diff --git a/core/commands/pubsub.go b/core/commands/pubsub.go
index 5eb65e2f352..038d688f97f 100644
--- a/core/commands/pubsub.go
+++ b/core/commands/pubsub.go
@@ -122,30 +122,17 @@ To use, the daemon must be run with '--enable-pubsub-experiment'.
 	},
 	Marshalers: cmds.MarshalerMap{
 		cmds.Text: getPsMsgMarshaler(func(m *floodsub.Message) (io.Reader, error) {
-			if m.Message == nil {
-				return strings.NewReader(""), nil
-			}
-
 			return bytes.NewReader(m.Data), nil
 		}),
 		"ndpayload": getPsMsgMarshaler(func(m *floodsub.Message) (io.Reader, error) {
-			if m.Message == nil {
-				return strings.NewReader("\n"), nil
-			}
-
 			m.Data = append(m.Data, '\n')
 			return bytes.NewReader(m.Data), nil
 		}),
 		"lenpayload": getPsMsgMarshaler(func(m *floodsub.Message) (io.Reader, error) {
 			buf := make([]byte, 8)
 
-			var data []byte
-			if m.Message != nil {
-				data = m.Data
-			}
-
-			n := binary.PutUvarint(buf, uint64(len(data)))
-			return io.MultiReader(bytes.NewReader(buf[:n]), bytes.NewReader(data)), nil
+			n := binary.PutUvarint(buf, uint64(len(m.Data)))
+			return io.MultiReader(bytes.NewReader(buf[:n]), bytes.NewReader(m.Data)), nil
 		}),
 	},
 	Type: floodsub.Message{},
@@ -187,6 +174,9 @@ func getPsMsgMarshaler(f func(m *floodsub.Message) (io.Reader, error)) func(cmds
 			if !ok {
 				return nil, u.ErrCast()
 			}
+			if obj.Message == nil {
+				return strings.NewReader(""), nil
+			}
 
 			return f(obj)
 		}
diff --git a/test/sharness/lib/iptb-lib.sh b/test/sharness/lib/iptb-lib.sh
index 15402dff865..67841e2e449 100644
--- a/test/sharness/lib/iptb-lib.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/lib/iptb-lib.sh
@@ -21,9 +21,15 @@ startup_cluster() {
 	num_nodes="$1"
 	bound=$(expr "$num_nodes" - 1)
 
-	test_expect_success "start up nodes" '
-		iptb start
-	'
+	if [ "$2" = "--enable-pubsub-experiment" ]; then
+		test_expect_success "start up nodes with pubsub enabled" '
+			iptb start --args --enable-pubsub-experiment
+		'
+	else
+		test_expect_success "start up nodes" '
+			iptb start
+		'
+	fi
 
 	test_expect_success "connect nodes to eachother" '
 		iptb connect [1-$bound] 0
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub.sh b/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..2ca19a3432b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sharness/t0180-pubsub.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description="Test dht command"
+
+. lib/test-lib.sh
+
+# start iptb + wait for peering
+NUM_NODES=5
+test_expect_success 'init iptb' '
+  iptb init -n $NUM_NODES --bootstrap=none --port=0
+'
+
+startup_cluster $NUM_NODES --enable-pubsub-experiment
+
+test_expect_success 'peer ids' '
+  PEERID_0=$(iptb get id 0) &&
+  PEERID_2=$(iptb get id 2)
+'
+
+# ipfs pubsub sub
+test_expect_success 'pubsub' '
+	echo "testOK" > expected &&
+	touch empty &&
+	mkfifo wait ||
+	test_fsh echo init fail
+
+	(
+		ipfsi 0 pubsub sub --enc=ndpayload testTopic | 
+			while read line; do
+				echo $line > actual &&
+				echo > done
+				exit
+			done
+	) &
+
+	ipfspid=$!
+
+	sleep 1
+
+	# publish something
+	ipfsi 1 pubsub pub testTopic "testOK" &> pubErr &&
+
+	# wait until `echo > wait` executed
+	cat wait &&
+
+	test_cmp pubErr empty &&
+	test_cmp expected actual 
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'stop iptb' '
+  iptb stop
+'
+
+test_done