SUMMARY__
         where dataset_id = '{{schema}}'
             and lower(table_id) like lower ('{{prefix}}%')
             and lower(table_id) not like lower ('{{exclude}}')
diff --git a/macros/sql/nullcheck_table.sql b/macros/sql/nullcheck_table.sql
index bd6e34a0..e79c12ed 100644
--- a/macros/sql/nullcheck_table.sql
+++ b/macros/sql/nullcheck_table.sql
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-{% macro nullcheck_table(schema, table) %}
+{% macro nullcheck_table(relation) %}
 
-  {% set cols = adapter.get_columns_in_table(schema, table) %}
+  {%- do dbt_utils._is_relation(relation, 'nullcheck_table') -%}
+  {% set cols = adapter.get_columns_in_relation(relation) %}
 
   select {{ dbt_utils.nullcheck(cols) }}
-  from {{schema}}.{{table}}
+  from {{relation}}
   
 {% endmacro %}
diff --git a/macros/sql/star.sql b/macros/sql/star.sql
index a72877a4..d53e8282 100644
--- a/macros/sql/star.sql
+++ b/macros/sql/star.sql
@@ -1,18 +1,14 @@
 {% macro star(from, relation_alias=False, except=[]) -%}
+    
+    {%- do dbt_utils._is_relation(from, 'star') -%}
 
     {#-- Prevent querying of db in parsing mode. This works because this macro does not create any new refs. #}
     {%- if not execute -%}
         {{ return('') }}
     {% endif %}
 
-    {%- if from.name -%}
-        {%- set schema_name, table_name = from.schema, from.name -%}
-    {%- else -%}
-        {%- set schema_name, table_name = (from | string).split(".") -%}
-    {%- endif -%}
-
     {%- set include_cols = [] %}
-    {%- set cols = adapter.get_columns_in_table(schema_name, table_name) -%}
+    {%- set cols = adapter.get_columns_in_relation(from) -%}
     {%- for col in cols -%}
 
         {%- if col.column not in except -%}
diff --git a/macros/sql/union.sql b/macros/sql/union.sql
index 23fe73d9..5fcde0cd 100644
--- a/macros/sql/union.sql
+++ b/macros/sql/union.sql
@@ -16,13 +16,8 @@
 
         {%- set _ = table_columns.update({table: []}) %}
 
-        {%- if table.name -%}
-            {%- set schema, table_name = table.schema, table.name -%}
-        {%- else -%}
-            {%- set schema, table_name = (table | string).split(".") -%}
-        {%- endif -%}
-
-        {%- set cols = adapter.get_columns_in_table(schema, table_name) %}
+        {%- do dbt_utils._is_relation(table, 'union_tables') -%}
+        {%- set cols = adapter.get_columns_in_relation(table) %}
         {%- for col in cols -%}
 
         {%- if col.column not in exclude %}
diff --git a/macros/sql/unpivot.sql b/macros/sql/unpivot.sql
index 1d0a0351..efe24c01 100644
--- a/macros/sql/unpivot.sql
+++ b/macros/sql/unpivot.sql
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Pivot values from columns to rows.
 Example Usage: {{ dbt_utils.unpivot(table=ref('users'), cast_to='integer', exclude=['id','created_at']) }}
 
 Arguments:
-    table: Table name, required.
+    table: Relation object, required.
     cast_to: The datatype to cast all unpivoted columns to. Default is varchar.
     exclude: A list of columns to exclude from the unpivot operation. Default is none.
 #}
@@ -19,13 +19,8 @@ Arguments:
 
   {%- set _ = table_columns.update({table: []}) %}
 
-  {%- if table.name -%}
-    {%- set schema, table_name = table.schema, table.name -%}
-  {%- else -%}
-    {%- set schema, table_name = (table | string).split(".") -%}
-  {%- endif -%}
-
-  {%- set cols = adapter.get_columns_in_table(schema, table_name) %}
+  {%- do dbt_utils._is_relation(table, 'unpivot') -%}
+  {%- set cols = adapter.get_columns_in_relation(table) %}
 
   {%- for col in cols -%}
     {%- if col.column.lower() not in exclude|map('lower') -%}