diff --git a/aedes.js b/aedes.js
index e7de15fa..b9c1d024 100644
--- a/aedes.js
+++ b/aedes.js
@@ -115,27 +115,25 @@ function Aedes (opts) {
   }
 
   function checkAndPublish (will, done) {
-    const needsPublishing =
-      !that.brokers[will.brokerId] ||
-      that.brokers[will.brokerId] + (3 * opts.heartbeatInterval) <
-      Date.now()
-
-    if (needsPublishing) {
-      // randomize this, so that multiple brokers
-      // do not publish the same wills at the same time
-      that.publish(will, function publishWill (err) {
-        if (err) {
-          return done(err)
-        }
+    const notPublish =
+      that.brokers[will.brokerId] !== undefined && that.brokers[will.brokerId] + (3 * opts.heartbeatInterval) >= Date.now()
+
+    if (notPublish) return done()
 
+    // randomize this, so that multiple brokers
+    // do not publish the same wills at the same time
+    this.authorizePublish(that.clients[will.clientId] || null, will, function (err) {
+      if (err) { return doneWill() }
+      that.publish(will, doneWill)
+
+      function doneWill (err) {
+        if (err) { return done(err) }
         that.persistence.delWill({
           id: will.clientId,
           brokerId: will.brokerId
         }, done)
-      })
-    } else {
-      done()
-    }
+      }
+    })
   }
 
   this.mq.on($SYS_PREFIX + '+/heartbeat', function storeBroker (packet, done) {
diff --git a/docs/Aedes.md b/docs/Aedes.md
index 8e7f41ae..67f15e7c 100644
--- a/docs/Aedes.md
+++ b/docs/Aedes.md
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ Please refer to [Connect Return Code](http://docs.oasis-open.org/mqtt/mqtt/v3.1.
 
 ## Handler: authorizePublish (client, packet, callback)
 
-- client: [`<Client>`](./Client.md)
+- client: [`<Client>`](./Client.md) | `null`
 - packet: `<object>` [`PUBLISH`][PUBLISH]
 - callback: `<Function>` `(error) => void`
   - error `<Error>` | `null`
@@ -301,6 +301,8 @@ Invoked when
 1. publish LWT to all online clients
 2. incoming client publish
 
+`client` is `null` when aedes publishes obsolete LWT without connected clients
+
 If invoked `callback` with no errors, server authorizes the packet otherwise emits `clientError` with `error`. If an `error` occurs the client connection will be closed, but no error is returned to the client (MQTT-3.3.5-2)
 
 ```js
diff --git a/test/types/aedes.test-d.ts b/test/types/aedes.test-d.ts
index 448ee621..a4a813f7 100644
--- a/test/types/aedes.test-d.ts
+++ b/test/types/aedes.test-d.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ broker = new Aedes({
       callback(error, false)
     }
   },
-  authorizePublish: (client: Client, packet: PublishPacket, callback) => {
+  authorizePublish: (client: Client | null, packet: PublishPacket, callback) => {
     if (packet.topic === 'aaaa') {
       return callback(new Error('wrong topic'))
     }
diff --git a/test/will.js b/test/will.js
index 640249e8..d2893d28 100644
--- a/test/will.js
+++ b/test/will.js
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ test('calling close two times should not deliver two wills', function (t) {
 })
 
 test('delivers old will in case of a crash', function (t) {
-  t.plan(6)
+  t.plan(8)
 
   const persistence = memory()
   const will = {
@@ -91,10 +91,16 @@ test('delivers old will in case of a crash', function (t) {
   }, will, function (err) {
     t.error(err, 'no error')
 
+    let authorized = false
     const interval = 10 // ms, so that the will check happens fast!
     const broker = aedes({
       persistence,
-      heartbeatInterval: interval
+      heartbeatInterval: interval,
+      authorizePublish: function (client, packet, callback) {
+        t.strictSame(client, null, 'client must be null')
+        authorized = true
+        callback(null)
+      }
     })
     t.teardown(broker.close.bind(broker))
 
@@ -113,6 +119,48 @@ test('delivers old will in case of a crash', function (t) {
       t.same(packet.payload, will.payload, 'payload matches')
       t.equal(packet.qos, will.qos, 'qos matches')
       t.equal(packet.retain, will.retain, 'retain matches')
+      t.equal(authorized, true, 'authorization called')
+      cb()
+    }
+  })
+})
+
+test('deliver old will without authorization in case of a crash', function (t) {
+  t.plan(2)
+
+  const persistence = memory()
+  const will = {
+    topic: 'mywill',
+    payload: Buffer.from('last will'),
+    qos: 0,
+    retain: false
+  }
+
+  persistence.broker = {
+    id: 'anotherBroker'
+  }
+
+  persistence.putWill({
+    id: 'myClientId42'
+  }, will, function (err) {
+    t.error(err, 'no error')
+
+    const interval = 10 // ms, so that the will check happens fast!
+    const broker = aedes({
+      persistence,
+      heartbeatInterval: interval,
+      authorizePublish: function (client, packet, callback) {
+        t.strictSame(client, null, 'client must be null')
+        callback(new Error())
+      }
+    })
+
+    t.teardown(broker.close.bind(broker))
+
+    broker.mq.on('mywill', check)
+
+    function check (packet, cb) {
+      t.fail('received will without authorization')
       cb()
     }
   })
diff --git a/types/instance.d.ts b/types/instance.d.ts
index 06ff02f0..dc22b355 100644
--- a/types/instance.d.ts
+++ b/types/instance.d.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ declare module 'aedes' {
     done: (error: AuthenticateError | null, success: boolean | null) => void
   ) => void
 
-  type AuthorizePublishHandler = (client: Client, packet: PublishPacket, callback: (error?: Error | null) => void) => void
+  type AuthorizePublishHandler = (client: Client | null, packet: PublishPacket, callback: (error?: Error | null) => void) => void
 
   type AuthorizeSubscribeHandler = (client: Client, subscription: Subscription, callback: (error: Error | null, subscription?: Subscription | null) => void) => void