diff --git a/pubsub.go b/pubsub.go
index a9ebbf0..933382e 100644
--- a/pubsub.go
+++ b/pubsub.go
@@ -253,35 +253,6 @@ func (p *PubsubValueStore) rebroadcast(ctx context.Context) {
 			keys := make([]string, 0, len(p.topics))
 			topics := make([]*topicInfo, 0, len(p.topics))
 			for k, ti := range p.topics {
-				keys = append(keys, k)
-				topics = append(topics, ti)
-			}
-			p.mx.Unlock()
-			if len(topics) > 0 {
-				for i, k := range keys {
-					val, err := p.getLocal(k)
-					if err == nil {
-						topic := topics[i].topic
-						select {
-						case <-p.psPublishChannel(ctx, topic, val):
-						case <-ctx.Done():
-							return
-						}
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func (p *PubsubValueStore) psPublishChannel(ctx context.Context, topic *pubsub.Topic, value []byte) chan error {
-	done := make(chan error, 1)
-	go func() {
-		done <- topic.Publish(ctx, value)
-	}()
-	return done
 }
 
 // putLocal tries to put the key-value pair into the local datastore
@@ -478,7 +449,7 @@ func (p *PubsubValueStore) handleSubscription(ctx context.Context, ti *topicInfo
 				case <-ctx.Done():
 					return
 				default:
-					log.Errorf("PubsubPeerJoin: error interacting with new peer", err)
+					log.Errorf("PubsubPeerJoin: error interacting with new peer: %s", err)
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -524,15 +495,7 @@ func (p *PubsubValueStore) handleNewMsgs(ctx context.Context, sub *pubsub.Subscr
 }
 
 func (p *PubsubValueStore) handleNewPeer(ctx context.Context, peerEvtHandler *pubsub.TopicEventHandler, key string) ([]byte, error) {
-	select {
-	case <-ctx.Done():
-		return nil, ctx.Err()
-	default:
-	}
-
-	var pid peer.ID
-
-	for {
+	for ctx.Err() == nil {
 		peerEvt, err := peerEvtHandler.NextPeerEvent(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			if err != context.Canceled {
@@ -540,13 +503,18 @@ func (p *PubsubValueStore) handleNewPeer(ctx context.Context, peerEvtHandler *pu
 			}
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		if peerEvt.Type == pubsub.PeerJoin {
-			pid = peerEvt.Peer
-			break
+
+		if peerEvt.Type != pubsub.PeerJoin {
+			continue
 		}
-	}
 
-	return p.fetch.Fetch(ctx, pid, key)
+		value, err := p.fetch.Fetch(ctx, peerEvt.Peer, key)
+		if err == nil {
+			return value, nil
+		}
+		log.Debugf("failed to fetch latest pubsub value for key '%s' from peer '%s': %s", key, peerEvt.Peer, err)
+	}
+	return nil, ctx.Err()
 }
 
 func (p *PubsubValueStore) notifyWatchers(key string, data []byte) {