diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 3293af2..f326459 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -23,30 +23,10 @@ const makeDebug = require('debug')
  */
 
 /**
- * @param {{ db: PPPPPDB | null }} peer
- * @returns {asserts peer is { db: PPPPPDB }}
- */
-function assertDBPlugin(peer) {
-  if (!peer.db) throw new Error('"gc" plugin requires "db" plugin')
-}
-
-/**
- * @param {{ goals: PPPPPGoal | null }} peer
- * @returns {asserts peer is { goals: PPPPPGoal }}
- */
-function assertGoalsPlugin(peer) {
-  if (!peer.goals) throw new Error('"gc" plugin requires "goals" plugin')
-}
-
-/**
- * @param {{ db: PPPPPDB | null, goals: PPPPPGoal | null }} peer
+ * @param {{ db: PPPPPDB, goals: PPPPPGoal }} peer
  * @param {Config} config
  */
 function initGC(peer, config) {
-  // Assertions
-  assertDBPlugin(peer)
-  assertGoalsPlugin(peer)
-
   // State
   const debug = makeDebug('ppppp:gc')
   let stopMonitoringLogSize = /** @type {CallableFunction | null} */ (null)
@@ -58,8 +38,6 @@ function initGC(peer, config) {
    * @param {CB<void>} cb
    */
   function cleanup(cb) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
-    assertGoalsPlugin(peer)
     debug('Cleanup started')
     const startTime = Date.now()
 
@@ -104,7 +82,6 @@ function initGC(peer, config) {
    * @param {CB<void>} cb
    */
   function compact(cb) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     debug('Compaction started')
     const startTime = Date.now()
     peer.db.log.compact((err) => {
@@ -165,13 +142,10 @@ function initGC(peer, config) {
    * @param {number} maxLogBytes
    */
   function monitorLogSize(maxLogBytes) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
-
     /** Number of records that match roughly 1% of the max log size */
     const CHECKPOINT = Math.floor((maxLogBytes * 0.01) / 500) // assuming 1 record = 500 bytes
 
     function checkLogSize() {
-      assertDBPlugin(peer)
       peer.db.log.stats((err, stats) => {
         if (err) return
         const percentUsed = (stats.totalBytes / maxLogBytes) * 100
@@ -248,4 +222,5 @@ function initGC(peer, config) {
 }
 
 exports.name = 'gc'
+exports.needs = ['db', 'goals']
 exports.init = initGC
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1e0c290..33eb33a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,11 +36,12 @@
     "ppppp-dict": "github:staltz/ppppp-dict",
     "ppppp-goals": "github:staltz/ppppp-goals",
     "ppppp-keypair": "github:staltz/ppppp-keypair",
+    "ppppp-set": "github:staltz/ppppp-set",
     "prettier": "^2.6.2",
     "pretty-quick": "^3.1.3",
     "rimraf": "^4.4.0",
     "secret-handshake-ext": "0.0.11",
-    "secret-stack": "~8.0.0",
+    "secret-stack": "~8.1.0",
     "ssb-box": "^1.0.1",
     "typescript": "^5.1.3"
   },
diff --git a/test/util.js b/test/util.js
index 9c821a0..cd64f6f 100644
--- a/test/util.js
+++ b/test/util.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ function createPeer(config) {
     .use(require('secret-handshake-ext/secret-stack'))
     .use(require('ppppp-db'))
     .use(require('ppppp-dict'))
+    .use(require('ppppp-set'))
     .use(require('ppppp-goals'))
     .use(require('ssb-box'))
     .use(require('../lib'))
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index bd2acd5..cc6e7af 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@
     "module": "node16",
     "skipLibCheck": true,
     "strict": true,
-    "target": "es2021"
+    "target": "es2022"
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file