diff --git a/src/resolver.js b/src/resolver.js
index 44d8091..b44f0cb 100644
--- a/src/resolver.js
+++ b/src/resolver.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const traverse = require('traverse')
 exports = module.exports
 
 exports.multicodec = 'git-raw'
+exports.defaultHashAlg = 'sha1'
 
 const personInfoPaths = [
   'original',
diff --git a/src/util.js b/src/util.js
index 3b12aeb..290cbc8 100644
--- a/src/util.js
+++ b/src/util.js
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ exports.deserialize = (data, callback) => {
 exports.cid = (dagNode, callback) => {
   waterfall([
     (cb) => exports.serialize(dagNode, cb),
-    (serialized, cb) => multihashing(serialized, 'sha1', cb),
+    (serialized, cb) => multihashing(serialized, resolver.defaultHashAlg, cb),
     (mh, cb) => cb(null, new CID(1, resolver.multicodec, mh))
   ], callback)
 }
diff --git a/test/resolver.spec.js b/test/resolver.spec.js
index 651d1f4..3d9db42 100644
--- a/test/resolver.spec.js
+++ b/test/resolver.spec.js
@@ -297,3 +297,15 @@ describe('IPLD format resolver (local)', () => {
     })
   })
 })
+
+describe('IPLD format resolver API properties', () => {
+  it('should have `multicodec` defined correctly', (done) => {
+    expect(resolver.multicodec).to.equal('git-raw')
+    done()
+  })
+
+  it('should have `defaultHashAlg` defined correctly', (done) => {
+    expect(resolver.defaultHashAlg).to.equal('sha1')
+    done()
+  })
+})