diff --git a/spec/operators/catch-spec.ts b/spec/operators/catch-spec.ts
index 7994f67c9f..12cb5ea77f 100644
--- a/spec/operators/catch-spec.ts
+++ b/spec/operators/catch-spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai';
-import { concat, Observable, of, throwError, EMPTY, from } from 'rxjs';
-import { catchError, map, mergeMap } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { concat, defer, Observable, of, throwError, EMPTY, from } from 'rxjs';
+import { catchError, map, mergeMap, takeWhile } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { TestScheduler } from 'rxjs/testing';
 import * as sinon from 'sinon';
 import { createObservableInputs } from '../helpers/test-helper';
@@ -121,6 +121,31 @@ describe('catchError operator', () => {
     expectSubscriptions(e2.subscriptions).toBe(e2subs);
   });
 
+  it('should stop listening to a synchronous observable when unsubscribed', () => {
+    const sideEffects: number[] = [];
+    const synchronousObservable = concat(
+      defer(() => {
+        sideEffects.push(1);
+        return of(1);
+      }),
+      defer(() => {
+        sideEffects.push(2);
+        return of(2);
+      }),
+      defer(() => {
+        sideEffects.push(3);
+        return of(3);
+      })
+    );
+
+    throwError(new Error('Some error')).pipe(
+      catchError(() => synchronousObservable),
+      takeWhile((x) => x != 2) // unsubscribe at the second side-effect
+    ).subscribe(() => { /* noop */ });
+
+    expect(sideEffects).to.deep.equal([1, 2]);
+  });
+
   it('should catch error and replace it with a hot Observable', () => {
     const e1 =   hot('--a--b--#          ');
     const e1subs =   '^       !          ';
diff --git a/src/internal/operators/catchError.ts b/src/internal/operators/catchError.ts
index 6f7aeace90..784e299d03 100644
--- a/src/internal/operators/catchError.ts
+++ b/src/internal/operators/catchError.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {Subscriber} from '../Subscriber';
 import {Observable} from '../Observable';
 
 import {OuterSubscriber} from '../OuterSubscriber';
+import { InnerSubscriber } from '../InnerSubscriber';
 import {subscribeToResult} from '../util/subscribeToResult';
 import {ObservableInput, OperatorFunction, MonoTypeOperatorFunction} from '../types';
 
@@ -121,7 +122,9 @@ class CatchSubscriber<T, R> extends OuterSubscriber<T, T | R> {
         return;
       }
       this._unsubscribeAndRecycle();
-      this.add(subscribeToResult(this, result));
+      const innerSubscriber = new InnerSubscriber(this, undefined, undefined);
+      this.add(innerSubscriber);
+      subscribeToResult(this, result, undefined, undefined, innerSubscriber);
     }
   }
 }