diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index c6fc7146e3ad..48ca23a64557 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -141,11 +141,13 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 		outChan := make(chan interface{}, 8)
 		res.SetOutput((<-chan interface{})(outChan))
 
-		fileAdder, err := coreunix.NewAdder(req.Context(), n, outChan)
+		fileAdder, err := coreunix.NewAdder(req.Context(), n.Pinning, n.Blockstore, n.DAG)
 		if err != nil {
 			res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
 			return
 		}
+
+		fileAdder.Out = outChan
 		fileAdder.Chunker = chunker
 		fileAdder.Progress = progress
 		fileAdder.Hidden = hidden
diff --git a/core/coreunix/add.go b/core/coreunix/add.go
index 806fe52831b7..b815e42c513e 100644
--- a/core/coreunix/add.go
+++ b/core/coreunix/add.go
@@ -67,42 +67,46 @@ type AddedObject struct {
 	Bytes int64  `json:",omitempty"`
 }
 
-func NewAdder(ctx context.Context, n *core.IpfsNode, out chan interface{}) (*Adder, error) {
-	mr, err := mfs.NewRoot(ctx, n.DAG, newDirNode(), nil)
+func NewAdder(ctx context.Context, p pin.Pinner, bs bstore.GCBlockstore, ds dag.DAGService) (*Adder, error) {
+	mr, err := mfs.NewRoot(ctx, ds, newDirNode(), nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	return &Adder{
-		mr:       mr,
-		ctx:      ctx,
-		node:     n,
-		out:      out,
-		Progress: false,
-		Hidden:   true,
-		Pin:      true,
-		Trickle:  false,
-		Wrap:     false,
-		Chunker:  "",
+		mr:         mr,
+		ctx:        ctx,
+		pinning:    p,
+		blockstore: bs,
+		dagService: ds,
+		Progress:   false,
+		Hidden:     true,
+		Pin:        true,
+		Trickle:    false,
+		Wrap:       false,
+		Chunker:    "",
 	}, nil
+
 }
 
 // Internal structure for holding the switches passed to the `add` call
 type Adder struct {
-	ctx      context.Context
-	node     *core.IpfsNode
-	out      chan interface{}
-	Progress bool
-	Hidden   bool
-	Pin      bool
-	Trickle  bool
-	Silent   bool
-	Wrap     bool
-	Chunker  string
-	root     *dag.Node
-	mr       *mfs.Root
-	unlocker bs.Unlocker
-	tempRoot key.Key
+	ctx        context.Context
+	pinning    pin.Pinner
+	blockstore bstore.GCBlockstore
+	dagService dag.DAGService
+	Out        chan interface{}
+	Progress   bool
+	Hidden     bool
+	Pin        bool
+	Trickle    bool
+	Silent     bool
+	Wrap       bool
+	Chunker    string
+	root       *dag.Node
+	mr         *mfs.Root
+	unlocker   bs.Unlocker
+	tempRoot   key.Key
 }
 
 // Perform the actual add & pin locally, outputting results to reader
@@ -114,12 +118,12 @@ func (adder Adder) add(reader io.Reader) (*dag.Node, error) {
 
 	if adder.Trickle {
 		return importer.BuildTrickleDagFromReader(
-			adder.node.DAG,
+			adder.dagService,
 			chnk,
 		)
 	}
 	return importer.BuildDagFromReader(
-		adder.node.DAG,
+		adder.dagService,
 		chnk,
 	)
 }
@@ -137,7 +141,7 @@ func (adder *Adder) RootNode() (*dag.Node, error) {
 
 	// if not wrapping, AND one root file, use that hash as root.
 	if !adder.Wrap && len(root.Links) == 1 {
-		root, err = root.Links[0].GetNode(adder.ctx, adder.node.DAG)
+		root, err = root.Links[0].GetNode(adder.ctx, adder.dagService)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -156,21 +160,21 @@ func (adder *Adder) PinRoot() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	rnk, err := adder.node.DAG.Add(root)
+	rnk, err := adder.dagService.Add(root)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	if adder.tempRoot != "" {
-		err := adder.node.Pinning.Unpin(adder.ctx, adder.tempRoot, true)
+		err := adder.pinning.Unpin(adder.ctx, adder.tempRoot, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		adder.tempRoot = rnk
 	}
 
-	adder.node.Pinning.PinWithMode(rnk, pin.Recursive)
-	return adder.node.Pinning.Flush()
+	adder.pinning.PinWithMode(rnk, pin.Recursive)
+	return adder.pinning.Flush()
 }
 
 func (adder *Adder) Finalize() (*dag.Node, error) {
@@ -237,7 +241,7 @@ func (adder *Adder) outputDirs(path string, fs mfs.FSNode) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return outputDagnode(adder.out, path, nd)
+	return outputDagnode(adder.Out, path, nd)
 }
 
 // Add builds a merkledag from the a reader, pinning all objects to the local
@@ -245,7 +249,7 @@ func (adder *Adder) outputDirs(path string, fs mfs.FSNode) error {
 func Add(n *core.IpfsNode, r io.Reader) (string, error) {
 	defer n.Blockstore.PinLock().Unlock()
 
-	fileAdder, err := NewAdder(n.Context(), n, nil)
+	fileAdder, err := NewAdder(n.Context(), n.Pinning, n.Blockstore, n.DAG)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -277,7 +281,7 @@ func AddR(n *core.IpfsNode, root string) (key string, err error) {
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 
-	fileAdder, err := NewAdder(n.Context(), n, nil)
+	fileAdder, err := NewAdder(n.Context(), n.Pinning, n.Blockstore, n.DAG)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -306,7 +310,7 @@ func AddR(n *core.IpfsNode, root string) (key string, err error) {
 // the directory, and and error if any.
 func AddWrapped(n *core.IpfsNode, r io.Reader, filename string) (string, *dag.Node, error) {
 	file := files.NewReaderFile(filename, filename, ioutil.NopCloser(r), nil)
-	fileAdder, err := NewAdder(n.Context(), n, nil)
+	fileAdder, err := NewAdder(n.Context(), n.Pinning, n.Blockstore, n.DAG)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", nil, err
 	}
@@ -355,14 +359,14 @@ func (adder *Adder) addNode(node *dag.Node, path string) error {
 	}
 
 	if !adder.Silent {
-		return outputDagnode(adder.out, path, node)
+		return outputDagnode(adder.Out, path, node)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
 // Add the given file while respecting the adder.
 func (adder *Adder) AddFile(file files.File) error {
-	adder.unlocker = adder.node.Blockstore.PinLock()
+	adder.unlocker = adder.blockstore.PinLock()
 	defer func() {
 		adder.unlocker.Unlock()
 	}()
@@ -388,7 +392,7 @@ func (adder *Adder) addFile(file files.File) error {
 		}
 
 		dagnode := &dag.Node{Data: sdata}
-		_, err = adder.node.DAG.Add(dagnode)
+		_, err = adder.dagService.Add(dagnode)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -401,7 +405,7 @@ func (adder *Adder) addFile(file files.File) error {
 	// progress updates to the client (over the output channel)
 	var reader io.Reader = file
 	if adder.Progress {
-		reader = &progressReader{file: file, out: adder.out}
+		reader = &progressReader{file: file, out: adder.Out}
 	}
 
 	dagnode, err := adder.add(reader)
@@ -445,14 +449,14 @@ func (adder *Adder) addDir(dir files.File) error {
 }
 
 func (adder *Adder) maybePauseForGC() error {
-	if adder.node.Blockstore.GCRequested() {
+	if adder.blockstore.GCRequested() {
 		err := adder.PinRoot()
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
 		adder.unlocker.Unlock()
-		adder.unlocker = adder.node.Blockstore.PinLock()
+		adder.unlocker = adder.blockstore.PinLock()
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/core/coreunix/add_test.go b/core/coreunix/add_test.go
index c773f46216e9..76b3d9ff4397 100644
--- a/core/coreunix/add_test.go
+++ b/core/coreunix/add_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ func TestAddGCLive(t *testing.T) {
 
 	errs := make(chan error)
 	out := make(chan interface{})
-	adder, err := NewAdder(context.Background(), node, out)
+	adder, err := NewAdder(context.Background(), node.Pinning, node.Blockstore, node.DAG)
+	adder.Out = out
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}