diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
index 4de07383e..2c75f21bd 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ type
     parameters*: GossipSubParams
     topicParams*: Table[string, TopicParams]
 
+    heartbeatEvents*: seq[AsyncEvent]
+
     when not defined(release):
       prunedPeers: HashSet[PubSubPeer]
 
@@ -549,7 +551,7 @@ proc updateScores(g: GossipSub) = # avoid async
 proc heartbeat(g: GossipSub) {.async.} =
   while g.heartbeatRunning:
     try:
-      trace "running heartbeat"
+      trace "running heartbeat", instance = cast[int](g)
 
       g.updateScores()
 
@@ -586,6 +588,10 @@ proc heartbeat(g: GossipSub) {.async.} =
       warn "exception ocurred in gossipsub heartbeat", exc = exc.msg, trace = exc.getStackTrace()
       assert(false, "exception ocurred in gossipsub heartbeat")
 
+    for trigger in g.heartbeatEvents:
+      trace "firing heartbeat event", instance = cast[int](g)
+      trigger.fire()
+
     await sleepAsync(GossipSubHeartbeatInterval)
 
 method handleDisconnect*(g: GossipSub, peer: PubSubPeer) =
diff --git a/tests/pubsub/testgossipsub.nim b/tests/pubsub/testgossipsub.nim
index 6ef20f760..b918913bb 100644
--- a/tests/pubsub/testgossipsub.nim
+++ b/tests/pubsub/testgossipsub.nim
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ proc waitSub(sender, receiver: auto; key: string) {.async, gcsafe.} =
   # peers can be inside `mesh` and `fanout`, not just `gossipsub`
   var ceil = 15
   let fsub = GossipSub(sender.pubSub.get())
+  let ev = newAsyncEvent()
+  fsub.heartbeatEvents.add(ev)
+
+  # await first heartbeat
+  await ev.wait()
+  ev.clear()
+
   while (not fsub.gossipsub.hasKey(key) or
          not fsub.gossipsub.hasPeerID(key, receiver.peerInfo.id)) and
         (not fsub.mesh.hasKey(key) or
@@ -39,7 +46,11 @@ proc waitSub(sender, receiver: auto; key: string) {.async, gcsafe.} =
         (not fsub.fanout.hasKey(key) or
          not fsub.fanout.hasPeerID(key , receiver.peerInfo.id)):
     trace "waitSub sleeping..."
-    await sleepAsync(1.seconds)
+    
+    # await more heartbeats
+    await ev.wait()
+    ev.clear()
+
     dec ceil
     doAssert(ceil > 0, "waitSub timeout!")
 
@@ -77,6 +88,12 @@ suite "GossipSub":
       await nodes[0].subscribe("foobar", handler)
       await nodes[1].subscribe("foobar", handler)
 
+      var subs: seq[Future[void]]
+      subs &= waitSub(nodes[1], nodes[0], "foobar")
+      subs &= waitSub(nodes[0], nodes[1], "foobar")
+
+      await allFuturesThrowing(subs)
+
       var validatorFut = newFuture[bool]()
       proc validator(topic: string,
                      message: Message):
@@ -121,6 +138,19 @@ suite "GossipSub":
       await nodes[0].subscribe("foobar", handler)
       await nodes[1].subscribe("foobar", handler)
 
+      var subs: seq[Future[void]]
+      subs &= waitSub(nodes[1], nodes[0], "foobar")
+      subs &= waitSub(nodes[0], nodes[1], "foobar")
+
+      await allFuturesThrowing(subs)
+
+      let gossip1 = GossipSub(nodes[0].pubSub.get())
+      let gossip2 = GossipSub(nodes[1].pubSub.get())
+
+      check:
+        gossip1.mesh["foobar"].len == 1 and "foobar" notin gossip1.fanout
+        gossip2.mesh["foobar"].len == 1 and "foobar" notin gossip2.fanout
+
       var validatorFut = newFuture[bool]()
       proc validator(topic: string,
                      message: Message):
@@ -133,11 +163,21 @@ suite "GossipSub":
 
       result = await validatorFut
 
-      let gossip1 = GossipSub(nodes[0].pubSub.get())
-      let gossip2 = GossipSub(nodes[1].pubSub.get())
+      # gossip 1.1, gossip1 peer with negative score will be pruned in gossip2, 
+      # and so mesh will be empty
+      # wait 2 heartbeats
+      let ev1 = newAsyncEvent()
+      gossip1.heartbeatEvents.add(ev1)
+      let ev2 = newAsyncEvent()
+      gossip2.heartbeatEvents.add(ev2)
+      for _ in 0..1:
+        await allFuturesThrowing(ev1.wait(), ev2.wait())
+        ev1.clear()
+        ev2.clear()
+
       check:
         gossip1.mesh["foobar"].len == 1 and "foobar" notin gossip1.fanout
-        gossip2.mesh["foobar"].len == 1 and "foobar" notin gossip2.fanout
+        "foobar" notin gossip2.mesh and "foobar" notin gossip2.fanout
 
       await allFuturesThrowing(
         nodes[0].stop(),
@@ -418,7 +458,7 @@ suite "GossipSub":
 
         subs &= dialer.subscribe("foobar", handler)
 
-      await allFuturesThrowing(subs)
+      await allFuturesThrowing(subs).wait(30.seconds)
 
       tryPublish await wait(nodes[0].publish("foobar",
                                     cast[seq[byte]]("from node " &