diff --git a/src/core/components/pubsub.js b/src/core/components/pubsub.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a3a4a1a3d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/components/pubsub.js
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const promisify = require('promisify-es6')
+const Stream = require('stream')
+
+const FloodSub = require('libp2p-floodsub')
+
+const OFFLINE_ERROR = require('../utils').OFFLINE_ERROR
+
+module.exports = function pubsub (self) {
+  let fsub
+
+  return {
+    start: promisify((libp2pNode, callback) => {
+      fsub = new FloodSub(libp2pNode)
+      callback(null)
+    }),
+
+    sub: promisify((topic, options, callback) => {
+      if (typeof options === 'function') {
+        callback = options
+        options = {}
+      }
+
+      if (!self.isOnline()) {
+        return callback(OFFLINE_ERROR)
+      }
+
+      var rs = new Stream()
+      rs.readable = true
+      rs._read = () => {}
+      rs.cancel = () => {
+        fsub.unsubscribe(topic)
+      }
+
+      fsub.on(topic, (data) => {
+        console.log('PUBSUB DATA:', data.toString())
+        rs.emit('data', {
+          data: data.toString(),
+          topicIDs: [topic]
+          // these fields are currently missing from message
+          // (but are present in messages from go-ipfs pubsub)
+          // from: bs58.encode(message.from),
+          // seqno: Base64.decode(message.seqno)
+        })
+      })
+
+      fsub.subscribe(topic)
+      callback(null, rs)
+    }),
+
+    pub: promisify((topic, data, callback) => {
+      if (!self.isOnline()) {
+        return callback(OFFLINE_ERROR)
+      }
+
+      const buf = Buffer.isBuffer(data) ? data : new Buffer(data)
+
+      fsub.publish(topic, buf)
+      callback(null)
+    })
+
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/core/index.js b/src/core/index.js
index a58836c10c..9df64cb3f0 100644
--- a/src/core/index.js
+++ b/src/core/index.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ const swarm = require('./components/swarm')
 const ping = require('./components/ping')
 const files = require('./components/files')
 const bitswap = require('./components/bitswap')
+const pubsub = require('./components/pubsub')
 
 exports = module.exports = IPFS
 
@@ -67,4 +68,5 @@ function IPFS (repoInstance) {
   this.files = files(this)
   this.bitswap = bitswap(this)
   this.ping = ping(this)
+  this.pubsub = pubsub(this)
 }