diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f7d640eb..34adbc5a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
     "docs:no-publish": "aegir docs --publish false"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "aegir": "^42.2.11",
+    "aegir": "^44.1.4",
     "npm-run-all": "^4.1.5"
   },
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/gateway-conformance/package.json b/packages/gateway-conformance/package.json
index b7fa5ad8..e396a2eb 100644
--- a/packages/gateway-conformance/package.json
+++ b/packages/gateway-conformance/package.json
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
     "@libp2p/peer-id": "^4.1.2",
     "@multiformats/dns": "^1.0.6",
     "@sgtpooki/file-type": "^1.0.1",
-    "aegir": "^42.2.11",
+    "aegir": "^44.1.4",
     "blockstore-core": "^4.4.1",
     "datastore-core": "^9.2.9",
     "execa": "^9.1.0",
diff --git a/packages/gateway-conformance/src/fixtures/basic-server.ts b/packages/gateway-conformance/src/fixtures/basic-server.ts
index 4f94958f..33f19374 100644
--- a/packages/gateway-conformance/src/fixtures/basic-server.ts
+++ b/packages/gateway-conformance/src/fixtures/basic-server.ts
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ export async function startVerifiedFetchGateway ({ kuboGateway, serverPort, IPFS
       log('Closed all connections')
       server.close((err: any) => {
         if (err != null) {
-          reject(err)
+          reject(err instanceof Error ? err : new Error(err))
         } else {
           resolve()
         }
diff --git a/packages/interop/package.json b/packages/interop/package.json
index 093ff940..46e3a15b 100644
--- a/packages/interop/package.json
+++ b/packages/interop/package.json
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@helia/verified-fetch": "1.5.0",
-    "aegir": "^42.2.11",
+    "aegir": "^44.1.4",
     "execa": "^9.1.0",
     "fast-glob": "^3.3.2",
     "ipfsd-ctl": "^14.1.0",
diff --git a/packages/verified-fetch/package.json b/packages/verified-fetch/package.json
index 559e7b38..f901f1e1 100644
--- a/packages/verified-fetch/package.json
+++ b/packages/verified-fetch/package.json
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
     "@libp2p/logger": "^5.1.1",
     "@sgtpooki/file-type": "^1.0.1",
     "@types/sinon": "^17.0.3",
-    "aegir": "^42.2.11",
+    "aegir": "^44.1.4",
     "blockstore-core": "^5.0.2",
     "browser-readablestream-to-it": "^2.0.7",
     "datastore-core": "^10.0.2",
diff --git a/packages/verified-fetch/src/utils/select-output-type.ts b/packages/verified-fetch/src/utils/select-output-type.ts
index 53d76326..5d98f653 100644
--- a/packages/verified-fetch/src/utils/select-output-type.ts
+++ b/packages/verified-fetch/src/utils/select-output-type.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ function parseQFactor (str?: string): number {
     str = str.trim()
   }
 
-  if (str == null || !str.startsWith('q=')) {
+  if (str?.startsWith('q=') !== true) {
     return 1
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/verified-fetch/test/utils/handle-redirects.spec.ts b/packages/verified-fetch/test/utils/handle-redirects.spec.ts
index 173cf4c6..6390c3b1 100644
--- a/packages/verified-fetch/test/utils/handle-redirects.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/verified-fetch/test/utils/handle-redirects.spec.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ describe('handle-redirects', () => {
     it('should return redirect response to requested host with trailing slash when HEAD fetch fails', async () => {
       const resource = 'http://ipfs.io/ipfs/bafkqabtimvwgy3yk'
       const options = { headers: new Headers({ 'x-forwarded-host': 'localhost:3931' }) }
-      fetchStub.returns(Promise.reject(new Response(null, { status: 404 })))
+      fetchStub.returns(new Response(null, { status: 404 }))
 
       const response = await getRedirectResponse({ resource, options, logger, cid, fetch: fetchStub })
       expect(fetchStub.calledOnce).to.be.true()
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ describe('handle-redirects', () => {
     it('should not return redirect response to x-forwarded-host if HEAD fetch fails', async () => {
       const resource = 'http://ipfs.io/ipfs/bafkqabtimvwgy3yk/file.txt'
       const options = { headers: new Headers({ 'x-forwarded-host': 'localhost:3931' }) }
-      fetchStub.returns(Promise.reject(new Response(null, { status: 404 })))
+      fetchStub.returns(new Response(null, { status: 404 }))
 
       const response = await getRedirectResponse({ resource, options, logger, cid, fetch: fetchStub })
       expect(fetchStub.calledOnce).to.be.true()
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ describe('handle-redirects', () => {
     it('should not return redirect response to x-forwarded-host when HEAD fetch fails and trailing slash already exists', async () => {
       const resource = 'http://ipfs.io/ipfs/bafkqabtimvwgy3yk/'
       const options = { headers: new Headers({ 'x-forwarded-host': 'localhost:3931' }) }
-      fetchStub.returns(Promise.reject(new Response(null, { status: 404 })))
+      fetchStub.returns(new Response(null, { status: 404 }))
 
       const response = await getRedirectResponse({ resource, options, logger, cid, fetch: fetchStub })
       expect(fetchStub.calledOnce).to.be.true()