diff --git a/score.go b/score.go
index c9688ee..d2e5452 100644
--- a/score.go
+++ b/score.go
@@ -182,9 +182,11 @@ func newPeerScore(params *PeerScoreParams) *peerScore {
 	}
 }
 
-// update interface
+// SetTopicScoreParams sets new score parameters for a topic.
+// If the topic previously had parameters and the parameters are lowering delivery caps,
+// then the score counters are recapped appropriately.
+// Note: assumes that the topic score parameters have already been validated
 func (ps *peerScore) SetTopicScoreParams(topic string, p *TopicScoreParams) error {
-	// Note: assumes that the topic score parameters have already been validated
 	ps.Lock()
 	defer ps.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/score_test.go b/score_test.go
index 8e04a20..9b406c0 100644
--- a/score_test.go
+++ b/score_test.go
@@ -842,7 +842,7 @@ func TestScoreRetention(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestScoreResetTopicParams(t *testing.T) {
+func TestScoreRecapTopicParams(t *testing.T) {
 	// Create parameters with reasonable default values
 	mytopic := "mytopic"
 	params := &PeerScoreParams{
diff --git a/topic.go b/topic.go
index cfdf088..72208f0 100644
--- a/topic.go
+++ b/topic.go
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ func (t *Topic) String() string {
 // SetScoreParams sets the topic score parameters if the pubsub router supports peer
 // scoring
 func (t *Topic) SetScoreParams(p *TopicScoreParams) error {
+	err := p.validate()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid topic score parameters: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	t.mux.Lock()
 	defer t.mux.Unlock()
 
@@ -41,14 +46,8 @@ func (t *Topic) SetScoreParams(p *TopicScoreParams) error {
 		return ErrTopicClosed
 	}
 
-	err := p.validate()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid topic score parameters: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	result := make(chan error, 1)
-	select {
-	case t.p.eval <- func() {
+	update := func() {
 		gs, ok := t.p.rt.(*GossipSubRouter)
 		if !ok {
 			result <- fmt.Errorf("pubsub router is not gossipsub")
@@ -60,8 +59,12 @@ func (t *Topic) SetScoreParams(p *TopicScoreParams) error {
 			return
 		}
 
-		result <- gs.score.SetTopicScoreParams(t.topic, p)
-	}:
+		err := gs.score.SetTopicScoreParams(t.topic, p)
+		result <- err
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case t.p.eval <- update:
 		err = <-result
 		return err