diff --git a/packages/node/src/handlers.ts b/packages/node/src/handlers.ts
index d93508e8..a89526ee 100644
--- a/packages/node/src/handlers.ts
+++ b/packages/node/src/handlers.ts
@@ -92,44 +92,9 @@ function updateHandler(node: TopologyNode, data: Uint8Array) {
 		}),
 		async (croId: string, nodeId: string) => {
 			await node.syncObject(croId, nodeId);
-		}
+		},
 	);
 
-	// const _merge = () => {
-	// 	object.merge(
-	// 		updateMessage.vertices.map((v) => {
-	// 			return {
-	// 				hash: v.hash,
-	// 				nodeId: v.nodeId,
-	// 				operation: {
-	// 					type: v.operation?.type ?? "",
-	// 					value: v.operation?.value,
-	// 				},
-	// 				dependencies: v.dependencies,
-	// 			};
-	// 		}),
-	// 	);
-	// };
-
-	// try {
-	// 	_merge();
-	// } catch (err) {
-	// 	if ((err as Error).name === "InvalidDependencyError") {
-	// 		if (updateMessage.vertices.length === 0) return false;
-	// 		const peerId = updateMessage.vertices[0].nodeId;
-	// 		node.syncObject(object.id, peerId).then(() => {
-	// 			_merge();
-	// 		});
-	// 	} else {
-	// 		console.error(
-	// 			"topology::node::updateHandler",
-	// 			"Error merging vertices",
-	// 			err,
-	// 		);
-	// 		return false;
-	// 	}
-	// }
-
 	node.objectStore.put(object.id, object);
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/packages/object/src/hashgraph/index.ts b/packages/object/src/hashgraph/index.ts
index dcf69ea9..afc18718 100644
--- a/packages/object/src/hashgraph/index.ts
+++ b/packages/object/src/hashgraph/index.ts
@@ -118,7 +118,11 @@ export class HashGraph {
 		return vertex;
 	}
 
-	checkVertexDependency(operation: Operation, deps: Hash[], nodeId: string): boolean {
+	checkVertexDependency(
+		operation: Operation,
+		deps: Hash[],
+		nodeId: string,
+	): boolean {
 		const hash = computeHash(nodeId, operation, deps);
 		if (this.vertices.has(hash)) {
 			return true;
@@ -128,15 +132,13 @@ export class HashGraph {
 		if (
 			!deps.every((dep) => this.forwardEdges.has(dep) || this.vertices.has(dep))
 		) {
-			console.log("THE DEPENDENCIES ARE NOT OKAY");
 			return false;
 		}
 
 		return true;
-		
 	}
 
-	addVertex(operation: Operation, deps: Hash[], nodeId: string): Hash | boolean {
+	addVertex(operation: Operation, deps: Hash[], nodeId: string): Hash {
 		const hash = computeHash(nodeId, operation, deps);
 		if (this.vertices.has(hash)) {
 			return hash; // Vertex already exists
diff --git a/packages/object/src/index.ts b/packages/object/src/index.ts
index dcd6f045..2ae6f877 100644
--- a/packages/object/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/object/src/index.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export class TopologyObject implements ITopologyObject {
 
 	async merge(
 		vertices: Vertex[],
-		synchronizeVertices: (croId: string, nodeId: string) => void,
+		synchronizeVertices?: (croId: string, nodeId: string) => void,
 	) {
 		for (const vertex of vertices) {
 			// Check to avoid manually crafted `undefined` operations
@@ -107,13 +107,14 @@ export class TopologyObject implements ITopologyObject {
 				continue;
 			}
 			if (
-				this.hashGraph.checkVertexDependency(
+				!this.hashGraph.checkVertexDependency(
 					vertex.operation,
 					vertex.dependencies,
 					vertex.nodeId,
 				)
 			) {
-				await synchronizeVertices(this.id, vertex.nodeId);
+				if (synchronizeVertices)
+					await synchronizeVertices(this.id, vertex.nodeId);
 			}
 
 			this.hashGraph.addVertex(