diff --git a/p2p/host/eventbus/basic.go b/p2p/host/eventbus/basic.go
index 1294431a19..af6a74bd02 100644
--- a/p2p/host/eventbus/basic.go
+++ b/p2p/host/eventbus/basic.go
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ type wildcardSub struct {
 	w             *wildcardNode
 	metricsTracer MetricsTracer
 	name          string
+	closeOnce     sync.Once
 }
 
 func (w *wildcardSub) Out() <-chan interface{} {
@@ -133,10 +134,13 @@ func (w *wildcardSub) Out() <-chan interface{} {
 }
 
 func (w *wildcardSub) Close() error {
-	w.w.removeSink(w.ch)
-	if w.metricsTracer != nil {
-		w.metricsTracer.RemoveSubscriber(reflect.TypeOf(event.WildcardSubscription))
-	}
+	w.closeOnce.Do(func() {
+		w.w.removeSink(w.ch)
+		if w.metricsTracer != nil {
+			w.metricsTracer.RemoveSubscriber(reflect.TypeOf(event.WildcardSubscription))
+		}
+	})
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/host/eventbus/basic_test.go b/p2p/host/eventbus/basic_test.go
index fd320aa623..530a46ff19 100644
--- a/p2p/host/eventbus/basic_test.go
+++ b/p2p/host/eventbus/basic_test.go
@@ -394,10 +394,13 @@ func TestManyWildcardSubscriptions(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, em1.Emit(EventA{}))
 	require.NoError(t, em2.Emit(EventB(1)))
 
-	// the first five still have 2 events, while the other five have 4 events.
-	for _, s := range subs[:5] {
-		require.Len(t, s.Out(), 2)
-	}
+	// the first five 0 events because it was closed. The other five
+	// have 4 events.
+	require.EventuallyWithT(t, func(t *assert.CollectT) {
+		for _, s := range subs[:5] {
+			require.Len(t, s.Out(), 0, "expected closed subscription to have flushed events")
+		}
+	}, 2*time.Second, 100*time.Millisecond)
 
 	for _, s := range subs[5:] {
 		require.Len(t, s.Out(), 4)
@@ -407,6 +410,10 @@ func TestManyWildcardSubscriptions(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, s := range subs {
 		require.NoError(t, s.Close())
 	}
+
+	for _, s := range subs {
+		require.Zero(t, s.(*wildcardSub).w.nSinks.Load())
+	}
 }
 
 func TestWildcardValidations(t *testing.T) {