diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index fdaec2d..2034a3e 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -188,9 +188,9 @@ function initGoals(peer, config) {
   /**
    * @public
    * @param {RecPresent} rec
-   * @param {CB<Purpose>} cb
+   * @returns {Purpose}
    */
-  function getRecordPurpose(rec, cb) {
+  function getRecordPurpose(rec) {
     assertDBPlugin(peer)
     let servesAsTrail = false
 
@@ -202,13 +202,13 @@ function initGoals(peer, config) {
       if (!tangle) break asRoot
       const [min, max] = crossGoalWithTangle(goal, tangle)
       if (min > max) break asRoot
-      if (min === 0) return cb(null, 'goal')
+      if (min === 0) return 'goal'
       if (min > 0) servesAsTrail = true
     }
 
     // Check whether this record is a goalful affix of some tangle:
     const validTangles =
-      /** @type {Array<[DBTangle, number, number, number]>} */ ([])
+      /** @type {Array<[DBTangle, number, number, number, GoalType]>} */ ([])
     asAffix: for (const tangleID in rec.msg.metadata.tangles) {
       if (!goals.has(tangleID)) continue asAffix
       const goal = /** @type {GoalImpl} */ (goals.get(tangleID))
@@ -219,15 +219,15 @@ function initGoals(peer, config) {
       if (min > max) continue asAffix
       const recDepth = tangle.getDepth(rec.id)
       if (recDepth < 0) continue asAffix
-      validTangles.push([tangle, min, max, recDepth])
+      validTangles.push([tangle, min, max, recDepth, goal.type])
     }
     // (Loop over once without heavy computations and maybe return early:)
     for (const [, min, max, recDepth] of validTangles) {
-      if (min <= recDepth && recDepth <= max) return cb(null, 'goal')
+      if (min <= recDepth && recDepth <= max) return 'goal'
     }
     // At this point we know that the record *cannot* serve as 'goal',
     // so if it serves as trail, that'll do:
-    if (servesAsTrail) return cb(null, 'trail')
+    if (servesAsTrail) return 'trail'
     // Check whether this record is a trail affix of some tangle:
     // (Loop again with heavy computations now that it's inevitable:)
     for (const [tangle, min] of validTangles) {
@@ -235,27 +235,20 @@ function initGoals(peer, config) {
         .topoSort()
         .filter((msgID) => tangle.getDepth(msgID) === min)
       const { erasables } = tangle.getDeletablesAndErasables(...minMsgIDs)
-      if (erasables.has(rec.id)) return cb(null, 'trail')
+      if (erasables.has(rec.id)) return 'trail'
     }
 
     // Check whether this record is a ghost affix of some tangle:
-    if (validTangles.length > 0) {
-      const done = /** @type {Multicb<Array<MsgID>>} */ (multicb({ pluck: 1 }))
-      for (const [tangle] of validTangles) {
-        peer.db.ghosts.get(tangle.id, done())
-      }
-      done((err, allGhosts) => {
-        // prettier-ignore
-        if (err) return cb(new Error('getRecordPurpose() failed to get ghosts', {cause: err}))
-        for (const ghosts of allGhosts) {
-          if (ghosts.includes(rec.id)) return cb(null, 'ghost')
+    for (const [tangle, , , , goalType] of validTangles) {
+      if (goalType === 'record') {
+        assertRecordPlugin(peer)
+        if (peer.record.isGhostable(rec.id, tangle.id)) {
+          return 'ghost'
         }
-        cb(null, 'none')
-      })
-      return
+      }
     }
 
-    cb(null, 'none')
+    return 'none'
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/goals.test.js b/test/goals.test.js
index a8ef3eb..e3d9f83 100644
--- a/test/goals.test.js
+++ b/test/goals.test.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ test('set, getByID, list, listen', async (t) => {
   }
 
   {
-    const purpose = await p(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose)(aliceAccountRoot)
+    const purpose = alice.goals.getRecordPurpose(aliceAccountRoot)
     assert.equal(purpose, 'goal', 'rec purpose is "goal"')
   }
 
@@ -91,17 +91,46 @@ test('getRecordPurpose', async (t) => {
   const gottenGoal = alice.goals.get(feedID)
   assert.strictEqual(gottenGoal.id, feedID, 'gotten goal id is correct')
 
-  const purpose = await p(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose)(post2)
+  const purpose = alice.goals.getRecordPurpose(post2)
   assert.equal(purpose, 'goal', 'purpose is "goal"')
 
   alice.goals.set(feedID, 'newest-1')
   assert('set goal to newest-1')
-  const purpose2 = await p(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose)(post2)
+  const purpose2 = alice.goals.getRecordPurpose(post2)
   assert.equal(purpose2, 'none', 'purpose2 is "none"')
 
-  await p(alice.db.ghosts.add)({ msg: post2.id, tangle: feedID, max: 5 })
-  const purpose3 = await p(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose)(post2)
-  assert.equal(purpose3, 'ghost', 'purpose3 is "ghost"')
-
+  await p(alice.close)(true)
+})
+
+test('getRecordPurpose ghost', async (t) => {
+  const alice = createPeer({ name: 'alice', record: {ghostSpan: 3} })
+
+  await alice.db.loaded()
+  const aliceID = await p(alice.db.account.create)({
+    domain: 'account',
+    _nonce: 'alice',
+  })
+
+  await p(alice.record.load)(aliceID)
+  await p(alice.record.update)('profile', { name: 'alice' })
+  await p(alice.record.update)('profile', { name: 'Alice' })
+  await p(alice.record.update)('profile', { name: 'Alicia' })
+  await p(alice.record.update)('profile', { name: 'ALICIA' })
+  await p(alice.record.update)('profile', { name: 'ALICIAA' })
+
+  const feedID = alice.record.getFeedID('profile')
+  const tangle = alice.db.getTangle(feedID)
+
+  const msgIDs = tangle.topoSort()
+  assert.equal(msgIDs.length, 6, 'tangle has root+5 messages')
+  const recs = msgIDs.map(id => alice.db.getRecord(id))
+
+  alice.goals.set(feedID, 'record')
+  assert.equal(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose(recs[1]), 'none')
+  assert.equal(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose(recs[2]), 'ghost')
+  assert.equal(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose(recs[3]), 'trail')
+  assert.equal(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose(recs[4]), 'trail')
+  assert.equal(alice.goals.getRecordPurpose(recs[5]), 'goal')
+
   await p(alice.close)(true)
 })
diff --git a/test/util.js b/test/util.js
index 0d8e070..3f9ba8d 100644
--- a/test/util.js
+++ b/test/util.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ function createPeer(opts) {
     .use(require('secret-stack/plugins/net'))
     .use(require('secret-handshake-ext/secret-stack'))
     .use(require('ppppp-db'))
+    .use(require('ppppp-record'))
     .use(require('ssb-box'))
     .use(require('../lib'))
     .call(null, {