diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 31e5a7ef59..a3589b518e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
     "form-data": "^2.1.2",
     "fs-pull-blob-store": "^0.4.1",
     "gulp": "^3.9.1",
-    "interface-ipfs-core": "^0.23.2",
+    "interface-ipfs-core": "^0.23.3",
     "ipfsd-ctl": "^0.18.1",
     "left-pad": "^1.1.3",
     "lodash": "^4.17.4",
diff --git a/src/core/components/pubsub.js b/src/core/components/pubsub.js
index 997559928e..b0a1eb283d 100644
--- a/src/core/components/pubsub.js
+++ b/src/core/components/pubsub.js
@@ -44,21 +44,20 @@ module.exports = function pubsub (self) {
 
     publish: promisify((topic, data, callback) => {
       if (!self.isOnline()) {
-        throw OFFLINE_ERROR
+        return setImmediate(() => callback(OFFLINE_ERROR))
       }
 
       if (!Buffer.isBuffer(data)) {
-        return callback(new Error('data must be a Buffer'))
+        return setImmediate(() => callback(new Error('data must be a Buffer')))
       }
 
       self._pubsub.publish(topic, data)
-
-      setImmediate(callback)
+      setImmediate(() => callback())
     }),
 
     ls: promisify((callback) => {
       if (!self.isOnline()) {
-        throw OFFLINE_ERROR
+        return setImmediate(() => callback(OFFLINE_ERROR))
       }
 
       const subscriptions = Array.from(
@@ -70,7 +69,7 @@ module.exports = function pubsub (self) {
 
     peers: promisify((topic, callback) => {
       if (!self.isOnline()) {
-        throw OFFLINE_ERROR
+        return setImmediate(() => callback(OFFLINE_ERROR))
       }
 
       const peers = Array.from(self._pubsub.peers.values())
@@ -93,6 +92,6 @@ module.exports = function pubsub (self) {
     }
 
     ps.on(topic, handler)
-    setImmediate(callback)
+    setImmediate(() => callback())
   }
 }