diff --git a/packages/zoe/src/zoeService/instanceAdminStorage.js b/packages/zoe/src/zoeService/instanceAdminStorage.js
index 3b3ce0433ec..d7fbd7e1664 100644
--- a/packages/zoe/src/zoeService/instanceAdminStorage.js
+++ b/packages/zoe/src/zoeService/instanceAdminStorage.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // @ts-check
 
+import { E } from '@agoric/eventual-send';
 import { makeWeakStore } from '@agoric/store';
 
 /**
@@ -10,9 +11,10 @@ export const makeInstanceAdminStorage = () => {
   const instanceToInstanceAdmin = makeWeakStore('instance');
 
   /** @type {GetPublicFacet} */
-  const getPublicFacet = async instance => {
-    return instanceToInstanceAdmin.get(instance).getPublicFacet();
-  };
+  const getPublicFacet = async instanceP =>
+    E.when(instanceP, instance =>
+      instanceToInstanceAdmin.get(instance).getPublicFacet(),
+    );
 
   /** @type {GetBrands} */
   const getBrands = async instance =>
diff --git a/packages/zoe/src/zoeService/types.js b/packages/zoe/src/zoeService/types.js
index 83fcccf9b68..120860f9831 100644
--- a/packages/zoe/src/zoeService/types.js
+++ b/packages/zoe/src/zoeService/types.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
 
 /**
  * @callback GetPublicFacet
- * @param {Instance} instance
+ * @param {ERef<Instance>} instanceP
  * @returns {Promise<Object>}
  */
 
diff --git a/packages/zoe/test/unitTests/test-zoe.js b/packages/zoe/test/unitTests/test-zoe.js
index a10670eaebd..ab98339e37d 100644
--- a/packages/zoe/test/unitTests/test-zoe.js
+++ b/packages/zoe/test/unitTests/test-zoe.js
@@ -195,6 +195,26 @@ test(`E(zoe).getPublicFacet`, async t => {
   t.is(await E(zoe).getPublicFacet(instance), publicFacet);
 });
 
+test(`E(zoe).getPublicFacet promise for instance`, async t => {
+  const { zoe } = setup();
+  const contractPath = `${dirname}/../../src/contracts/automaticRefund`;
+  const bundle = await bundleSource(contractPath);
+  const installationP = E(zoe).install(bundle);
+  // Note that E.get does not currently pipeline
+  const { publicFacet: publicFacetP, instance: instanceP } = E.get(
+    E(zoe).startInstance(installationP),
+  );
+  const pfp = E(zoe).getPublicFacet(instanceP);
+  const offersCountP = E(publicFacetP).getOffersCount();
+  const [offersCount, publicFacet, pf] = await Promise.all([
+    offersCountP,
+    publicFacetP,
+    pfp,
+  ]);
+  t.is(offersCount, 0n);
+  t.is(pf, publicFacet);
+});
+
 test(`E(zoe).getPublicFacet - no instance`, async t => {
   const { zoe } = setup();
   // @ts-ignore deliberate invalid arguments for testing