diff --git a/comm.go b/comm.go
index ec67d32..24ad6f9 100644
--- a/comm.go
+++ b/comm.go
@@ -19,7 +19,18 @@ import (
 // get the initial RPC containing all of our subscriptions to send to new peers
 func (p *PubSub) getHelloPacket() *RPC {
 	var rpc RPC
+
+	subscriptions := make(map[string]bool)
+
 	for t := range p.mySubs {
+		subscriptions[t] = true
+	}
+
+	for t := range p.myRelays {
+		subscriptions[t] = true
+	}
+
+	for t := range subscriptions {
 		as := &pb.RPC_SubOpts{
 			Topicid:   proto.String(t),
 			Subscribe: proto.Bool(true),
diff --git a/pubsub.go b/pubsub.go
index 600f67c..3ac27fb 100644
--- a/pubsub.go
+++ b/pubsub.go
@@ -595,7 +595,9 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleRemoveTopic(req *rmTopicReq) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if len(topic.evtHandlers) == 0 && len(p.mySubs[req.topic.topic]) == 0 {
+	if len(topic.evtHandlers) == 0 &&
+		len(p.mySubs[req.topic.topic]) == 0 &&
+		p.myRelays[req.topic.topic] == 0 {
 		delete(p.myTopics, topic.topic)
 		req.resp <- nil
 		return
@@ -621,6 +623,10 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleRemoveSubscription(sub *Subscription) {
 
 	if len(subs) == 0 {
 		delete(p.mySubs, sub.topic)
+	}
+
+	// stop announcing only if there are no more subs and relays
+	if len(subs) == 0 && p.myRelays[sub.topic] == 0 {
 		p.disc.StopAdvertise(sub.topic)
 		p.announce(sub.topic, false)
 		p.rt.Leave(sub.topic)
@@ -635,8 +641,8 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleAddSubscription(req *addSubReq) {
 	sub := req.sub
 	subs := p.mySubs[sub.topic]
 
-	// announce we want this topic
-	if len(subs) == 0 {
+	// announce we want this topic if neither subs nor relays exist so far
+	if len(subs) == 0 && p.myRelays[sub.topic] == 0 {
 		p.disc.Advertise(sub.topic)
 		p.announce(sub.topic, true)
 		p.rt.Join(sub.topic)
@@ -659,20 +665,20 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleAddSubscription(req *addSubReq) {
 // relays for the topic.
 // Only called from processLoop.
 func (p *PubSub) handleAddRelay(req *addRelayReq) {
-	relays := p.myRelays[req.topic]
+	topic := req.topic
 
-	// announce we want this topic
-	if relays == 0 {
-		p.disc.Advertise(req.topic)
-		p.announce(req.topic, true)
-		p.rt.Join(req.topic)
+	// announce we want this topic if neither relays nor subs exist so far
+	if p.myRelays[topic] == 0 && len(p.mySubs[topic]) == 0 {
+		p.disc.Advertise(topic)
+		p.announce(topic, true)
+		p.rt.Join(topic)
 	}
 
-	p.myRelays[req.topic]++
+	p.myRelays[topic]++
 
 	req.resp <- func() {
 		select {
-		case p.rmRelay <- req.topic:
+		case p.rmRelay <- topic:
 		case <-p.ctx.Done():
 		}
 	}
@@ -691,6 +697,10 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleRemoveRelay(topic string) {
 
 	if p.myRelays[topic] == 0 {
 		delete(p.myRelays, topic)
+	}
+
+	// stop announcing only if there are no more relays and subs
+	if p.myRelays[topic] == 0 && len(p.mySubs[topic]) == 0 {
 		p.disc.StopAdvertise(topic)
 		p.announce(topic, false)
 		p.rt.Leave(topic)
@@ -722,7 +732,11 @@ func (p *PubSub) announceRetry(pid peer.ID, topic string, sub bool) {
 	time.Sleep(time.Duration(1+rand.Intn(1000)) * time.Millisecond)
 
 	retry := func() {
-		_, ok := p.mySubs[topic]
+		_, okSubs := p.mySubs[topic]
+		_, okRelays := p.myRelays[topic]
+
+		ok := okSubs || okRelays
+
 		if (ok && sub) || (!ok && !sub) {
 			p.doAnnounceRetry(pid, topic, sub)
 		}