diff --git a/.gx/lastpubver b/.gx/lastpubver
index 5b19ae3..58002c6 100644
--- a/.gx/lastpubver
+++ b/.gx/lastpubver
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.8.0: QmaUU1Hu8pbR2NiTJ1NHVBcNTQR499AJVMkkAoRqhdxbgz
+1.9.0: Qmd1Zxnuj9puWCPS7DV1YVw1RM478NqyZmf1X5nsgjp6fQ
diff --git a/datastore.go b/datastore.go
index a0c5904..456960c 100644
--- a/datastore.go
+++ b/datastore.go
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ var DefaultOptions = Options{
 	Options: badger.DefaultOptions,
 }
 
+var _ ds.Datastore = (*Datastore)(nil)
+var _ ds.TxnDatastore = (*Datastore)(nil)
+var _ ds.TTLDatastore = (*Datastore)(nil)
+
 // NewDatastore creates a new badger datastore.
 //
 // DO NOT set the Dir and/or ValuePath fields of opt, they will be set for you.
@@ -81,8 +85,8 @@ func NewDatastore(path string, options *Options) (*Datastore, error) {
 // NewTransaction starts a new transaction. The resulting transaction object
 // can be mutated without incurring changes to the underlying Datastore until
 // the transaction is Committed.
-func (d *Datastore) NewTransaction(readOnly bool) ds.Txn {
-	return &txn{d.DB.NewTransaction(!readOnly), false}
+func (d *Datastore) NewTransaction(readOnly bool) (ds.Txn, error) {
+	return &txn{d.DB.NewTransaction(!readOnly), false}, nil
 }
 
 // newImplicitTransaction creates a transaction marked as 'implicit'.
@@ -179,7 +183,8 @@ func (d *Datastore) Close() error {
 func (d *Datastore) IsThreadSafe() {}
 
 func (d *Datastore) Batch() (ds.Batch, error) {
-	return d.NewTransaction(false), nil
+	tx, _ := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	return tx, nil
 }
 
 func (d *Datastore) CollectGarbage() error {
diff --git a/ds_test.go b/ds_test.go
index d7ad71c..f0abd81 100644
--- a/ds_test.go
+++ b/ds_test.go
@@ -529,7 +529,10 @@ func TestTxnDiscard(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	txn := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	txn, err := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	key := ds.NewKey("/test/thing")
 	if err := txn.Put(key, []byte{1, 2, 3}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -553,7 +556,10 @@ func TestTxnCommit(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	txn := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	txn, err := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	key := ds.NewKey("/test/thing")
 	if err := txn.Put(key, []byte{1, 2, 3}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -577,8 +583,10 @@ func TestTxnBatch(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	txn := d.NewTransaction(false)
-
+	txn, err := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	data := make(map[ds.Key][]byte)
 	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
 		key := ds.NewKey(fmt.Sprintf("/test/%d", i))
@@ -624,7 +632,10 @@ func TestTTL(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	txn := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	txn, err := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	data := make(map[ds.Key][]byte)
 	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
@@ -649,7 +660,10 @@ func TestTTL(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	txn = d.NewTransaction(true)
+	txn, err = d.NewTransaction(true)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	for key := range data {
 		_, err := txn.Get(key)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -679,7 +693,10 @@ func TestExpirations(t *testing.T) {
 	d, done := newDS(t)
 	defer done()
 
-	txn := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	txn, err := d.NewTransaction(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	ttltxn := txn.(ds.TTLDatastore)
 	defer txn.Discard()
 
@@ -702,7 +719,10 @@ func TestExpirations(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Second transaction to retrieve expirations.
-	txn = d.NewTransaction(true)
+	txn, err = d.NewTransaction(true)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	ttltxn = txn.(ds.TTLDatastore)
 	defer txn.Discard()
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3a0d81a..d9f10a9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     },
     {
       "author": "jbenet",
-      "hash": "QmUyz7JTJzgegC6tiJrfby3mPhzcdswVtG4x58TQ6pq8jV",
+      "hash": "QmbQshXLNcCPRUGZv4sBGxnZNAHREA6MKeomkwihNXPZWP",
       "name": "go-datastore",
-      "version": "3.2.0"
+      "version": "3.3.0"
     },
     {
       "author": "dgraph-io",
@@ -37,6 +37,6 @@
   "license": "",
   "name": "go-ds-badger",
   "releaseCmd": "git commit -a -m \"gx publish $VERSION\"",
-  "version": "1.8.0"
+  "version": "1.9.0"
 }