diff --git a/lib/hub-observer.js b/lib/hub-observer.js
index b9ee32b..3b7cf5f 100644
--- a/lib/hub-observer.js
+++ b/lib/hub-observer.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ module.exports = class HubObserver {
    * @readonly
    * @type {any}
    */
-  #local
+  #peer
 
   /**
    * @type {string}
@@ -47,15 +47,15 @@ module.exports = class HubObserver {
   #attendantsDrain
 
   /**
-   * @param {any} local
+   * @param {any} peer
    * @param {string} hubPubkey
    * @param {string} address
    * @param {{name: string, admin: string}} hubMetadata
    * @param {any} rpc
    * @param {any} onConnect
    */
-  constructor(local, hubPubkey, address, hubMetadata, rpc, onConnect) {
-    this.#local = local
+  constructor(peer, hubPubkey, address, hubMetadata, rpc, onConnect) {
+    this.#peer = peer
     this.#hubPubkey = hubPubkey
     this.#address = address
     this.#hubMetadata = hubMetadata
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ module.exports = class HubObserver {
       const { name, admin } = this.#hubMetadata
       if (name) metadata.name = name
       if (admin) metadata.admin = admin
-      this.#local.conn.db().update(this.#address, metadata)
-      this.#local.conn.hub().update(this.#address, metadata)
+      this.#peer.conn.db().update(this.#address, metadata)
+      this.#peer.conn.hub().update(this.#address, metadata)
     }
 
     debug('Announcing myself to hub %s', this.#hubPubkey)
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ module.exports = class HubObserver {
 
     // Update onlineCount metadata for this hub
     const onlineCount = this.#attendants.size
-    this.#local.conn.hub().update(this.#address, { onlineCount })
+    this.#peer.conn.hub().update(this.#address, { onlineCount })
 
     // Update ssb-conn-staging
     const hubName = this.#hubMetadata?.name
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@ module.exports = class HubObserver {
     } else if (event.type === 'left') {
       const address = this.#getAddress(event.pubkey)
       debug('Will disconnect and unstage %s', address)
-      this.#local.conn.unstage(address)
-      this.#local.conn.disconnect(address)
+      this.#peer.conn.unstage(address)
+      this.#peer.conn.disconnect(address)
     }
   }
 
@@ -165,9 +165,9 @@ module.exports = class HubObserver {
    */
   #notifyNewAttendant(attendantPubkey, hubPubkey, hubName) {
     if (attendantPubkey === hubPubkey) return
-    if (attendantPubkey === this.#local.shse.pubkey) return
+    if (attendantPubkey === this.#peer.shse.pubkey) return
     const address = this.#getAddress(attendantPubkey)
-    this.#local.hubClient._notifyDiscoveredAttendant({
+    this.#peer.hubClient._notifyDiscoveredAttendant({
       address,
       attendantPubkey,
       hubPubkey,
@@ -212,16 +212,16 @@ module.exports = class HubObserver {
     this.#attendantsDrain?.abort()
     for (const pubkey of this.#attendants) {
       const address = this.#getAddress(pubkey)
-      this.#local.conn.unstage(address)
+      this.#peer.conn.unstage(address)
     }
-    for (const [addr, data] of this.#local.conn.staging().entries()) {
+    for (const [addr, data] of this.#peer.conn.staging().entries()) {
       if (data.hub === this.#hubPubkey) {
-        this.#local.conn.unstage(addr)
+        this.#peer.conn.unstage(addr)
       }
     }
     this.rpc.close(true, (/** @type {any} */ err) => {
       if (err) debug('error when closing connection with room: %o', err)
     })
-    this.#local.conn.disconnect(this.#address, () => {})
+    this.#peer.conn.disconnect(this.#address, () => {})
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/ms-tunnel.js b/lib/ms-tunnel.js
index 5aa581f..e9e064d 100644
--- a/lib/ms-tunnel.js
+++ b/lib/ms-tunnel.js
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ const { muxrpcMissing } = require('./utils')
 
 /**
  * @param {Hubs} hubs
- * @param {any} local
+ * @param {any} peer
  */
-const makeTunnelPlugin = (hubs, local) => (/** @type {any}} */ msConfig) => {
+const makeTunnelPlugin = (hubs, peer) => (/** @type {any}} */ msConfig) => {
   const self = {
     name: 'tunnel',
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const makeTunnelPlugin = (hubs, local) => (/** @type {any}} */ msConfig) => {
     server(onConnect, startedCB) {
       // Once a peer connects, detect hubs, and setup observers
       pull(
-        local.conn.hub().listen(),
+        peer.conn.hub().listen(),
         pull.filter(({ type }) => type === 'connected'),
         pull.drain(async ({ address, key, details }) => {
           if (!key) return
@@ -49,14 +49,14 @@ const makeTunnelPlugin = (hubs, local) => (/** @type {any}} */ msConfig) => {
             hubs.get(pubkey)?.cancel()
             hubs.delete(pubkey)
           }
-          const obs = new HubObserver(local, pubkey, address, res, rpc, onConnect)
+          const obs = new HubObserver(peer, pubkey, address, res, rpc, onConnect)
           hubs.set(pubkey, obs)
         })
       )
 
       // Once a hub disconnects, teardown
       pull(
-        local.conn.hub().listen(),
+        peer.conn.hub().listen(),
         pull.filter(({ type }) => type === 'disconnected'),
         pull.drain(({ key }) => {
           if (!key) return
@@ -103,12 +103,12 @@ const makeTunnelPlugin = (hubs, local) => (/** @type {any}} */ msConfig) => {
 
       // If no hub found, look up hub in connDB and connect to it
       if (!hubRPC) {
-        for (const [msaddr] of local.conn.db().entries()) {
+        for (const [msaddr] of peer.conn.db().entries()) {
           const pubkey = msaddr.split('~shse:')[1]
           if (pubkey === hub) {
             // prettier-ignore
             debug(`to connect to ${addrStr} we first have to connect to ${hub}`)
-            const [err, rpc] = await run(local.conn.connect)(msaddr)
+            const [err, rpc] = await run(peer.conn.connect)(msaddr)
             if (err) {
               // prettier-ignore
               cb(new Error(`cant connect to ${addrStr} because cant reach the hub ${hub} due to: ` + err.message ?? err))
@@ -122,11 +122,11 @@ const makeTunnelPlugin = (hubs, local) => (/** @type {any}} */ msConfig) => {
       // If no hub found, find tunnel addr in connDB and connect to its `hub`
       if (!hubRPC) {
         const addrStrPlusShse = `tunnel:${hub}:${target}~shse:${target}`
-        const peerData = local.conn.db().get(addrStrPlusShse)
+        const peerData = peer.conn.db().get(addrStrPlusShse)
         if (peerData?.hub === hub && peerData?.hubAddress) {
           // prettier-ignore
           debug(`to connect to ${addrStr} we first have to connect to ${hub}`)
-          const [err, rpc] = await run(local.conn.connect)(peerData.hubAddress)
+          const [err, rpc] = await run(peer.conn.connect)(peerData.hubAddress)
           if (err) {
             // prettier-ignore
             cb(new Error(`cant connect to ${addrStr} because cant reach the hub ${hub} due to: ` + err.message ?? err))
diff --git a/lib/plugin-hub-client.js b/lib/plugin-hub-client.js
index e08a10f..22b6223 100644
--- a/lib/plugin-hub-client.js
+++ b/lib/plugin-hub-client.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const { ErrorDuplex } = require('./utils')
 
 module.exports = {
   name: 'hubClient',
+  // needs: ['conn'], // FIXME: uncomment once we re-write conn
   manifest: {
     connect: 'duplex',
   },
@@ -17,19 +18,15 @@ module.exports = {
   },
 
   /**
-   * @param {any} local
+   * @param {any} peer
    * @param {any} config
    */
-  init(local, config) {
-    if (!local.conn?.connect) {
-      throw new Error('hub-client is missing the required ssb-conn plugin')
-    }
-
+  init(peer, config) {
     const hubs = new Map()
 
-    local.multiserver.transport({
+    peer.multiserver.transport({
       name: 'tunnel',
-      create: makeTunnelPlugin(hubs, local),
+      create: makeTunnelPlugin(hubs, peer),
     })
 
     // Setup discoveredAttendants source pull-stream
@@ -38,7 +35,7 @@ module.exports = {
       return _notifyDiscoveredAttendant.listen()
     }
     // @ts-ignore
-    local.close.hook(function (fn, args) {
+    peer.close.hook(function (fn, args) {
       _notifyDiscoveredAttendant?.end()
       // @ts-ignore
       fn.apply(this, args)
diff --git a/lib/plugin-hub.js b/lib/plugin-hub.js
index 7ca4a77..9b22a39 100644
--- a/lib/plugin-hub.js
+++ b/lib/plugin-hub.js
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ module.exports = {
   },
 
   /**
-   * @param {any} local
+   * @param {any} peer
    */
-  init(local) {
+  init(peer) {
     return {
       attendants() {
         return pull.error(new Error('Not implemented on the client'))
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index f6eb639..cc6e7af 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@
   "exclude": ["coverage/", "node_modules/", "test/"],
   "compilerOptions": {
     "checkJs": true,
-    "noEmit": true,
+    "declaration": true,
+    "emitDeclarationOnly": true,
     "exactOptionalPropertyTypes": true,
     "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
-    "lib": ["es2021", "dom"],
+    "lib": ["es2022", "dom"],
     "module": "node16",
     "skipLibCheck": true,
     "strict": true,
-    "target": "es2021"
+    "target": "es2022"
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file