diff --git a/pkg/acl/curating.go b/pkg/acl/curating.go
index 6e98712..4ce2591 100644
--- a/pkg/acl/curating.go
+++ b/pkg/acl/curating.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const (
 type Curating struct {
 	Ctx         context.Context
 	cfg         *config.C
-	db          *database.D
+	db          database.Database
 	curatingACL *database.CuratingACL
 	owners      [][]byte
 	admins      [][]byte
@@ -56,9 +56,14 @@ func (c *Curating) Configure(cfg ...any) (err error) {
 		switch cv := ca.(type) {
 		case *config.C:
 			c.cfg = cv
-		case *database.D:
+		case database.Database:
 			c.db = cv
-			c.curatingACL = database.NewCuratingACL(cv)
+			// CuratingACL requires the concrete Badger database type
+			if d, ok := cv.(*database.D); ok {
+				c.curatingACL = database.NewCuratingACL(d)
+			} else {
+				log.W.F("curating ACL: database is not Badger, curating ACL features will be limited")
+			}
 		case context.Context:
 			c.Ctx = cv
 		default:
diff --git a/pkg/acl/follows.go b/pkg/acl/follows.go
index 172769f..82f338d 100644
--- a/pkg/acl/follows.go
+++ b/pkg/acl/follows.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import (
 type Follows struct {
 	Ctx context.Context
 	cfg *config.C
-	*database.D
+	db  database.Database
 	pubs       *publish.S
 	followsMx  sync.RWMutex
 	admins     [][]byte
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ func (f *Follows) Configure(cfg ...any) (err error) {
 		case *config.C:
 			// log.D.F("setting ACL config: %v", c)
 			f.cfg = c
-		case *database.D:
+		case database.Database:
 			// log.D.F("setting ACL database: %s", c.Path())
-			f.D = c
+			f.db = c
 		case context.Context:
 			// log.D.F("setting ACL context: %s", c.Value("id"))
 			f.Ctx = c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func (f *Follows) Configure(cfg ...any) (err error) {
 			err = errorf.E("invalid type: %T", reflect.TypeOf(ca))
 		}
 	}
-	if f.cfg == nil || f.D == nil {
+	if f.cfg == nil || f.db == nil {
 		err = errorf.E("both config and database must be set")
 		return
 	}
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func (f *Follows) Configure(cfg ...any) (err error) {
 		var sers types.Uint40s
 		for _, idx := range idxs {
 			var s types.Uint40s
-			if s, err = f.D.GetSerialsByRange(idx); chk.E(err) {
+			if s, err = f.db.GetSerialsByRange(idx); chk.E(err) {
 				continue
 			}
 			sers = append(sers, s...)
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (f *Follows) Configure(cfg ...any) (err error) {
 		if len(sers) > 0 {
 			for _, s := range sers {
 				var ev *event.E
-				if ev, err = f.D.FetchEventBySerial(s); chk.E(err) {
+				if ev, err = f.db.FetchEventBySerial(s); chk.E(err) {
 					continue
 				}
 				// log.I.F("admin follow list:\n%s", ev.Serialize())
@@ -268,14 +268,14 @@ func (f *Follows) adminRelays() (urls []string) {
 		}
 		var sers types.Uint40s
 		for _, idx := range idxs {
-			s, err := f.D.GetSerialsByRange(idx)
+			s, err := f.db.GetSerialsByRange(idx)
 			if chk.E(err) {
 				continue
 			}
 			sers = append(sers, s...)
 		}
 		for _, s := range sers {
-			ev, err := f.D.FetchEventBySerial(s)
+			ev, err := f.db.FetchEventBySerial(s)
 			if chk.E(err) || ev == nil {
 				continue
 			}
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ func (f *Follows) processCollectedEvents(relayURL string, followListEvents, meta
 
 	// Save follow list events to database and extract follows
 	for pubkeyHex, ev := range latestFollowLists {
-		if _, err := f.D.SaveEvent(f.Ctx, ev); err != nil {
+		if _, err := f.db.SaveEvent(f.Ctx, ev); err != nil {
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "blocked:") {
 				log.W.F("follows syncer: failed to save follow list from %s: %v", pubkeyHex, err)
 			}
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ func (f *Follows) processCollectedEvents(relayURL string, followListEvents, meta
 
 	// Save metadata events to database
 	for pubkeyHex, ev := range latestMetadata {
-		if _, err := f.D.SaveEvent(f.Ctx, ev); err != nil {
+		if _, err := f.db.SaveEvent(f.Ctx, ev); err != nil {
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "blocked:") {
 				log.W.F("follows syncer: failed to save metadata from %s: %v", pubkeyHex, err)
 			}
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ func (f *Follows) processCollectedEvents(relayURL string, followListEvents, meta
 
 	// Save relay list events to database
 	for pubkeyHex, ev := range latestRelayLists {
-		if _, err := f.D.SaveEvent(f.Ctx, ev); err != nil {
+		if _, err := f.db.SaveEvent(f.Ctx, ev); err != nil {
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "blocked:") {
 				log.W.F("follows syncer: failed to save relay list from %s: %v", pubkeyHex, err)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/acl/managed.go b/pkg/acl/managed.go
index b115f4c..6af5973 100644
--- a/pkg/acl/managed.go
+++ b/pkg/acl/managed.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 type Managed struct {
 	Ctx context.Context
 	cfg *config.C
-	*database.D
+	db  database.Database
 	managedACL *database.ManagedACL
 	owners     [][]byte
 	admins     [][]byte
@@ -33,16 +33,22 @@ func (m *Managed) Configure(cfg ...any) (err error) {
 		switch c := ca.(type) {
 		case *config.C:
 			m.cfg = c
-		case *database.D:
-			m.D = c
-			m.managedACL = database.NewManagedACL(c)
+		case database.Database:
+			m.db = c
+			// ManagedACL requires the concrete Badger database type
+			// Type assertion to check if it's a Badger database
+			if d, ok := c.(*database.D); ok {
+				m.managedACL = database.NewManagedACL(d)
+			} else {
+				log.W.F("managed ACL: database is not Badger, managed ACL features will be limited")
+			}
 		case context.Context:
 			m.Ctx = c
 		default:
 			err = errorf.E("invalid type: %T", reflect.TypeOf(ca))
 		}
 	}
-	if m.cfg == nil || m.D == nil {
+	if m.cfg == nil || m.db == nil {
 		err = errorf.E("both config and database must be set")
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/acl/managed_minimal_test.go b/pkg/acl/managed_minimal_test.go
index dd7064d..c2006a5 100644
--- a/pkg/acl/managed_minimal_test.go
+++ b/pkg/acl/managed_minimal_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func TestManagedACL_BasicFunctionality(t *testing.T) {
 	managed := &Managed{
 		Ctx:        ctx,
 		cfg:        cfg,
-		D:          db,
+		db:         db,
 		managedACL: database.NewManagedACL(db),
 		owners:     [][]byte{[]byte("owner1")},
 		admins:     [][]byte{[]byte("admin1")},
diff --git a/pkg/version/version b/pkg/version/version
index 64756cd..258b831 100644
--- a/pkg/version/version
+++ b/pkg/version/version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-v0.53.0
+v0.53.1