diff --git a/scripts/db-export.ts b/scripts/db-export.ts
index 29d347fc..08e9af69 100644
--- a/scripts/db-export.ts
+++ b/scripts/db-export.ts
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ async function exportEvents(args: ExportFilter) {
   let filter: NostrFilter = {};
   try {
     filter = buildFilter(args);
-  } catch (e: any) {
-    die(1, e.message || e.toString());
+  } catch (e) {
+    die(1, e instanceof Error ? e.message : e);
   }
 
   let count = 0;
diff --git a/src/controllers/nostr/relay.ts b/src/controllers/nostr/relay.ts
index f62ad76b..71397ee8 100644
--- a/src/controllers/nostr/relay.ts
+++ b/src/controllers/nostr/relay.ts
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ function connectStream(socket: WebSocket, ip: string | undefined) {
       for (const event of await store.query(filters, { limit: FILTER_LIMIT, timeout: Conf.db.timeouts.relay })) {
         send(['EVENT', subId, purifyEvent(event)]);
       }
-    } catch (e: any) {
+    } catch (e) {
       if (e instanceof RelayError) {
         send(['CLOSED', subId, e.message]);
-      } else if (e.message.includes('timeout')) {
+      } else if (e instanceof Error && e.message.includes('timeout')) {
         send(['CLOSED', subId, 'error: the relay could not respond fast enough']);
       } else {
         send(['CLOSED', subId, 'error: something went wrong']);
diff --git a/src/storages/EventsDB.ts b/src/storages/EventsDB.ts
index 208e0c72..4413ef5e 100644
--- a/src/storages/EventsDB.ts
+++ b/src/storages/EventsDB.ts
@@ -76,10 +76,10 @@ class EventsDB extends NPostgres {
 
     try {
       await super.event(event, { ...opts, timeout: opts.timeout ?? this.opts.timeout });
-    } catch (e: any) {
-      if (e.message === 'Cannot add a deleted event') {
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Cannot add a deleted event') {
         throw new RelayError('blocked', 'event deleted by user');
-      } else if (e.message === 'Cannot replace an event with an older event') {
+      } else if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Cannot replace an event with an older event') {
         return;
       } else {
         throw e;
diff --git a/src/trends.ts b/src/trends.ts
index cf4f7c96..aced6800 100644
--- a/src/trends.ts
+++ b/src/trends.ts
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ export async function updateTrendingTags(
 
     await handleEvent(label, signal);
     console.info(`Trending ${l} updated.`);
-  } catch (e: any) {
-    console.error(`Error updating trending ${l}: ${e.message}`);
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error(`Error updating trending ${l}: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : e}`);
   }
 }