diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
index 32e7c754f6..ec662c8785 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
@@ -223,7 +223,11 @@ _.extend(Meteor._LivedataConnection.prototype, {
     if (args.length && typeof args[args.length - 1] === "function")
       var callback = args.pop();
 
-    var existing = self.subs.find({name: name, args: args}, {reactive: false}).fetch();
+    // Look for existing subs (ignore those with count=0, since they're going to
+    // get removed on the next time through the event loop).
+    var existing = self.subs.find(
+      {name: name, args: args, count: {$gt: 0}},
+      {reactive: false}).fetch();
 
     if (existing && existing[0]) {
       // already subbed, inc count.
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
index 488e3a8c24..6e216e2d76 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - receive data", function (test) {
   test.isUndefined(conn.queued[coll_name]);
 });
 
-Tinytest.add("livedata stub - subscribe", function (test) {
+Tinytest.addAsync("livedata stub - subscribe", function (test, onComplete) {
   var stream = new Meteor._StubStream();
   var conn = newConnection(stream);
 
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - subscribe", function (test) {
   });
   test.isFalse(callback_fired);
 
+  test.length(stream.sent, 1);
   var message = JSON.parse(stream.sent.shift());
   var id = message.id;
   delete message.id;
@@ -80,6 +81,34 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - subscribe", function (test) {
   // get the sub satisfied. callback fires.
   stream.receive({msg: 'data', 'subs': [id]});
   test.isTrue(callback_fired);
+
+  // This defers the actual unsub message, so we need to set a timeout
+  // to observe the message. We also test that we can resubscribe even
+  // before the unsub has been sent.
+  //
+  // Note: it would be perfectly fine for livedata_connection to send the unsub
+  // synchronously, so if this test fails just because we've made that change,
+  // that's OK! This is a regression test for a failure case where it *never*
+  // sent the unsub if there was a quick resub afterwards.
+  //
+  // XXX rewrite Meteor.defer to guarantee ordered execution so we don't have to
+  // use setTimeout
+  sub.stop();
+  conn.subscribe('my_data');
+
+  test.length(stream.sent, 1);
+  message = JSON.parse(stream.sent.shift());
+  var id2 = message.id;
+  test.notEqual(id, id2);
+  delete message.id;
+  test.equal(message, {msg: 'sub', name: 'my_data', params: []});
+
+  setTimeout(function() {
+    test.length(stream.sent, 1);
+    var message = JSON.parse(stream.sent.shift());
+    test.equal(message, {msg: 'unsub', id: id});
+    onComplete();
+  }, 10);
 });
 
 
diff --git a/packages/meteor/timers.js b/packages/meteor/timers.js
index a7353b1a77..bdaa636ef8 100644
--- a/packages/meteor/timers.js
+++ b/packages/meteor/timers.js
@@ -42,10 +42,15 @@ _.extend(Meteor, {
   },
 
   // won't be necessary once we clobber the global setTimeout
+  //
+  // XXX consider making this guarantee ordering of defer'd callbacks, like
+  // Meteor._atFlush or Node's nextTick (in practice). Then tests can do:
+  //    callSomethingThatDefersSomeWork();
+  //    Meteor.defer(expect(somethingThatValidatesThatTheWorkHappened));
   defer: function (f) {
     // Older Firefox will pass an argument to the setTimeout callback
     // function, indicating the "actual lateness." It's non-standard,
     // so for defer, standardize on not having it.
     Meteor.setTimeout(function () {f();}, 0);
   }
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});