diff --git a/floodsub_test.go b/floodsub_test.go
index dfd4e7e..6541638 100644
--- a/floodsub_test.go
+++ b/floodsub_test.go
@@ -1210,3 +1210,166 @@ func TestSubscriptionLeaveNotification(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("blacklisting peer did not cause a leave event"))
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSubscriptionNotificationOverflow(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	const topic = "foobar"
+
+	const numHosts = 35
+	hosts := getNetHosts(t, ctx, numHosts)
+
+	psubs := getPubsubs(ctx, hosts)
+
+	msgs := make([]*Subscription, numHosts)
+	subPeersFound := make([]map[peer.ID]struct{}, numHosts)
+
+	// Subscribe all peers except one and wait until they've all been found
+	for i := 1; i < numHosts; i++ {
+		subch, err := psubs[i].Subscribe(topic)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		msgs[i] = subch
+	}
+
+	connectAll(t, hosts)
+
+	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+
+	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
+	for i := 1; i < numHosts; i++ {
+		peersFound := make(map[peer.ID]struct{})
+		subPeersFound[i] = peersFound
+		sub := msgs[i]
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func(peersFound map[peer.ID]struct{}) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			for len(peersFound) < numHosts-2 {
+				event, err := sub.NextPeerEvent(ctx)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				if event.Type == PEER_JOIN {
+					peersFound[event.Peer] = struct{}{}
+				}
+			}
+		}(peersFound)
+	}
+
+	wg.Wait()
+	for _, peersFound := range subPeersFound[1:] {
+		if len(peersFound) != numHosts-2 {
+			t.Fatalf("found %d peers, expected %d", len(peersFound), numHosts-2)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Wait for remaining peer to find other peers
+	for len(psubs[0].ListPeers(topic)) < numHosts-1 {
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+	}
+
+	// Subscribe the remaining peer and check that all the events came through
+	sub, err := psubs[0].Subscribe(topic)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	msgs[0] = sub
+
+	peerState := readAllQueuedEvents(ctx, t, sub)
+
+	if len(peerState) != numHosts-1 {
+		t.Fatal("incorrect number of peers found")
+	}
+
+	for _, e := range peerState {
+		if e != PEER_JOIN {
+			t.Fatal("non JOIN event occurred")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Unsubscribe all peers except one and check that all the events came through
+	for i := 1; i < numHosts; i++ {
+		msgs[i].Cancel()
+	}
+
+	// Wait for remaining peer to find other peers
+	for len(psubs[0].ListPeers(topic)) != 0 {
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+	}
+
+	peerState = readAllQueuedEvents(ctx, t, sub)
+
+	if len(peerState) != numHosts-1 {
+		t.Fatal("incorrect number of peers found")
+	}
+
+	for _, e := range peerState {
+		if e != PEER_LEAVE {
+			t.Fatal("non LEAVE event occurred")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Resubscribe and Unsubscribe a peers and check the state for consistency
+	notifSubThenUnSub(ctx, t, topic, psubs, msgs, 10)
+	notifSubThenUnSub(ctx, t, topic, psubs, msgs, numHosts-1)
+}
+
+func notifSubThenUnSub(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, topic string,
+	psubs []*PubSub, msgs []*Subscription, checkSize int) {
+
+	ps := psubs[0]
+	sub := msgs[0]
+
+	var err error
+
+	for i := 1; i < checkSize+1; i++ {
+		msgs[i], err = psubs[i].Subscribe(topic)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	for len(ps.ListPeers(topic)) < checkSize {
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+	}
+
+	for i := 1; i < checkSize+1; i++ {
+		msgs[i].Cancel()
+	}
+
+	// Wait for subscriptions to register
+	for len(ps.ListPeers(topic)) < 0 {
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+	}
+
+	peerState := readAllQueuedEvents(ctx, t, sub)
+
+	if len(peerState) != 0 {
+		t.Fatal("Received incorrect events")
+	}
+}
+
+func readAllQueuedEvents(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, sub *Subscription) map[peer.ID]EventType {
+	peerState := make(map[peer.ID]EventType)
+	for {
+		ctx, _ := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Millisecond*100)
+		event, err := sub.NextPeerEvent(ctx)
+		if err == context.DeadlineExceeded {
+			break
+		} else if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		e, ok := peerState[event.Peer]
+		if !ok {
+			peerState[event.Peer] = event.Type
+		} else if e != event.Type {
+			delete(peerState, event.Peer)
+		}
+	}
+	return peerState
+}
diff --git a/pubsub.go b/pubsub.go
index 580d4fa..37391cd 100644
--- a/pubsub.go
+++ b/pubsub.go
@@ -454,20 +454,12 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleAddSubscription(req *addSubReq) {
 	}
 
 	tmap := p.topics[sub.topic]
-	inboundBufSize := len(tmap)
-	if inboundBufSize < 32 {
-		inboundBufSize = 32
-	}
 
-	sub.ch = make(chan *Message, 32)
-	sub.joinCh = make(chan peer.ID, inboundBufSize)
-	sub.leaveCh = make(chan peer.ID, 32)
+	for p := range tmap {
+		sub.evtBacklog[p] = PEER_JOIN
+	}
 	sub.cancelCh = p.cancelCh
 
-	for pid := range tmap {
-		sub.joinCh <- pid
-	}
-
 	p.myTopics[sub.topic][sub] = struct{}{}
 
 	req.resp <- sub
@@ -581,11 +573,7 @@ func (p *PubSub) subscribedToMsg(msg *pb.Message) bool {
 func (p *PubSub) notifyLeave(topic string, pid peer.ID) {
 	if subs, ok := p.myTopics[topic]; ok {
 		for s := range subs {
-			select {
-			case s.leaveCh <- pid:
-			default:
-				log.Infof("Can't deliver leave event to subscription for topic %s; subscriber too slow", topic)
-			}
+			s.sendNotification(PeerEvent{PEER_LEAVE, pid})
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -605,11 +593,7 @@ func (p *PubSub) handleIncomingRPC(rpc *RPC) {
 				if subs, ok := p.myTopics[t]; ok {
 					peer := rpc.from
 					for s := range subs {
-						select {
-						case s.joinCh <- peer:
-						default:
-							log.Infof("Can't deliver join event to subscription for topic %s; subscriber too slow", t)
-						}
+						s.sendNotification(PeerEvent{PEER_JOIN, peer})
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -712,6 +696,11 @@ func (p *PubSub) SubscribeByTopicDescriptor(td *pb.TopicDescriptor, opts ...SubO
 
 	sub := &Subscription{
 		topic: td.GetName(),
+
+		ch:         make(chan *Message, 32),
+		peerEvtCh:  make(chan PeerEvent, 32),
+		evtBacklog: make(map[peer.ID]EventType),
+		backlogCh:  make(chan PeerEvent, 1),
 	}
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
diff --git a/subscription.go b/subscription.go
index 7c4bdbe..ae33cde 100644
--- a/subscription.go
+++ b/subscription.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package pubsub
 import (
 	"context"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
+	"sync"
 )
 
 type EventType int
@@ -16,9 +17,12 @@ type Subscription struct {
 	topic    string
 	ch       chan *Message
 	cancelCh chan<- *Subscription
-	joinCh   chan peer.ID
-	leaveCh  chan peer.ID
 	err      error
+
+	peerEvtCh  chan PeerEvent
+	eventMx    sync.Mutex
+	evtBacklog map[peer.ID]EventType
+	backlogCh  chan PeerEvent
 }
 
 type PeerEvent struct {
@@ -50,29 +54,77 @@ func (sub *Subscription) Cancel() {
 
 func (sub *Subscription) close() {
 	close(sub.ch)
-	close(sub.joinCh)
-	close(sub.leaveCh)
+}
+
+func (sub *Subscription) sendNotification(evt PeerEvent) {
+	sub.eventMx.Lock()
+	defer sub.eventMx.Unlock()
+
+	e, ok := sub.evtBacklog[evt.Peer]
+	if ok && e != evt.Type {
+		delete(sub.evtBacklog, evt.Peer)
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case sub.peerEvtCh <- evt:
+	default:
+		// Empty event queue into backlog
+	emptyqueue:
+		for {
+			select {
+			case e := <-sub.peerEvtCh:
+				sub.addToBacklog(e)
+			default:
+				break emptyqueue
+			}
+		}
+		sub.addToBacklog(evt)
+		if e, ok := sub.pullFromBacklog(); ok {
+			sub.peerEvtCh <- e
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// addToBacklog assumes a lock has been taken to protect the backlog
+func (sub *Subscription) addToBacklog(evt PeerEvent) {
+	e, ok := sub.evtBacklog[evt.Peer]
+	if !ok {
+		sub.evtBacklog[evt.Peer] = evt.Type
+	} else if e != evt.Type {
+		delete(sub.evtBacklog, evt.Peer)
+	}
+}
+
+// pullFromBacklog assumes a lock has been taken to protect the backlog
+func (sub *Subscription) pullFromBacklog() (PeerEvent, bool) {
+	for k, v := range sub.evtBacklog {
+		evt := PeerEvent{Peer: k, Type: v}
+		delete(sub.evtBacklog, k)
+		return evt, true
+	}
+	return PeerEvent{}, false
 }
 
 // NextPeerEvent returns the next event regarding subscribed peers
-// Note: There is no guarantee that the Peer Join event will fire before
-// the related Peer Leave event for a given peer
+// Guarantees: Peer Join and Peer Leave events for a given peer will fire in order.
+// Unless a peer both Joins and Leaves before NextPeerEvent emits either event
+// all events will eventually be received from NextPeerEvent.
 func (sub *Subscription) NextPeerEvent(ctx context.Context) (PeerEvent, error) {
+	sub.eventMx.Lock()
+	evt, ok := sub.pullFromBacklog()
+	sub.eventMx.Unlock()
+
+	if ok {
+		return evt, nil
+	}
+
 	select {
-	case newPeer, ok := <-sub.joinCh:
-		event := PeerEvent{Type: PEER_JOIN, Peer: newPeer}
+	case evt, ok := <-sub.peerEvtCh:
 		if !ok {
-			return event, sub.err
+			return PeerEvent{}, sub.err
 		}
 
-		return event, nil
-	case leavingPeer, ok := <-sub.leaveCh:
-		event := PeerEvent{Type: PEER_LEAVE, Peer: leavingPeer}
-		if !ok {
-			return event, sub.err
-		}
-
-		return event, nil
+		return evt, nil
 	case <-ctx.Done():
 		return PeerEvent{}, ctx.Err()
 	}