diff --git a/spec/operators/catch-spec.ts b/spec/operators/catch-spec.ts
index 5902db3d22..379509af08 100644
--- a/spec/operators/catch-spec.ts
+++ b/spec/operators/catch-spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 import { concat, defer, Observable, of, throwError, EMPTY, from } from 'rxjs';
-import { catchError, map, mergeMap, takeWhile } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { catchError, map, mergeMap, takeWhile, delay } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import * as sinon from 'sinon';
 import { createObservableInputs } from '../helpers/test-helper';
 import { TestScheduler } from 'rxjs/testing';
@@ -431,8 +431,8 @@ describe('catchError operator', () => {
   // TODO(v8): see https://github.com/ReactiveX/rxjs/issues/5115
   // The re-implementation in version 8 should fix the problem in the
   // referenced issue. Closed subscribers should remain closed.
-  /*
-  it('issue #5115', (done: MochaDone) => {
+  
+  it('Properly handle async handled result if source is synchronous', (done: MochaDone) => {
     const source = new Observable<string>(observer => {
       observer.error(new Error('kaboom!'));
       observer.complete();
@@ -456,5 +456,5 @@ describe('catchError operator', () => {
       }
     );
   });
-  */
+
 });
diff --git a/src/internal/operators/catchError.ts b/src/internal/operators/catchError.ts
index c60fa130bc..64572c2b7c 100644
--- a/src/internal/operators/catchError.ts
+++ b/src/internal/operators/catchError.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
-import { Operator } from '../Operator';
+/** @prettier */
 import { Subscriber } from '../Subscriber';
 import { Observable } from '../Observable';
 
 import { ObservableInput, OperatorFunction, ObservedValueOf } from '../types';
 import { lift } from '../util/lift';
-import { SimpleOuterSubscriber, innerSubscribe, SimpleInnerSubscriber } from '../innerSubscribe';
+import { Subscription } from '../Subscription';
+import { from } from '../observable/from';
 
 /* tslint:disable:max-line-length */
-export function catchError<T, O extends ObservableInput<any>>(selector: (err: any, caught: Observable<T>) => O): OperatorFunction<T, T | ObservedValueOf<O>>;
+export function catchError<T, O extends ObservableInput<any>>(
+  selector: (err: any, caught: Observable<T>) => O
+): OperatorFunction<T, T | ObservedValueOf<O>>;
 /* tslint:enable:max-line-length */
 
 /**
@@ -105,55 +108,48 @@ export function catchError<T, O extends ObservableInput<any>>(selector: (err: an
 export function catchError<T, O extends ObservableInput<any>>(
   selector: (err: any, caught: Observable<T>) => O
 ): OperatorFunction<T, T | ObservedValueOf<O>> {
-  return function catchErrorOperatorFunction(source: Observable<T>): Observable<T | ObservedValueOf<O>> {
-    const operator = new CatchOperator(selector);
-    const caught = lift(source, operator);
-    operator.caught = caught;
-    return caught;
-  };
-}
+  return (source: Observable<T>) =>
+    lift(source, function (this: Subscriber<T>, source: Observable<T>) {
+      const subscriber = this;
+      const subscription = new Subscription();
+      let innerSub: Subscription | null = null;
+      let syncUnsub = false;
+      let handledResult: Observable<ObservedValueOf<O>>;
 
-class CatchOperator<T, R> implements Operator<T, T | R> {
-  caught: Observable<T> | undefined;
+      const handleError = (err: any) => {
+        try {
+          handledResult = from(selector(err, catchError(selector)(source)));
+        } catch (err) {
+          subscriber.error(err);
+          return;
+        }
+      };
 
-  constructor(private selector: (err: any, caught: Observable<T>) => ObservableInput<T | R>) {
-  }
-
-  call(subscriber: Subscriber<R>, source: any): any {
-    return source.subscribe(new CatchSubscriber(subscriber, this.selector, this.caught!));
-  }
-}
+      innerSub = source.subscribe({
+        next: (value) => subscriber.next(value),
+        error: (err) => {
+          handleError(err);
+          if (handledResult) {
+            if (innerSub) {
+              innerSub.unsubscribe();
+              innerSub = null;
+              subscription.add(handledResult.subscribe(subscriber));
+            } else {
+              syncUnsub = true;
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        complete: () => subscriber.complete(),
+      });
 
-/**
- * We need this JSDoc comment for affecting ESDoc.
- * @ignore
- * @extends {Ignored}
- */
-class CatchSubscriber<T, R> extends SimpleOuterSubscriber<T, T | R> {
-  constructor(destination: Subscriber<any>,
-              private selector: (err: any, caught: Observable<T>) => ObservableInput<T | R>,
-              private caught: Observable<T>) {
-    super(destination);
-  }
-
-  // NOTE: overriding `error` instead of `_error` because we don't want
-  // to have this flag this subscriber as `isStopped`. We can mimic the
-  // behavior of the RetrySubscriber (from the `retry` operator), where
-  // we unsubscribe from our source chain, reset our Subscriber flags,
-  // then subscribe to the selector result.
-  error(err: any) {
-    if (!this.isStopped) {
-      let result: any;
-      try {
-        result = this.selector(err, this.caught);
-      } catch (err2) {
-        super.error(err2);
-        return;
+      if (syncUnsub) {
+        innerSub.unsubscribe();
+        innerSub = null;
+        subscription.add(handledResult!.subscribe(subscriber));
+      } else {
+        subscription.add(innerSub);
       }
-      this._unsubscribeAndRecycle();
-      const innerSubscriber = new SimpleInnerSubscriber(this);
-      this.add(innerSubscriber);
-      innerSubscribe(result, innerSubscriber);
-    }
-  }
+
+      return subscription;
+    });
 }