diff --git a/library/waku_thread/inter_thread_communication/requests/protocols/relay_request.nim b/library/waku_thread/inter_thread_communication/requests/protocols/relay_request.nim
index 6a940e27e..4f7c8ac5e 100644
--- a/library/waku_thread/inter_thread_communication/requests/protocols/relay_request.nim
+++ b/library/waku_thread/inter_thread_communication/requests/protocols/relay_request.nim
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import chronicles, chronos, stew/byteutils, results
 import
   ../../../../../waku/waku_core/message/message,
   ../../../../../waku/factory/[external_config, validator_signed, waku],
+  ../../../../../waku/waku_node,
   ../../../../../waku/waku_core/message,
   ../../../../../waku/waku_core/time, # Timestamp
   ../../../../../waku/waku_core/topics/pubsub_topic,
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ proc process*(
   case self.operation
   of SUBSCRIBE:
     # TO DO: properly perform 'subscribe'
+    waku.node.registerRelayDefaultHandler($self.pubsubTopic)
     discard waku.node.wakuRelay.subscribe($self.pubsubTopic, self.relayEventCallback)
   of UNSUBSCRIBE:
     # TODO: properly perform 'unsubscribe'
diff --git a/waku/node/waku_node.nim b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
index 5b4f9900f..7ce23914d 100644
--- a/waku/node/waku_node.nim
+++ b/waku/node/waku_node.nim
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ proc mountStoreSync*(
 
 ## Waku relay
 
-proc registerRelayDefaultHandler(node: WakuNode, topic: PubsubTopic) =
+proc registerRelayDefaultHandler*(node: WakuNode, topic: PubsubTopic) =
   if node.wakuRelay.isSubscribed(topic):
     return