diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 5d2236a..265066c 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ function Multifeed (storage, opts) {
   this._close = readyify(_close.bind(this), true)
   this.closed = false
 
+  this._onFeedError = function (err) {
+    this.emit('error', err)
+  }.bind(this)
+
   // random-access-storage wrapper that wraps all hypercores in a directory
   // structures. (dir/0, dir/1, ...)
   this._storage = function (dir) {
@@ -61,9 +65,8 @@ function Multifeed (storage, opts) {
 
     var feed = hypercore(ram, encryptionKey)
 
-    feed.on('error', function (err) {
-      self.emit('error', err)
-    })
+    feed.on('error', self._onFeedError)
+    feed.on('close', () => feed.removeListener('error', self._onFeedError))
 
     feed.ready(function () {
       self._root = feed
@@ -218,9 +221,9 @@ Multifeed.prototype.writer = function (name, opts, cb) {
         var feed = keypair
           ? self._hypercore(storage, keypair.publicKey, Object.assign({}, self._opts, { secretKey: keypair.secretKey }))
           : self._hypercore(storage, self._opts)
-        feed.on('error', function (err) {
-          self.emit('error', err)
-        })
+
+        feed.on('error', self._onFeedError)
+        feed.on('close', () => feed.removeListener('error', self._onFeedError))
 
         feed.ready(function () {
           self._addFeed(feed, String(idx))
diff --git a/mux.js b/mux.js
index 7bc2cf5..d656311 100644
--- a/mux.js
+++ b/mux.js
@@ -35,22 +35,24 @@ function Multiplexer (isInitiator, key, opts) {
   self._activeFeedStreams = {}
 
   var onFirstKey = true
+
+  self._ondiscoverykey = function (key) {
+    if (onFirstKey) {
+      onFirstKey = false
+      if (!this.stream.remoteVerified(key)) {
+        this._finalize(new Error('Exchange key did not match remote'))
+      }
+    }
+  }.bind(self)
+
   if (Protocol.isProtocolStream(isInitiator)) {
     var stream = this.stream = isInitiator
-    stream.on('discovery-key', ondiscoverykey)
+    stream.on('discovery-key', self._ondiscoverykey)
   } else {
     var stream = this.stream = new Protocol(isInitiator, Object.assign({}, opts, {
-      ondiscoverykey
+      ondiscoverykey: self._ondiscoverykey
     }))
   }
-  function ondiscoverykey (key) {
-    if (onFirstKey) {
-      onFirstKey = false
-      if (!self.stream.remoteVerified(key)) {
-        self._finalize(new Error('Exchange key did not match remote'))
-      }
-    }
-  }
 
   this._handshakeExt = this.stream.registerExtension(EXT_HANDSHAKE, {
     onmessage: onHandshake,
@@ -175,6 +177,7 @@ Multiplexer.prototype._finalize = function (err) {
     debug(this._id + ' [REPLICATION] finalized', err)
     this.stream.finalize()
   }
+  this.stream.removeListener('discovery-key', this._ondiscoverykey)
 }
 
 // Calls to this method results in the creation of a 'manifest'
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c054c89..e7599bc 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
   },
   "keywords": [],
   "dependencies": {
+    "async-series": "0.0.1",
     "debug": "^4.1.0",
     "hypercore": "^8.3.0",
     "hypercore-protocol": "^7.7.1",
diff --git a/test/memory-leak.js b/test/memory-leak.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a22f7f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/memory-leak.js
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+var test = require('tape')
+var multifeed = require('..')
+var ram = require('random-access-memory')
+var series = require('async-series')
+
+test('so many feeds', function (t) {
+  function createMultifeed (cb) {
+    var multi = multifeed(ram, { valueEncoding: 'json' })
+    multi.writer(function (err, feed) {
+      if (err) throw err
+      multi.ready(function () {
+        if ((Math.random() * 100) < 30) feed.append({'foo': 'bar'}, done)
+        else done()
+      })
+    })
+
+    function done (err) {
+      cb(err, multi)
+    }
+  }
+
+  var total = 20
+  var tasks = []
+  var feeds = []
+
+  for (var i = 0; i < total; i++) {
+    ;(function (n) {
+      tasks.push((done) => {
+        // console.log('making', n)
+        createMultifeed((err, m) => {
+          if (err) return done(err)
+          // console.log('made', n)
+          feeds.push(m)
+          m.n = n
+          done(null, m)
+        })
+      })
+    })(i)
+  }
+
+  series(tasks, (err) => {
+    if (err) throw err
+    console.log('created', feeds.length, 'feeds')
+    console.log('ready!')
+    var replications = []
+
+    feeds.sort((a, b) => {
+      if (a && b) {
+        replications.push((done) => {
+          // console.log('syncing', a.n, 'and', b.n)
+          replicate(a, b, err => {
+            // console.log('SYNCED', a.n, 'and', b.n)
+            done(err)
+          })
+        })
+      }
+      return -1
+    })
+
+    console.log('pre-sync heap', process.memoryUsage().heapUsed / 1000000, 'mb')
+    series(replications, (err) => {
+      if (err) throw err
+      console.log('replicated! everything!')
+      console.log('post-sync heap', process.memoryUsage().heapUsed / 1000000, 'mb')
+      t.end()
+    })
+  })
+
+  function replicate (m1, m2, cb) {
+    var r = m1.replicate(true)
+    r.pipe(m2.replicate(false)).pipe(r)
+      .once('end', cb)
+  }
+})