diff --git a/packages/strings/src/index.ts b/packages/strings/src/index.ts
index fe13d27ce..1342f159e 100644
--- a/packages/strings/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/strings/src/index.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ export interface StringsComponents {
 
 export interface AddOptions extends AbortOptions, ProgressOptions<PutBlockProgressEvents> {
   hasher: MultihashHasher
-  codec: BlockCodec<any, unknown>
 }
 
 export interface GetOptions extends AbortOptions, ProgressOptions<GetBlockProgressEvents> {
@@ -105,8 +104,7 @@ class DefaultStrings implements Strings {
   async add (string: string, options: Partial<AddOptions> = {}): Promise<CID> {
     const buf = uint8ArrayFromString(string)
     const hash = await (options.hasher ?? sha256).digest(buf)
-    const codec = options.codec ?? raw
-    const cid = CID.createV1(codec.code, hash)
+    const cid = CID.createV1(raw.code, hash)
 
     await this.components.blockstore.put(cid, buf, options)
 
diff --git a/packages/strings/test/add.spec.ts b/packages/strings/test/add.spec.ts
index 47a414bd9..a6c50345b 100644
--- a/packages/strings/test/add.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/strings/test/add.spec.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import { expect } from 'aegir/chai'
 import { MemoryBlockstore } from 'blockstore-core'
-import * as json from 'multiformats/codecs/json'
 import { identity } from 'multiformats/hashes/identity'
 import { strings, type Strings } from '../src/index.js'
 import type { Blockstore } from 'interface-blockstore'
@@ -30,12 +29,4 @@ describe('put', () => {
 
     expect(`${cid}`).to.equal('bafkqac3imvwgy3zao5xxe3de')
   })
-
-  it('adds a string with a non-default block codec', async () => {
-    const cid = await str.add('hello world', {
-      codec: json
-    })
-
-    expect(`${cid}`).to.equal('bagaaieraxfgspomtju7arjjokll5u7nl7lcij37dpjjyb3uqrd32zyxpzxuq')
-  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/strings/test/get.spec.ts b/packages/strings/test/get.spec.ts
index 5b69301d0..d7e4d2af9 100644
--- a/packages/strings/test/get.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/strings/test/get.spec.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import { expect } from 'aegir/chai'
 import { MemoryBlockstore } from 'blockstore-core'
-import * as json from 'multiformats/codecs/json'
 import { identity } from 'multiformats/hashes/identity'
 import { strings, type Strings } from '../src/index.js'
 import type { Blockstore } from 'interface-blockstore'
@@ -34,13 +33,4 @@ describe('get', () => {
 
     await expect(str.get(cid)).to.eventually.equal(input)
   })
-
-  it('gets a string with a non-default block codec', async () => {
-    const input = 'hello world'
-    const cid = await str.add(input, {
-      codec: json
-    })
-
-    await expect(str.get(cid)).to.eventually.equal(input)
-  })
 })