diff --git a/rosbag2/include/rosbag2/writer.hpp b/rosbag2/include/rosbag2/writer.hpp
index 6a3bb78bec..341591a8c3 100644
--- a/rosbag2/include/rosbag2/writer.hpp
+++ b/rosbag2/include/rosbag2/writer.hpp
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ class ROSBAG2_PUBLIC Writer
    * \param topic_with_type name and type identifier of topic to be created
    * \throws runtime_error if the Writer is not open.
    */
-
   virtual void remove_topic(const TopicMetadata & topic_with_type);
 
   /**
diff --git a/rosbag2_transport/src/rosbag2_transport/recorder.cpp b/rosbag2_transport/src/rosbag2_transport/recorder.cpp
index 68138ffcd2..e5988c0913 100644
--- a/rosbag2_transport/src/rosbag2_transport/recorder.cpp
+++ b/rosbag2_transport/src/rosbag2_transport/recorder.cpp
@@ -106,14 +106,11 @@ void Recorder::subscribe_topics(
 
 void Recorder::subscribe_topic(const rosbag2::TopicMetadata & topic)
 {
-  if(writer_) {
-    writer_->create_topic(topic);
-    subscribed_topics_.insert(topic.name);
-  }
-
   auto subscription = create_subscription(topic.name, topic.type);
 
   if (subscription) {
+    writer_->create_topic(topic);
+    subscribed_topics_.insert(topic.name);
     subscriptions_.push_back(subscription);
     ROSBAG2_TRANSPORT_LOG_INFO_STREAM("Subscribed to topic '" << topic.name << "'");
   }
@@ -121,7 +118,6 @@ void Recorder::subscribe_topic(const rosbag2::TopicMetadata & topic)
     writer_->remove_topic(topic);
     subscribed_topics_.erase(topic.name);
   }
-
 }
 
 std::shared_ptr<GenericSubscription>