diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 3927657..70a1eac 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
     const domain = fromSubdomain(subdomain)
     const mootID = MsgV4.getMootID(id, domain)
     const tangle = peer.db.getTangle(mootID)
-    if (!tangle || tangle.size === 0) return new Set()
+    if (!tangle) return new Set()
     const msgIDs = tangle.topoSort()
     const set = new Set()
     for (const msgID of msgIDs) {
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
     // tangle suffix built as a slice from the fieldRoots
     const mootID = MsgV4.getMootID(loadedAccountID, fromSubdomain(subdomain))
     const tangle = peer.db.getTangle(mootID)
+    if (!tangle) return 0
     const maxDepth = tangle.maxDepth
     const currentItemRoots = itemRoots.getAll(subdomain)
     let minDepth = Infinity
@@ -468,7 +469,7 @@ function initSet(peer, config) {
     const tangle = peer.db.getTangle(tangleID)
 
     // prettier-ignore
-    if (!tangle || tangle.size === 0) return 0
+    if (!tangle) return 0
     // prettier-ignore
     if (!MsgV4.isMoot(tangle.root)) throw new Error(`Tangle "${tangleID}" is not a moot`)
     const domain = tangle.root.metadata.domain