diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 0722d27..79da91e 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -63,17 +63,6 @@ function fromSubdomain(subdomain) {
   return PREFIX + subdomain
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {{
- *   db: PPPPPDB | null,
- *   close: ClosableHook,
- * }} peer
- * @returns {asserts peer is { db: PPPPPDB, close: ClosableHook }}
- */
-function assertDBPlugin(peer) {
-  if (!peer.db) throw new Error('"set" plugin requires "db" plugin')
-}
-
 /**
  * @param {unknown} check
  * @param {string} message
@@ -84,12 +73,10 @@ function assert(check, message) {
 }
 
 /**
- * @param {{ db: PPPPPDB | null, close: ClosableHook }} peer
+ * @param {{ db: PPPPPDB, close: ClosableHook }} peer
  * @param {Config} config
  */
 function initSet(peer, config) {
-  assertDBPlugin(peer)
-
   let ghostSpan = config.set?.ghostSpan ?? 32
   if (ghostSpan < 1) throw new Error('config.set.ghostSpan must be >= 0')
 
@@ -205,7 +192,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    * @param {string} subdomain
    */
   function readSet(id, subdomain) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     const domain = fromSubdomain(subdomain)
     const mootID = MsgV4.getMootID(id, domain)
     const tangle = peer.db.getTangle(mootID)
@@ -293,7 +279,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    * @param {string} subdomain
    */
   function _squeezePotential(subdomain) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     // prettier-ignore
     if (!loadedAccountID) throw new Error('Cannot squeeze potential before loading')
     // TODO: improve this so that the squeezePotential is the size of the
@@ -319,7 +304,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    * @param {CB<void>} cb
    */
   function load(accountID, cb) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     if (accountID === loadedAccountID) {
       loaded(cb)
       return
@@ -360,7 +344,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    * @param {CB<boolean>} cb
    */
   function add(subdomain, value, cb) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     // TODO this error needs to be put into the `cb`, not thrown
     assert(!!loadedAccountID, 'Cannot add to Set before loading')
     // prettier-ignore
@@ -411,7 +394,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    * @param {CB<boolean>} cb
    */
   function del(subdomain, value, cb) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     // TODO this error needs to be put into the `cb`, not thrown
     assert(!!loadedAccountID, 'Cannot add to Set before loading')
     // prettier-ignore
@@ -483,7 +465,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    * @returns {number}
    */
   function minRequiredDepth(tangleID) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     const tangle = peer.db.getTangle(tangleID)
 
     // prettier-ignore
@@ -523,7 +504,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    */
   function getFeedID(subdomain) {
     assert(!!loadedAccountID, 'Cannot getFeedID() before loading')
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     const domain = fromSubdomain(subdomain)
     return MsgV4.getMootID(loadedAccountID, domain)
   }
@@ -536,7 +516,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
   function isGhostable(ghostableMsgID, tangleID) {
     if (ghostableMsgID === tangleID) return false
 
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     const msg = peer.db.get(ghostableMsgID)
 
     // prettier-ignore
@@ -578,7 +557,6 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
    * @param {CB<boolean>} cb
    */
   function squeeze(subdomain, cb) {
-    assertDBPlugin(peer)
     // TODO this error needs to be put into the `cb`, not thrown
     assert(!!loadedAccountID, 'Cannot squeeze Set before loading')
 
@@ -633,4 +611,5 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
 }
 
 exports.name = 'set'
+exports.needs = ['db']
 exports.init = initSet
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e8a6c0c..05c2f77 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     "ppppp-caps": "github:staltz/ppppp-caps",
     "ppppp-keypair": "github:staltz/ppppp-keypair",
     "rimraf": "^4.4.0",
-    "secret-stack": "~8.0.0",
+    "secret-stack": "~8.1.0",
     "secret-handshake-ext": "0.0.10",
     "ssb-box": "^1.0.1",
     "typescript": "^5.1.3"
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