diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index b1d898f..fa12638 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -341,12 +341,12 @@ class DHT extends EventEmitter {
 
   setEphemeral (ephemeral = false, cb) {
     if (ephemeral === true) {
-      this._io._updateId(null)
+      this._io.id = null
       this.ephemeral = true
       if (cb) process.nextTick(cb)
       return
     }
-    this._io._updateId(this.id)
+    this._io.id = this.id
     this.bootstrap((err) => {
       if (err) {
         if (cb) cb(err)
diff --git a/lib/io.js b/lib/io.js
index c9ed589..f0da170 100644
--- a/lib/io.js
+++ b/lib/io.js
@@ -294,10 +294,6 @@ class IO {
       value
     }, peer, callback)
   }
-
-  _updateId (id) {
-    this.id = id
-  }
 }
 
 IO.QUERY = QUERY