diff --git a/src/lib/waku_relay/index.spec.ts b/src/lib/waku_relay/index.spec.ts
index 2e8eada2e5..a2292a5473 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_relay/index.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_relay/index.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai';
-import Pubsub from 'libp2p-interfaces/src/pubsub';
 import TCP from 'libp2p-tcp';
 
 import {
@@ -74,11 +73,13 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
 
     const message = WakuMessage.fromUtf8String('JS to JS communication works');
 
-    const receivedPromise = waitForNextData(waku2.libp2p.pubsub);
+    const receivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise((resolve) => {
+      waku2.relay.addObserver(resolve);
+    });
 
     await waku1.relay.send(message);
 
-    const receivedMsg = await receivedPromise;
+    const receivedMsg = await receivedMsgPromise;
 
     expect(receivedMsg.contentTopic).to.eq(message.contentTopic);
     expect(receivedMsg.version).to.eq(message.version);
@@ -148,11 +149,15 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
         this.timeout(5000);
         const message = WakuMessage.fromUtf8String('Here is another message.');
 
-        const receivedPromise = waitForNextData(waku.libp2p.pubsub);
+        const receivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
+          (resolve) => {
+            waku.relay.addObserver(resolve);
+          }
+        );
 
         await nimWaku.sendMessage(message);
 
-        const receivedMsg = await receivedPromise;
+        const receivedMsg = await receivedMsgPromise;
 
         expect(receivedMsg.contentTopic).to.eq(message.contentTopic);
         expect(receivedMsg.version).to.eq(message.version);
@@ -233,11 +238,15 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
 
         const message = WakuMessage.fromUtf8String('Here is another message.');
 
-        const receivedPromise = waitForNextData(waku.libp2p.pubsub);
+        const receivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
+          (resolve) => {
+            waku.relay.addObserver(resolve);
+          }
+        );
 
         await nimWaku.sendMessage(message);
 
-        const receivedMsg = await receivedPromise;
+        const receivedMsg = await receivedMsgPromise;
 
         expect(receivedMsg.contentTopic).to.eq(message.contentTopic);
         expect(receivedMsg.version).to.eq(message.version);
@@ -313,21 +322,18 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
         const msgStr = 'Hello there!';
         const message = WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(msgStr);
 
-        const waku2ReceivedPromise = waitForNextData(waku2.libp2p.pubsub);
+        const waku2ReceivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
+          (resolve) => {
+            waku2.relay.addObserver(resolve);
+          }
+        );
 
         await waku1.relay.send(message);
         console.log('Waiting for message');
-        const waku2ReceivedMsg = await waku2ReceivedPromise;
+        const waku2ReceivedMsg = await waku2ReceivedMsgPromise;
 
         expect(waku2ReceivedMsg.payloadAsUtf8).to.eq(msgStr);
       });
     });
   });
 });
-
-async function waitForNextData(pubsub: Pubsub): Promise<WakuMessage> {
-  const msg = (await new Promise((resolve) => {
-    pubsub.once(RelayDefaultTopic, resolve);
-  })) as Pubsub.InMessage;
-  return WakuMessage.decode(msg.data);
-}
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_relay/index.ts b/src/lib/waku_relay/index.ts
index c9ca6175e2..a4b5f12452 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_relay/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_relay/index.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ interface GossipOptions {
  */
 export class WakuRelay extends Gossipsub implements Pubsub {
   heartbeat: RelayHeartbeat;
+  public observers: Array<(message: WakuMessage) => void>;
 
   /**
    *
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ export class WakuRelay extends Gossipsub implements Pubsub {
     );
 
     this.heartbeat = new RelayHeartbeat(this);
+    this.observers = [];
 
     const multicodecs = [constants.RelayCodec];
 
@@ -86,6 +88,13 @@ export class WakuRelay extends Gossipsub implements Pubsub {
    * @returns {void}
    */
   public start(): void {
+    this.on(constants.RelayDefaultTopic, (event) => {
+      const wakuMsg = WakuMessage.decode(event.data);
+      this.observers.forEach((callbackFn) => {
+        callbackFn(wakuMsg);
+      });
+    });
+
     super.start();
     super.subscribe(constants.RelayDefaultTopic);
   }
@@ -101,6 +110,16 @@ export class WakuRelay extends Gossipsub implements Pubsub {
     await super.publish(constants.RelayDefaultTopic, Buffer.from(msg));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Register an observer of new messages received via waku relay
+   *
+   * @param callback called when a new message is received via waku relay
+   * @returns {void}
+   */
+  addObserver(callback: (message: WakuMessage) => void): void {
+    this.observers.push(callback);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Join pubsub topic.
    * This is present to override the behavior of Gossipsub and should not