diff --git a/p2p/host/eventbus/basic.go b/p2p/host/eventbus/basic.go
index 9f075aaf..ae7509eb 100644
--- a/p2p/host/eventbus/basic.go
+++ b/p2p/host/eventbus/basic.go
@@ -6,18 +6,48 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
+
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/event"
 )
 
 ///////////////////////
 // BUS
 
+type CancelFunc = func()
+
 // basicBus is a type-based event delivery system
 type basicBus struct {
 	lk    sync.Mutex
 	nodes map[reflect.Type]*node
 }
 
-func NewBus() *basicBus {
+var _ event.Bus = (*basicBus)(nil)
+
+type Emitter struct {
+	n       *node
+	typ     reflect.Type
+	closed  int32
+	dropper func(reflect.Type)
+}
+
+func (e *Emitter) Emit(evt interface{}) {
+	if atomic.LoadInt32(&e.closed) != 0 {
+		panic("emitter is closed")
+	}
+	e.n.emit(evt)
+}
+
+func (e *Emitter) Close() error {
+	if !atomic.CompareAndSwapInt32(&e.closed, 0, 1) {
+		panic("closed an emitter more than once")
+	}
+	if atomic.AddInt32(&e.n.nEmitters, -1) == 0 {
+		e.dropper(e.typ)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func NewBus() event.Bus {
 	return &basicBus{
 		nodes: map[reflect.Type]*node{},
 	}
@@ -74,7 +104,7 @@ func (b *basicBus) tryDropNode(typ reflect.Type) {
 // defer close(ch)
 // cancel, err := eventbus.Subscribe(ch)
 // defer cancel()
-func (b *basicBus) Subscribe(typedChan interface{}, opts ...SubOption) (c CancelFunc, err error) {
+func (b *basicBus) Subscribe(typedChan interface{}, opts ...SubscriptionOpt) (c CancelFunc, err error) {
 	var settings subSettings
 	for _, opt := range opts {
 		if err := opt(&settings); err != nil {
@@ -138,10 +168,12 @@ func (b *basicBus) Subscribe(typedChan interface{}, opts ...SubOption) (c Cancel
 // defer emit.Close() // MUST call this after being done with the emitter
 //
 // emit(EventT{})
-func (b *basicBus) Emitter(evtType interface{}, opts ...EmitterOption) (e EmitFunc, err error) {
+func (b *basicBus) Emitter(evtType interface{}, opts ...EmitterOpt) (e event.Emitter, err error) {
 	var settings emitterSettings
 	for _, opt := range opts {
-		opt(&settings)
+		if err := opt(&settings); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	typ := reflect.TypeOf(evtType)
@@ -152,22 +184,8 @@ func (b *basicBus) Emitter(evtType interface{}, opts ...EmitterOption) (e EmitFu
 
 	err = b.withNode(typ, func(n *node) {
 		atomic.AddInt32(&n.nEmitters, 1)
-		closed := false
 		n.keepLast = n.keepLast || settings.makeStateful
-
-		e = func(event interface{}) {
-			if closed {
-				panic("emitter is closed")
-			}
-			if event == closeEmit {
-				closed = true
-				if atomic.AddInt32(&n.nEmitters, -1) == 0 {
-					b.tryDropNode(typ)
-				}
-				return
-			}
-			n.emit(event)
-		}
+		e = &Emitter{n: n, typ: typ, dropper: b.tryDropNode}
 	}, func(_ *node) {})
 	return
 }
@@ -212,20 +230,3 @@ func (n *node) emit(event interface{}) {
 	}
 	n.lk.RUnlock()
 }
-
-///////////////////////
-// TYPES
-
-var closeEmit struct{}
-
-// EmitFunc emits events. If any channel subscribed to the topic is blocked,
-// calls to EmitFunc will block
-//
-// Calling this function with wrong event type will cause a panic
-type EmitFunc func(event interface{})
-
-func (f EmitFunc) Close() {
-	f(closeEmit)
-}
-
-type CancelFunc func()
diff --git a/p2p/host/eventbus/basic_test.go b/p2p/host/eventbus/basic_test.go
index e088b6d2..d9d599c4 100644
--- a/p2p/host/eventbus/basic_test.go
+++ b/p2p/host/eventbus/basic_test.go
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ func TestEmit(t *testing.T) {
 		<-events
 	}()
 
-	emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventA))
+	em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventA))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer emit.Close()
+	defer em.Close()
 
-	emit(EventA{})
+	em.Emit(EventA{})
 }
 
 func TestSub(t *testing.T) {
@@ -66,13 +66,13 @@ func TestSub(t *testing.T) {
 		wait.Done()
 	}()
 
-	emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB))
+	em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer emit.Close()
+	defer em.Close()
 
-	emit(EventB(7))
+	em.Emit(EventB(7))
 	wait.Wait()
 
 	if event != 7 {
@@ -83,23 +83,23 @@ func TestSub(t *testing.T) {
 func TestEmitNoSubNoBlock(t *testing.T) {
 	bus := NewBus()
 
-	emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventA))
+	em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventA))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer emit.Close()
+	defer em.Close()
 
-	emit(EventA{})
+	em.Emit(EventA{})
 }
 
 func TestEmitOnClosed(t *testing.T) {
 	bus := NewBus()
 
-	emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventA))
+	em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventA))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	emit.Close()
+	em.Close()
 
 	defer func() {
 		r := recover()
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func TestEmitOnClosed(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	emit(EventA{})
+	em.Emit(EventA{})
 }
 
 func TestClosingRaces(t *testing.T) {
@@ -187,15 +187,15 @@ func TestSubMany(t *testing.T) {
 		}()
 	}
 
-	emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB))
+	em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer emit.Close()
+	defer em.Close()
 
 	ready.Wait()
 
-	emit(EventB(7))
+	em.Emit(EventB(7))
 	wait.Wait()
 
 	if int(r) != 7*n {
@@ -222,13 +222,13 @@ func TestSubType(t *testing.T) {
 		wait.Done()
 	}()
 
-	emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventA))
+	em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventA))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer emit.Close()
+	defer em.Close()
 
-	emit(EventA{})
+	em.Emit(EventA{})
 	wait.Wait()
 
 	if event.String() != "Oh, Hello" {
@@ -238,11 +238,11 @@ func TestSubType(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestNonStateful(t *testing.T) {
 	bus := NewBus()
-	emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB))
+	em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer emit.Close()
+	defer em.Close()
 
 	eventsA := make(chan EventB, 1)
 	cancelS, err := bus.Subscribe(eventsA)
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func TestNonStateful(t *testing.T) {
 	default:
 	}
 
-	emit(EventB(1))
+	em.Emit(EventB(1))
 
 	select {
 	case e := <-eventsA:
@@ -284,13 +284,13 @@ func TestNonStateful(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestStateful(t *testing.T) {
 	bus := NewBus()
-	emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB), Stateful)
+	em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB), Stateful)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer emit.Close()
+	defer em.Close()
 
-	emit(EventB(2))
+	em.Emit(EventB(2))
 
 	eventsA := make(chan EventB, 1)
 	cancelS, err := bus.Subscribe(eventsA)
@@ -337,19 +337,19 @@ func testMany(t testing.TB, subs, emits, msgs int, stateful bool) {
 
 	for i := 0; i < emits; i++ {
 		go func() {
-			emit, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB), func(settings interface{}) error {
+			em, err := bus.Emitter(new(EventB), func(settings interface{}) error {
 				settings.(*emitterSettings).makeStateful = stateful
 				return nil
 			})
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err)
 			}
-			defer emit.Close()
+			defer em.Close()
 
 			ready.Wait()
 
 			for i := 0; i < msgs; i++ {
-				emit(EventB(97))
+				em.Emit(EventB(97))
 			}
 
 			wait.Done()
diff --git a/p2p/host/eventbus/opts.go b/p2p/host/eventbus/opts.go
index cde6b747..56739125 100644
--- a/p2p/host/eventbus/opts.go
+++ b/p2p/host/eventbus/opts.go
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 )
 
+type SubscriptionOpt = func(interface{}) error
+
+type EmitterOpt = func(interface{}) error
+
 type subSettings struct {
 	forcedType reflect.Type
 }
 
-type SubOption func(interface{}) error
-
 // ForceSubType is a Subscribe option which overrides the type to which
 // the subscription will be done. Note that the evtType must be assignable
 // to channel type.
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ type SubOption func(interface{}) error
 // eventCh := make(chan fmt.Stringer) // interface { String() string }
 // cancel, err := eventbus.Subscribe(eventCh, event.ForceSubType(new(Event)))
 // [...]
-func ForceSubType(evtType interface{}) SubOption {
+func ForceSubType(evtType interface{}) SubscriptionOpt {
 	return func(settings interface{}) error {
 		s := settings.(*subSettings)
 		typ := reflect.TypeOf(evtType)
@@ -42,7 +44,6 @@ func ForceSubType(evtType interface{}) SubOption {
 type emitterSettings struct {
 	makeStateful bool
 }
-type EmitterOption func(interface{}) error
 
 // Stateful is an Emitter option which makes makes the eventbus channel
 // 'remember' last event sent, and when a new subscriber joins the