diff --git a/packages/ipfs-http-client/package.json b/packages/ipfs-http-client/package.json
index 00ccbac4e5..31fe7d8b76 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-http-client/package.json
+++ b/packages/ipfs-http-client/package.json
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
     "multiformats": "^9.4.1",
     "nanoid": "^3.1.12",
     "native-abort-controller": "^1.0.3",
+    "p-defer": "^3.0.0",
     "parse-duration": "^1.0.0",
     "stream-to-it": "^0.2.2",
     "uint8arrays": "^2.1.6"
@@ -77,7 +78,6 @@
     "it-concat": "^2.0.0",
     "it-first": "^1.0.4",
     "nock": "^13.0.2",
-    "p-defer": "^3.0.0",
     "rimraf": "^3.0.2"
   },
   "engines": {
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/subscribe.js b/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/subscribe.js
index db99bf128f..d265ea6a6b 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/subscribe.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/subscribe.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const uint8ArrayToString = require('uint8arrays/to-string')
 const log = require('debug')('ipfs-http-client:pubsub:subscribe')
 const configure = require('../lib/configure')
 const toUrlSearchParams = require('../lib/to-url-search-params')
+const defer = require('p-defer')
 
 /**
  * @typedef {import('../types').HTTPClientExtraOptions} HTTPClientExtraOptions
@@ -24,7 +25,9 @@ module.exports = (options, subsTracker) => {
      * @type {PubsubAPI["subscribe"]}
      */
     async function subscribe (topic, handler, options = {}) { // eslint-disable-line require-await
-      options.signal = subsTracker.subscribe(topic, handler, options.signal)
+      const end = defer()
+
+      options.signal = subsTracker.subscribe(topic, handler, end.promise, options.signal)
 
       /** @type {(value?: any) => void} */
       let done
@@ -73,6 +76,9 @@ module.exports = (options, subsTracker) => {
 
             done()
           })
+          .finally(() => {
+            end.resolve()
+          })
       }, 0)
 
       return result
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/subscription-tracker.js b/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/subscription-tracker.js
index faf15ad6c4..fc5777d069 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/subscription-tracker.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/subscription-tracker.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const { AbortController } = require('native-abort-controller')
  * @typedef {Object} Subscription
  * @property {MessageHandlerFn} handler
  * @property {AbortController} controller
+ * @property {Promise<void>} end
  */
 
 class SubscriptionTracker {
@@ -19,9 +20,10 @@ class SubscriptionTracker {
   /**
    * @param {string} topic
    * @param {MessageHandlerFn} handler
+   * @param {Promise<void>} end
    * @param {AbortSignal} [signal]
    */
-  subscribe (topic, handler, signal) {
+  subscribe (topic, handler, end, signal) {
     const topicSubs = this._subs.get(topic) || []
 
     if (topicSubs.find(s => s.handler === handler)) {
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ class SubscriptionTracker {
     // Create controller so a call to unsubscribe can cancel the request
     const controller = new AbortController()
 
-    this._subs.set(topic, [{ handler, controller }].concat(topicSubs))
+    this._subs.set(topic, [{ handler, controller, end }].concat(topicSubs))
 
     // If there is an external signal, forward the abort event
     if (signal) {
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ class SubscriptionTracker {
    * @param {string} topic
    * @param {MessageHandlerFn} [handler]
    */
-  unsubscribe (topic, handler) {
+  async unsubscribe (topic, handler) {
     const subs = this._subs.get(topic) || []
     let unsubs
 
@@ -62,6 +64,10 @@ class SubscriptionTracker {
     }
 
     unsubs.forEach(s => s.controller.abort())
+
+    await Promise.all(
+      unsubs.map(sub => sub.end)
+    )
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/unsubscribe.js b/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/unsubscribe.js
index 79c40eb3ba..1b00f88117 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/unsubscribe.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-http-client/src/pubsub/unsubscribe.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ module.exports = (options, subsTracker) => {
    * @type {PubsubAPI["unsubscribe"]}
    */
   async function unsubscribe (topic, handler) {
-    subsTracker.unsubscribe(topic, handler)
+    await subsTracker.unsubscribe(topic, handler)
   }
   return unsubscribe
 }