diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index 12a38aaebe7..9f686e14b9f 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -210,9 +210,6 @@ See 'dag export' and 'dag import' for more information.
 		if !ok {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unrecognized hash function: %q", strings.ToLower(hashFunStr))
 		}
-		if _, err := mh.GetHasher(hashFunCode); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 
 		enc, err := cmdenv.GetCidEncoder(req)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/core/commands/files.go b/core/commands/files.go
index e48abba2815..bba14a1e10f 100644
--- a/core/commands/files.go
+++ b/core/commands/files.go
@@ -1245,7 +1245,10 @@ func getFileHandle(r *mfs.Root, path string, create bool, builder cid.Builder) (
 		}
 
 		nd := dag.NodeWithData(ft.FilePBData(nil, 0))
-		nd.SetCidBuilder(builder)
+		err = nd.SetCidBuilder(builder)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		err = pdir.AddChild(fname, nd)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/core/commands/object/object.go b/core/commands/object/object.go
index 332d28f560d..44864d04664 100644
--- a/core/commands/object/object.go
+++ b/core/commands/object/object.go
@@ -537,7 +537,9 @@ func deserializeNode(nd *Node, dataFieldEncoding string) (*dag.ProtoNode, error)
 			Cid:  c,
 		}
 	}
-	dagnode.SetLinks(links)
+	if err := dagnode.SetLinks(links); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	return dagnode, nil
 }
diff --git a/core/coreapi/object.go b/core/coreapi/object.go
index d2bd08addec..28dd0df08f6 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/object.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/object.go
@@ -405,7 +405,9 @@ func deserializeNode(nd *Node, dataFieldEncoding string) (*dag.ProtoNode, error)
 			Cid:  c,
 		}
 	}
-	dagnode.SetLinks(links)
+	if err := dagnode.SetLinks(links); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	return dagnode, nil
 }
diff --git a/core/coreapi/unixfs.go b/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
index d43bfe3132b..3d6966ac1ef 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
@@ -176,7 +176,10 @@ func (api *UnixfsAPI) Add(ctx context.Context, files files.Node, opts ...options
 		md := dagtest.Mock()
 		emptyDirNode := ft.EmptyDirNode()
 		// Use the same prefix for the "empty" MFS root as for the file adder.
-		emptyDirNode.SetCidBuilder(fileAdder.CidBuilder)
+		err := emptyDirNode.SetCidBuilder(fileAdder.CidBuilder)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		mr, err := mfs.NewRoot(ctx, md, emptyDirNode, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/core/coreunix/add.go b/core/coreunix/add.go
index 54e5873a9d4..16ccbaefac7 100644
--- a/core/coreunix/add.go
+++ b/core/coreunix/add.go
@@ -87,7 +87,10 @@ func (adder *Adder) mfsRoot() (*mfs.Root, error) {
 		return adder.mroot, nil
 	}
 	rnode := unixfs.EmptyDirNode()
-	rnode.SetCidBuilder(adder.CidBuilder)
+	err := rnode.SetCidBuilder(adder.CidBuilder)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	mr, err := mfs.NewRoot(adder.ctx, adder.dagService, rnode, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -384,7 +387,10 @@ func (adder *Adder) addSymlink(path string, l *files.Symlink) error {
 	}
 
 	dagnode := dag.NodeWithData(sdata)
-	dagnode.SetCidBuilder(adder.CidBuilder)
+	err = dagnode.SetCidBuilder(adder.CidBuilder)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	err = adder.dagService.Add(adder.ctx, dagnode)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
index 9b8a8772828..6806f0a2fae 100644
--- a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
+++ b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/ipfs/go-ipns v0.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/ipfs/go-log v1.0.5 // indirect
 	github.com/ipfs/go-log/v2 v2.5.1 // indirect
-	github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0 // indirect
+	github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1 // indirect
 	github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-interface v0.0.1 // indirect
 	github.com/ipfs/go-mfs v0.2.1 // indirect
 	github.com/ipfs/go-namesys v0.5.0 // indirect
diff --git a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
index a74d0f1a943..809bd317078 100644
--- a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
+++ b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
@@ -623,8 +623,9 @@ github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.0.6/go.mod h1:QYPdnlvkOg7GnQRofu9XZimC5ZW5Wi3bKy
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.2.3/go.mod h1:SQiXrtSts3KGNmgOzMICy5c0POOpUNQLvB3ClKnBAlk=
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.3.2/go.mod h1:fvkZNNZixVW6cKSZ/JfLlON5OlgTXNdRLz0p6QG/I2M=
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.5.1/go.mod h1:cLMZXx8J08idkp5+id62iVftUQV+HlYJ3PIhDfZsjA4=
-github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0 h1:oV5WT2321tS4YQVOPgIrWHvJ0lJobRTerU+i9nmUCuA=
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0/go.mod h1:9HSEwRd5sV+lbykiYP+2NC/3o6MZbKNaa4hfNcH5iH0=
+github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1 h1:N3yrqSre/ffvdwtHL4MXy0n7XH+VzN8DlzDrJySPa94=
+github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1/go.mod h1:uYUlWE34GhbcTjGuUDEcdPzsEtOdnOupL64NgSRjmWI=
 github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-interface v0.0.1 h1:j+cpbjYvu4R8zbleSs36gvB7jR+wsL2fGD6n0jO4kdg=
 github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-interface v0.0.1/go.mod h1:6s6euYU4zowdslK0GKHmqaIZ3j/b/tL7HTWtJ4VPgWY=
 github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-prometheus v0.0.2/go.mod h1:ELLU99AQQNi+zX6GCGm2lAgnzdSH3u5UVlCdqSXnEks=
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index af5f3706343..207de393acc 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/ipfs/go-ipns v0.3.0
 	github.com/ipfs/go-log v1.0.5
 	github.com/ipfs/go-log/v2 v2.5.1
-	github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0
+	github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1
 	github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-interface v0.0.1
 	github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-prometheus v0.0.2
 	github.com/ipfs/go-mfs v0.2.1
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index b476d5f2aa5..8a24817a36b 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -611,8 +611,9 @@ github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.0.6/go.mod h1:QYPdnlvkOg7GnQRofu9XZimC5ZW5Wi3bKy
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.2.3/go.mod h1:SQiXrtSts3KGNmgOzMICy5c0POOpUNQLvB3ClKnBAlk=
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.3.2/go.mod h1:fvkZNNZixVW6cKSZ/JfLlON5OlgTXNdRLz0p6QG/I2M=
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.5.1/go.mod h1:cLMZXx8J08idkp5+id62iVftUQV+HlYJ3PIhDfZsjA4=
-github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0 h1:oV5WT2321tS4YQVOPgIrWHvJ0lJobRTerU+i9nmUCuA=
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0/go.mod h1:9HSEwRd5sV+lbykiYP+2NC/3o6MZbKNaa4hfNcH5iH0=
+github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1 h1:N3yrqSre/ffvdwtHL4MXy0n7XH+VzN8DlzDrJySPa94=
+github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1/go.mod h1:uYUlWE34GhbcTjGuUDEcdPzsEtOdnOupL64NgSRjmWI=
 github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-interface v0.0.1 h1:j+cpbjYvu4R8zbleSs36gvB7jR+wsL2fGD6n0jO4kdg=
 github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-interface v0.0.1/go.mod h1:6s6euYU4zowdslK0GKHmqaIZ3j/b/tL7HTWtJ4VPgWY=
 github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-prometheus v0.0.2 h1:9i2iljLg12S78OhC6UAiXi176xvQGiZaGVF1CUVdE+s=
diff --git a/test/dependencies/go.mod b/test/dependencies/go.mod
index 51e8021506f..1a0eea2260f 100644
--- a/test/dependencies/go.mod
+++ b/test/dependencies/go.mod
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-blockstore v1.2.0
 	github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-exchange-offline v0.2.0
 	github.com/ipfs/go-log v1.0.5
-	github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0
+	github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1
 	github.com/ipfs/go-unixfs v0.3.1
 	github.com/ipfs/hang-fds v0.1.0
 	github.com/ipfs/iptb v1.4.0
diff --git a/test/dependencies/go.sum b/test/dependencies/go.sum
index 3c148639d0c..47bd100f4e2 100644
--- a/test/dependencies/go.sum
+++ b/test/dependencies/go.sum
@@ -664,8 +664,8 @@ github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.0.6/go.mod h1:QYPdnlvkOg7GnQRofu9XZimC5ZW5Wi3bKy
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.2.3/go.mod h1:SQiXrtSts3KGNmgOzMICy5c0POOpUNQLvB3ClKnBAlk=
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.3.2/go.mod h1:fvkZNNZixVW6cKSZ/JfLlON5OlgTXNdRLz0p6QG/I2M=
 github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.5.1/go.mod h1:cLMZXx8J08idkp5+id62iVftUQV+HlYJ3PIhDfZsjA4=
-github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0 h1:oV5WT2321tS4YQVOPgIrWHvJ0lJobRTerU+i9nmUCuA=
-github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.6.0/go.mod h1:9HSEwRd5sV+lbykiYP+2NC/3o6MZbKNaa4hfNcH5iH0=
+github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1 h1:N3yrqSre/ffvdwtHL4MXy0n7XH+VzN8DlzDrJySPa94=
+github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag v0.8.1/go.mod h1:uYUlWE34GhbcTjGuUDEcdPzsEtOdnOupL64NgSRjmWI=
 github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-interface v0.0.1 h1:j+cpbjYvu4R8zbleSs36gvB7jR+wsL2fGD6n0jO4kdg=
 github.com/ipfs/go-metrics-interface v0.0.1/go.mod h1:6s6euYU4zowdslK0GKHmqaIZ3j/b/tL7HTWtJ4VPgWY=
 github.com/ipfs/go-path v0.0.7/go.mod h1:6KTKmeRnBXgqrTvzFrPV3CamxcgvXX/4z79tfAd2Sno=
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0042-add-skip.sh b/test/sharness/t0042-add-skip.sh
index 64d8e1a7c41..9da78163c45 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0042-add-skip.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0042-add-skip.sh
@@ -93,10 +93,6 @@ EOF
     test_cmp expected actual
   '
 
-  test_expect_failure "'ipfs add' with an unregistered hash and wrapped leaves fails without crashing" '
-    ipfs add --hash poseidon-bls12_381-a2-fc1 --raw-leaves=false -r mountdir/planets
-  '
-
 }
 
 # should work offline