diff --git a/packages/accounts-base/accounts_server.js b/packages/accounts-base/accounts_server.js
index e10a896478..437e305359 100644
--- a/packages/accounts-base/accounts_server.js
+++ b/packages/accounts-base/accounts_server.js
@@ -999,7 +999,7 @@ export class AccountsServer extends AccountsCommon {
         const observe = await this.users.find({
           _id: userId,
           'services.resume.loginTokens.hashedToken': newToken
-        }, { fields: { _id: 1 } }).observeChanges({
+        }, { fields: { _id: 1 } }).observeChangesAsync({
           added: () => {
             foundMatchingUser = true;
           },
@@ -1860,4 +1860,3 @@ const generateCasePermutationsForString = string => {
   }
   return permutations;
 }
-
diff --git a/packages/minimongo/cursor.js b/packages/minimongo/cursor.js
index 4db04d9734..3192797985 100644
--- a/packages/minimongo/cursor.js
+++ b/packages/minimongo/cursor.js
@@ -373,6 +373,13 @@ export default class Cursor {
     return handle;
   }
 
+  observeChangesAsync(options) {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      const handle = this.observeChanges(options);
+      handle.isReadyPromise.then(() => resolve(handle));
+    });
+  }
+
   // XXX Maybe we need a version of observe that just calls a callback if
   // anything changed.
   _depend(changers, _allow_unordered) {
diff --git a/packages/mongo/collection.js b/packages/mongo/collection.js
index 498e1608e1..2a9a859db2 100644
--- a/packages/mongo/collection.js
+++ b/packages/mongo/collection.js
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ Object.assign(Mongo.Collection.prototype, {
 
 Object.assign(Mongo.Collection, {
   async _publishCursor(cursor, sub, collection) {
-    var observeHandle = await cursor.observeChanges(
+    var observeHandle = await cursor.observeChangesAsync(
         {
           added: function(id, fields) {
             sub.added(collection, id, fields);
diff --git a/packages/mongo/mongo_driver.js b/packages/mongo/mongo_driver.js
index 0ac003a35b..0c6c44a710 100644
--- a/packages/mongo/mongo_driver.js
+++ b/packages/mongo/mongo_driver.js
@@ -965,6 +965,13 @@ Cursor.prototype.observeChanges = function (callbacks, options = {}) {
     self._cursorDescription, ordered, callbacks, options.nonMutatingCallbacks);
 };
 
+Cursor.prototype.observeChangesAsync = async function (callbacks, options = {}) {
+  var self = this;
+  var handler = self.observeChanges(callbacks, options);
+  await handler.ready();
+  return handler;
+};
+
 MongoConnection.prototype._createSynchronousCursor = function(
     cursorDescription, options) {
   var self = this;
@@ -1436,7 +1443,7 @@ MongoConnection.prototype.tail = function (cursorDescription, docCallback, timeo
 };
 
 Object.assign(MongoConnection.prototype, {
-  _observeChanges: async function (
+  _observeChanges: function (
       cursorDescription, ordered, callbacks, nonMutatingCallbacks) {
     var self = this;
 
@@ -1531,7 +1538,7 @@ Object.assign(MongoConnection.prototype, {
       });
 
       if (observeDriver._init) {
-        await observeDriver._init();
+        observeHandle.initObserver = observeDriver._init();
       }
 
       // This field is only set for use in tests.
@@ -1539,7 +1546,7 @@ Object.assign(MongoConnection.prototype, {
     }
     self._observeMultiplexers[observeKey] = multiplexer;
     // Blocks until the initial adds have been sent.
-    await multiplexer.addHandleAndSendInitialAdds(observeHandle);
+    observeHandle.initHandler = multiplexer.addHandleAndSendInitialAdds(observeHandle);
 
     return observeHandle;
   },
diff --git a/packages/mongo/observe_multiplex.js b/packages/mongo/observe_multiplex.js
index b138eb9937..8c7d3bd41a 100644
--- a/packages/mongo/observe_multiplex.js
+++ b/packages/mongo/observe_multiplex.js
@@ -222,11 +222,19 @@ ObserveHandle = class {
     this._stopped = false;
     this._id = nextObserveHandleId++;
     this.nonMutatingCallbacks = nonMutatingCallbacks;
+    this.initObserver = undefined;
+    this.initHandler = undefined;
+  }
+
+  async ready() {
+    if (this.initObserver) await this.initObserver;
+    if (this.initHandler) await this.initHandler;
   }
 
   async stop() {
     if (this._stopped) return;
     this._stopped = true;
+    await this.ready();
     await this._multiplexer.removeHandle(this._id);
   }
 };
diff --git a/packages/mongo/oplog_tests.js b/packages/mongo/oplog_tests.js
index 455dd9f57e..66ea2b3f6c 100644
--- a/packages/mongo/oplog_tests.js
+++ b/packages/mongo/oplog_tests.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Tinytest.addAsync('mongo-livedata - oplog - cursorSupported', async function(
 
   var supported = async function(expected, selector, options) {
     var cursor = OplogCollection.find(selector, options);
-    var handle = await cursor.observeChanges({ added: function() {} });
+    var handle = await cursor.observeChangesAsync({ added: function() {} });
     // If there's no oplog at all, we shouldn't ever use it.
     if (!oplogEnabled) expected = false;
     test.equal(!!handle._multiplexer._observeDriver._usesOplog, expected);
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ process.env.MONGO_OPLOG_URL &&
           species: 'dog',
           color: 'blue',
         })
-        .observeChanges({
+        .observeChangesAsync({
           added(id, fields) {
             if (fields.name === 'dog 5') {
               blueDog5Id = id;