diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index e22df34..4b540cd 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ endif
 RM=rm -f
 FIND=find
 
-INCLUDES=-Ilibstrophe -Ideps \
+INCLUDES=-Ilibstrophe -Ideps -Ideps/fmt/include \
 	 $(shell xml2-config --cflags) \
 	 $(shell pkg-config --cflags librnp-0) \
 	 $(shell pkg-config --cflags libomemo-c)
@@ -88,14 +88,11 @@ xmpp.so: $(OBJS) $(DEPS) $(HDRS)
 		patchelf --set-rpath $(LIBRARY_PATH):$(shell realpath $(shell dirname $(shell gcc --print-libgcc-file-name))/../../../) xmpp.so && \
 		patchelf --shrink-rpath xmpp.so || true
 
-.%.o: %.cpp
-	@$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
-
 .%.o: %.c
 	@$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
-xmpp/.%.o: xmpp/%.c
-	@$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+.%.o: %.cpp
+	@$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
 xmpp/.%.o: xmpp/%.cpp
 	@$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
diff --git a/omemo.cpp b/omemo.cpp
index 5f4c1ad..b95151f 100644
--- a/omemo.cpp
+++ b/omemo.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // License, version 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 // file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 
+#include <fmt/core.h>
 #include <memory>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@
 #include <session_pre_key.h>
 #include <protocol.h>
 #include <curve.h>
-#include <lmdb.h>
+#include <lmdb++.h>
 #include <strophe.h>
 #include <weechat/weechat-plugin.h>
 
@@ -2107,28 +2108,21 @@ void omemo__init(struct t_gui_buffer *buffer, struct t_omemo **omemo,
         return;
     }
 
-    MDB_txn *parentTransaction = NULL;
-    MDB_txn *transaction = NULL;
-    if (mdb_txn_begin(new_omemo->db->env, parentTransaction, 0, &transaction)) {
-        weechat_printf(NULL, "%sxmpp: failed to open lmdb transaction",
-                       weechat_prefix("error"));
-        return;
-    }
+    try {
+        MDB_txn *parentTransaction = NULL;
+        lmdb::txn transaction = lmdb::txn::begin(new_omemo->db->env, parentTransaction);
 
-    size_t db_name_len = strlen("omemo_") + strlen(account_name);
-    char *db_name = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (db_name_len + 1));
-    snprintf(db_name, db_name_len+1, "omemo_%s", account_name);
-    if (mdb_dbi_open(transaction, db_name, MDB_CREATE, &new_omemo->db->dbi_omemo)) {
-        weechat_printf(NULL, "%sxmpp: failed to open lmdb database",
-                       weechat_prefix("error"));
-        return;
-    }
+        size_t db_name_len = strlen("omemo_") + strlen(account_name);
+        char *db_name = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * (db_name_len + 1));
+        snprintf(db_name, db_name_len+1, "omemo_%s", account_name);
+        new_omemo->db->dbi_omemo = lmdb::dbi::open(transaction, db_name, MDB_CREATE);
 
-    if (mdb_txn_commit(transaction)) {
-        weechat_printf(NULL, "%sxmpp: failed to close lmdb transaction",
-                       weechat_prefix("error"));
+        transaction.commit();
+    } catch (const std::exception& ex) {
+        auto format = fmt::format("%sxmpp: lmdb failure {}", ex.what());
+        weechat_printf(NULL, format.data(), weechat_prefix("error"));
         return;
-    };
+    }
 
     struct signal_crypto_provider crypto_provider = {
         .random_func = &cp_random_generator,