diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 66bf014..021a2ac 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "wnfsutils"
-version = "1.1.8"
+version = "1.1.9"
 edition = "2021"
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ sha3 = "0.10"
 futures = "0.3"
 rsa = "0.9"
 rand_chacha = "0.3"
-base64 = "0.13.0"
+base64 = "0.22.1"
 tempfile = "3.2"
 getrandom = { version = "0.2", features = ["js"] }
 wasm-bindgen-futures = "0.4.7"
diff --git a/src/private_forest.rs b/src/private_forest.rs
index 2b9a3bd..d1b39a5 100644
--- a/src/private_forest.rs
+++ b/src/private_forest.rs
@@ -704,22 +704,11 @@ impl<'a> PrivateDirectoryHelper<'a> {
 
 // Implement synced version of the library for using in android jni.
 impl<'a> PrivateDirectoryHelper<'a> {
-    pub fn synced_init(
+    pub async fn init_async(
         store: &mut FFIFriendlyBlockStore<'a>,
         wnfs_key: Vec<u8>,
     ) -> Result<(PrivateDirectoryHelper<'a>, AccessKey, Cid), String> {
-        #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]
-        let runtime = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
-            .build()
-            .expect("Unable to create a runtime");
-    
-        #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
-        let runtime = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
-            .enable_time()
-            .build()
-            .expect("Unable to create a runtime");
-    
-        runtime.block_on(PrivateDirectoryHelper::init(store, wnfs_key))
+        PrivateDirectoryHelper::init(store, wnfs_key).await
     }
 
     pub fn synced_load_with_wnfs_key(