diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
index b2266b497..77887a842 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
@@ -510,17 +510,15 @@ method publish*(g: GossipSub,
         trace "publish: including flood/high score peer", peer
         peers.incl(peer)
 
-  if peers.len < g.parameters.dLow:
-    # not subscribed or bad mesh, send to fanout peers
-    #
+  if peers.len < g.parameters.dLow and topic notin g.topics:
+    # not subscribed send, to fanout peers
     var fanoutPeers = g.fanout.getOrDefault(topic).toSeq()
     if fanoutPeers.len < g.parameters.dLow:
       g.replenishFanout(topic)
       fanoutPeers = g.fanout.getOrDefault(topic).toSeq()
 
     g.rng.shuffle(fanoutPeers)
-    if fanoutPeers.len + peers.len > g.parameters.d:
-      fanoutPeers.setLen(g.parameters.d - peers.len)
+    fanoutPeers.capLen(g.parameters.d - peers.len)
 
     for fanPeer in fanoutPeers:
       peers.incl(fanPeer)
@@ -533,6 +531,19 @@ method publish*(g: GossipSub,
     # time
     g.lastFanoutPubSub[topic] = Moment.fromNow(g.parameters.fanoutTTL)
 
+  if peers.len < g.parameters.dLow:
+    # Bad mesh, just send to whoever
+    var allPeers = toSeq(g.gossipsub.getOrDefault(topic))
+    g.rng.shuffle(allPeers)
+    for peer in allPeers:
+      if peers.len >= g.parameters.dLow: break
+      if peer.score >= g.parameters.publishThreshold:
+        peers.incl(peer)
+
+    for peer in allPeers:
+      if peers.len >= g.parameters.dLow: break
+      peers.incl(peer)
+
   if peers.len == 0:
     let topicPeers = g.gossipsub.getOrDefault(topic).toSeq()
     debug "No peers for topic, skipping publish",  peersOnTopic = topicPeers.len,
diff --git a/libp2p/utility.nim b/libp2p/utility.nim
index 09c1fac15..ca7e1f83c 100644
--- a/libp2p/utility.nim
+++ b/libp2p/utility.nim
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ template safeConvert*[T: SomeInteger, S: Ordinal](value: S): T =
   else:
     {.error: "Source and target types have an incompatible range low..high".}
 
+proc capLen*[T](s: var seq[T], length: Natural) =
+  if s.len > length:
+    s.setLen(length)
+
 template exceptionToAssert*(body: untyped): untyped =
   block:
     var res: type(body)