diff --git a/codex/blocktype.nim b/codex/blocktype.nim
index d5907307..060eff1e 100644
--- a/codex/blocktype.nim
+++ b/codex/blocktype.nim
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ type
 var
   EmptyCid {.threadvar.}: array[CIDv0..CIDv1, Table[MultiCodec, Cid]]
 
-template emptyCid*(version: CidVersion, codex: MultiCodec): ?!Cid =
+proc emptyCid*(version: CidVersion, codex: MultiCodec): ?!Cid =
   once:
     EmptyCid = [
       CIDv0: {
@@ -112,11 +112,7 @@ proc emptyBlock*(version: CidVersion, codex: MultiCodec): ?!Block =
 
 
 proc isEmpty*(cid: Cid): bool =
-  cid == EmptyCid[cid.cidver]
-  .catch
-  .get()[cid.mhash.get().mcodec]
-  .catch
-  .get()
+  cid == emptyCid(cid.cidver, cid.mhash.get().mcodec).get()
 
 proc isEmpty*(blk: Block): bool =
   blk.cid.isEmpty
diff --git a/tests/codex/testmanifest.nim b/tests/codex/testmanifest.nim
index 89cea9c9..dab54bb7 100644
--- a/tests/codex/testmanifest.nim
+++ b/tests/codex/testmanifest.nim
@@ -73,11 +73,7 @@ checksuite "Manifest":
 
     # fill up with empty Cid's
     for i in protected.rounded..<protected.len:
-      protected[i] = EmptyCid[manifest.version]
-        .catch
-        .get()[manifest.hcodec]
-        .catch
-        .get()
+      protected[i] = emptyCid(manifest.version, manifest.hcodec).get()
 
     var
       encoded = protected.encode().tryGet()