diff --git a/packages/core/src/controllers/subscriber.ts b/packages/core/src/controllers/subscriber.ts
index c9c1d2ec6..9d002b915 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/controllers/subscriber.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/controllers/subscriber.ts
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ export class Subscriber extends ISubscriber {
     };
     this.logger.debug(`Outgoing Relay Payload`);
     this.logger.trace({ type: "payload", direction: "outgoing", request });
+    const shouldThrow = opts?.internal?.throwOnFailedPublish;
     try {
       const subId = hashMessage(topic + this.clientId);
       // in link mode, allow the app to update its network state (i.e. active airplane mode) with small delay before attempting to subscribe
@@ -253,12 +254,15 @@ export class Subscriber extends ISubscriber {
         `Subscribing to ${topic} failed, please try again`,
       );
       const result = await subscribe;
+      if (!result && shouldThrow) {
+        throw new Error(`Subscribing to ${topic} failed, please try again`);
+      }
       // return null to indicate that the subscription failed
       return result ? subId : null;
     } catch (err) {
       this.logger.debug(`Outgoing Relay Subscribe Payload stalled`);
       this.relayer.events.emit(RELAYER_EVENTS.connection_stalled);
-      if (opts?.internal?.throwOnFailedPublish) {
+      if (shouldThrow) {
         throw err;
       }
     }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/relayer.spec.ts b/packages/core/test/relayer.spec.ts
index 794dd9b21..995549cbc 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/relayer.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/relayer.spec.ts
@@ -188,6 +188,21 @@ describe("Relayer", () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it("should throw when subscribe publish fails", async () => {
+      await relayer.transportOpen();
+      await relayer.toEstablishConnection();
+      relayer.subscriber.subscribeTimeout = 5_000;
+      relayer.request = () => {
+        return new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          resolve();
+        });
+      };
+      const topic = generateRandomBytes32();
+      await expect(relayer.subscribe(topic)).rejects.toThrow(
+        `Subscribing to ${topic} failed, please try again`,
+      );
+    });
+
     it("should be able to resubscribe on topic that already exists", async () => {
       const topic = generateRandomBytes32();
       const id = await relayer.subscribe(topic);