diff --git a/src/core/components/pubsub.js b/src/core/components/pubsub.js
index 8c5916b906..0954304f46 100644
--- a/src/core/components/pubsub.js
+++ b/src/core/components/pubsub.js
@@ -1,90 +1,12 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const callbackify = require('callbackify')
-const OFFLINE_ERROR = require('../utils').OFFLINE_ERROR
-const errcode = require('err-code')
-
-module.exports = function pubsub (self) {
-  function checkOnlineAndEnabled () {
-    if (!self.isOnline()) {
-      throw errcode(new Error(OFFLINE_ERROR), 'ERR_OFFLINE')
-    }
-
-    if (!self.libp2p.pubsub) {
-      throw errcode(new Error('pubsub is not enabled'), 'ERR_PUBSUB_DISABLED')
-    }
-  }
-
+module.exports = ({ libp2p }) => {
   return {
-    subscribe: (topic, handler, options, callback) => {
-      if (typeof options === 'function') {
-        callback = options
-        options = {}
-      }
-
-      if (typeof callback === 'function') {
-        try {
-          checkOnlineAndEnabled()
-        } catch (err) {
-          return callback(err)
-        }
-
-        self.libp2p.pubsub.subscribe(topic, handler, options, callback)
-        return
-      }
-
-      try {
-        checkOnlineAndEnabled()
-      } catch (err) {
-        return Promise.reject(err)
-      }
-
-      return self.libp2p.pubsub.subscribe(topic, handler, options)
-    },
-
-    unsubscribe: (topic, handler, callback) => {
-      if (typeof callback === 'function') {
-        try {
-          checkOnlineAndEnabled()
-        } catch (err) {
-          return callback(err)
-        }
-
-        self.libp2p.pubsub.unsubscribe(topic, handler, callback)
-        return
-      }
-
-      try {
-        checkOnlineAndEnabled()
-      } catch (err) {
-        return Promise.reject(err)
-      }
-
-      return self.libp2p.pubsub.unsubscribe(topic, handler)
-    },
-
-    publish: callbackify(async (topic, data) => { // eslint-disable-line require-await
-      checkOnlineAndEnabled()
-
-      await self.libp2p.pubsub.publish(topic, data)
-    }),
-
-    ls: callbackify(async () => { // eslint-disable-line require-await
-      checkOnlineAndEnabled()
-
-      return self.libp2p.pubsub.ls()
-    }),
-
-    peers: callbackify(async (topic) => { // eslint-disable-line require-await
-      checkOnlineAndEnabled()
-
-      return self.libp2p.pubsub.peers(topic)
-    }),
-
-    setMaxListeners (n) {
-      checkOnlineAndEnabled()
-
-      self.libp2p.pubsub.setMaxListeners(n)
-    }
+    subscribe: (...args) => libp2p.pubsub.subscribe(...args),
+    unsubscribe: (...args) => libp2p.pubsub.unsubscribe(...args),
+    publish: (...args) => libp2p.pubsub.publish(...args),
+    ls: (...args) => libp2p.pubsub.getTopics(...args),
+    peers: (...args) => libp2p.pubsub.getSubscribers(...args),
+    setMaxListeners: (n) => libp2p.pubsub.setMaxListeners(n)
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/core/components/start.js b/src/core/components/start.js
index bbae1cb271..214563b53e 100644
--- a/src/core/components/start.js
+++ b/src/core/components/start.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const PeerBook = require('peer-book')
 const IPNS = require('../ipns')
 const routingConfig = require('../ipns/routing/config')
 const defer = require('p-defer')
-const { AlreadyInitializedError } = require('../errors')
+const { AlreadyInitializedError, NotEnabledError } = require('../errors')
 const Commands = require('./')
 
 module.exports = ({
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ function createApi ({
     config: Commands.config({ repo }),
     init: () => { throw new AlreadyInitializedError() },
     ping: Commands.ping({ libp2p }),
+    pubsub: libp2p.pubsub
+      ? Commands.pubsub({ libp2p })
+      : () => { throw new NotEnabledError('pubsub not enabled') },
     start: () => apiManager.api,
     stop
   }
diff --git a/src/core/errors.js b/src/core/errors.js
index a2ab2542a5..c7cf7ac938 100644
--- a/src/core/errors.js
+++ b/src/core/errors.js
@@ -41,3 +41,14 @@ class NotStartedError extends Error {
 
 NotStartedError.code = 'ERR_NOT_STARTED'
 exports.NotStartedError = NotStartedError
+
+class NotEnabledError extends Error {
+  constructor (message = 'not enabled') {
+    super(message)
+    this.name = 'NotEnabledError'
+    this.code = NotEnabledError.code
+  }
+}
+
+NotEnabledError.code = 'ERR_NOT_ENABLED'
+exports.NotEnabledError = NotEnabledError