diff --git a/lib/core.js b/lib/core.js
index 0a6b7fab..74624340 100644
--- a/lib/core.js
+++ b/lib/core.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const hypercoreCrypto = require('hypercore-crypto')
+const b4a = require('b4a')
 const Oplog = require('./oplog')
 const Mutex = require('./mutex')
 const MerkleTree = require('./merkle-tree')
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ module.exports = class Core {
       await oplog.flush(header)
     }
 
-    if (opts.keyPair && !header.signer.publicKey.equals(opts.keyPair.publicKey)) {
+    if (opts.keyPair && !b4a.equals(header.signer.publicKey, opts.keyPair.publicKey)) {
       throw new Error('Another hypercore is stored here')
     }
 
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ module.exports = class Core {
 
       for (const u of this.header.userData) {
         if (u.key !== key) continue
-        if (value && u.value.equals(value)) return
+        if (value && b4a.equals(u.value, value)) return
         empty = false
         break
       }
diff --git a/lib/merkle-tree.js b/lib/merkle-tree.js
index e04ac993..21900f53 100644
--- a/lib/merkle-tree.js
+++ b/lib/merkle-tree.js
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ class ReorgBatch extends MerkleTreeBatch {
     const nodes = []
     const root = verifyBlock(proof, this.tree.crypto, nodes)
 
-    if (root === null || !root.hash.equals(this.diff.hash)) return false
+    if (root === null || !b4a.equals(root.hash, this.diff.hash)) return false
 
     this.nodes.push(...nodes)
     return this._update(nodes)
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ class ReorgBatch extends MerkleTreeBatch {
       if (!left) break
 
       const existing = await this.tree.get(left.index, false)
-      if (!existing || !existing.hash.equals(left.hash)) {
+      if (!existing || !b4a.equals(existing.hash, left.hash)) {
         diff = left
       } else {
         diff = n.get(ite.sibling())
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ module.exports = class MerkleTree {
   }
 
   addNode (node) {
-    if (node.size === 0 && node.hash.equals(BLANK_HASH)) node = blankNode(node.index)
+    if (node.size === 0 && b4a.equals(node.hash, BLANK_HASH)) node = blankNode(node.index)
     this.unflushed.set(node.index, node)
   }
 
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ module.exports = class MerkleTree {
     const indexes = flat.fullRoots(2 * length)
     const roots = new Array(indexes.length)
 
-    for (var i = 0; i < indexes.length; i++) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < indexes.length; i++) {
       roots[i] = this.get(indexes[i], true)
     }
 
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ module.exports = class MerkleTree {
 
     for (const root of batch.roots) {
       const existing = await this.get(root.index, false)
-      if (existing && existing.hash.equals(root.hash)) continue
+      if (existing && b4a.equals(existing.hash, root.hash)) continue
       batch._updateDiffRoot(root)
       break
     }
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ module.exports = class MerkleTree {
 
     if (unverified) {
       const verified = await this.get(unverified.index)
-      if (!verified.hash.equals(unverified.hash)) {
+      if (!b4a.equals(verified.hash, unverified.hash)) {
         throw new Error('Invalid checksum at node ' + unverified.index)
       }
     }
@@ -718,7 +718,7 @@ module.exports = class MerkleTree {
     await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       storage.read(0, OLD_TREE.length, (err, buf) => {
         if (err) return resolve()
-        if (buf.equals(OLD_TREE)) return reject(new Error('Storage contains an incompatible merkle tree'))
+        if (b4a.equals(buf, OLD_TREE)) return reject(new Error('Storage contains an incompatible merkle tree'))
         resolve()
       })
     })