diff --git a/waku/nwaku.go b/waku/nwaku.go
index 5f284d8..b6ab7d7 100644
--- a/waku/nwaku.go
+++ b/waku/nwaku.go
@@ -425,9 +425,7 @@ func (w *Waku) DialPeer(address multiaddr.Multiaddr) error {
 }
 
 // TODO: change pubsub topic to shard notation everywhere
-func (w *Waku) RelayPublish(message *pb.WakuMessage, pubsubTopic string) (pb.MessageHash, error) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(w.ctx, requestTimeout)
-	defer cancel()
+func (w *Waku) RelayPublish(ctx context.Context, message *pb.WakuMessage, pubsubTopic string) (pb.MessageHash, error) {
 	return w.node.RelayPublish(ctx, message, pubsubTopic)
 }
 
diff --git a/waku/nwaku_test.go b/waku/nwaku_test.go
index 4dd5f28..1301fdb 100644
--- a/waku/nwaku_test.go
+++ b/waku/nwaku_test.go
@@ -457,7 +457,9 @@ func TestRelay(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	// send message
 	pubsubTopic := FormatWakuRelayTopic(senderNodeWakuConfig.ClusterID, senderNodeWakuConfig.Shards[0])
-	senderNode.RelayPublish(message, pubsubTopic)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), requestTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	senderNode.RelayPublish(ctx, message, pubsubTopic)
 
 	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
 	wg.Add(1)