diff --git a/pubsub/gochannel/pubsub.go b/pubsub/gochannel/pubsub.go
index 0d4fc61c7..e36fa68cd 100644
--- a/pubsub/gochannel/pubsub.go
+++ b/pubsub/gochannel/pubsub.go
@@ -93,8 +93,12 @@ func (g *GoChannel) Publish(topic string, messages ...*message.Message) error {
 	g.subscribersLock.RLock()
 	defer g.subscribersLock.RUnlock()
 
-	subLock, _ := g.subscribersByTopicLock.LoadOrStore(topic, &sync.Mutex{})
+	subLock, loaded := g.subscribersByTopicLock.LoadOrStore(topic, &sync.Mutex{})
 	subLock.(*sync.Mutex).Lock()
+
+	if !loaded {
+		defer g.subscribersByTopicLock.Delete(topic)
+	}
 	defer subLock.(*sync.Mutex).Unlock()
 
 	if g.config.Persistent {
@@ -205,7 +209,14 @@ func (g *GoChannel) Subscribe(ctx context.Context, topic string) (<-chan *messag
 		s.Close()
 
 		g.subscribersLock.Lock()
-		defer g.subscribersLock.Unlock()
+		defer func() {
+			// if there are no subscribers, clean up any resources related to the topic
+			if len(g.subscribers[topic]) == 0 {
+				delete(g.subscribers, topic)
+				g.subscribersByTopicLock.Delete(topic)
+			}
+			g.subscribersLock.Unlock()
+		}()
 
 		subLock, _ := g.subscribersByTopicLock.Load(topic)
 		subLock.(*sync.Mutex).Lock()
diff --git a/pubsub/gochannel/pubsub_internal_test.go b/pubsub/gochannel/pubsub_internal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fdf047f61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pubsub/gochannel/pubsub_internal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package gochannel
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log"
+	"strconv"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/ThreeDotsLabs/watermill"
+	"github.com/ThreeDotsLabs/watermill/message"
+)
+
+func TestSubscribe_clean_subscriber_data(t *testing.T) {
+	subCount := 100
+	pubSub := NewGoChannel(
+		Config{OutputChannelBuffer: int64(subCount)},
+		watermill.NewStdLogger(false, false),
+	)
+	topicName := "test_topic"
+
+	allClosed := sync.WaitGroup{}
+
+	for i := 0; i < subCount; i++ {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		_, err := pubSub.Subscribe(ctx, topicName+"_index_"+strconv.Itoa(i))
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		allClosed.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			cancel()
+			allClosed.Done()
+		}()
+	}
+
+	log.Println("waiting for all closed")
+	allClosed.Wait()
+
+	assert.Len(t, pubSub.subscribers, 0)
+	lockCount := 0
+	pubSub.subscribersByTopicLock.Range(func(_, _ any) bool {
+		lockCount++
+		return true
+	})
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, lockCount)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, pubSub.Close())
+}
+
+func TestPublish_clean_lock_data(t *testing.T) {
+	messageCount := 100
+	pubSub := NewGoChannel(
+		Config{OutputChannelBuffer: int64(messageCount)},
+		watermill.NewStdLogger(false, false),
+	)
+	topicName := "test_topic"
+
+	_, err := pubSub.Subscribe(context.Background(), topicName+"_index_"+strconv.Itoa(0))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	for i := 0; i < messageCount; i++ {
+		err := pubSub.Publish(topicName+"_index_"+strconv.Itoa(i), message.NewMessage(watermill.NewShortUUID(), nil))
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+
+	lockCount := 0
+	pubSub.subscribersByTopicLock.Range(func(_, _ any) bool {
+		lockCount++
+		return true
+	})
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, lockCount)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, pubSub.Close())
+}