diff --git a/src/dont-break.js b/src/dont-break.js
index 035e464..53cd333 100644
--- a/src/dont-break.js
+++ b/src/dont-break.js
@@ -327,7 +327,9 @@ function dontBreakDependents (options, dependents) {
       projects: dependents
     }
   }
-  la(check.arrayOf(check.object, dependents.projects) || check.arrayOfStrings(dependents.projects), 'invalid dependents', dependents.projects)
+  la(check.arrayOf(function (item) {
+    return check.object(item) || check.string(item)
+  }, dependents.projects), 'invalid dependents', dependents.projects)
   debug('dependents', dependents)
   if (check.empty(dependents)) {
     return Promise.resolve()