diff --git a/packages/interface-ipfs-core/package.json b/packages/interface-ipfs-core/package.json
index 35217f7419..e6c91b236f 100644
--- a/packages/interface-ipfs-core/package.json
+++ b/packages/interface-ipfs-core/package.json
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
     "dirty-chai": "^2.0.1",
     "ipfs-block": "^0.8.1",
     "ipfs-unixfs": "^1.0.1",
+    "ipfs-unixfs-importer": "^2.0.0",
     "ipfs-utils": "^2.2.0",
     "ipld-dag-cbor": "^0.15.1",
     "ipld-dag-pb": "^0.18.3",
diff --git a/packages/interface-ipfs-core/src/dag/get.js b/packages/interface-ipfs-core/src/dag/get.js
index 3c817f332f..1a773ce617 100644
--- a/packages/interface-ipfs-core/src/dag/get.js
+++ b/packages/interface-ipfs-core/src/dag/get.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 const dagPB = require('ipld-dag-pb')
 const DAGNode = dagPB.DAGNode
 const dagCBOR = require('ipld-dag-cbor')
+const importer = require('ipfs-unixfs-importer')
 const Unixfs = require('ipfs-unixfs')
 const all = require('it-all')
 const { getDescribe, getIt, expect } = require('../utils/mocha')
@@ -154,7 +155,10 @@ module.exports = (common, options) => {
     it('should get a node added as CIDv1 with a CIDv0', async () => {
       const input = Buffer.from(`TEST${Math.random()}`)
 
-      const res = await all(ipfs.add(input, { cidVersion: 1, rawLeaves: false }))
+      const res = await all(importer([{ content: input }], ipfs.block, {
+        cidVersion: 1,
+        rawLeaves: false
+      }))
 
       const cidv1 = res[0].cid
       expect(cidv1.version).to.equal(1)
diff --git a/packages/interface-ipfs-core/src/refs-local.js b/packages/interface-ipfs-core/src/refs-local.js
index fa8b9bb826..9c41c7bcb1 100644
--- a/packages/interface-ipfs-core/src/refs-local.js
+++ b/packages/interface-ipfs-core/src/refs-local.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 const { fixtures } = require('./utils')
 const { getDescribe, getIt, expect } = require('./utils/mocha')
 const all = require('it-all')
+const importer = require('ipfs-unixfs-importer')
 
 /** @typedef { import("ipfsd-ctl/src/factory") } Factory */
 /**
@@ -36,10 +37,14 @@ module.exports = (common, options) => {
         content('holmes.txt')
       ]
 
-      await all(ipfs.add(dirs))
+      const imported = await all(importer(dirs, ipfs.block))
 
-      const refs = await all(ipfs.refs.local())
+      // otherwise go-ipfs doesn't show them in the local refs
+      await Promise.all(
+        imported.map(i => ipfs.pin.add(i.cid))
+      )
 
+      const refs = await all(ipfs.refs.local())
       const cids = refs.map(r => r.ref)
       expect(cids).to.include('QmVwdDCY4SPGVFnNCiZnX5CtzwWDn6kAM98JXzKxE3kCmn')
       expect(cids).to.include('QmR4nFjTu18TyANgC65ArNWp5Yaab1gPzQ4D8zp7Kx3vhr')