diff --git a/src/codec.ts b/src/codec.ts
index 206cc6e..7ac68f1 100644
--- a/src/codec.ts
+++ b/src/codec.ts
@@ -37,18 +37,18 @@ export class NoiseHandshakeMessage extends DecodedMessage implements IDecodedMes
  */
 export class NoiseHandshakeEncoder implements IEncoder {
   /**
+   * @param pubsubTopic pubsub topic on which handshake happens
    * @param contentTopic content topic on which the encoded WakuMessages will be sent
    * @param hsStepResult the result of a step executed while performing the handshake process
    * @param ephemeral makes messages ephemeral in the Waku network
    */
-  pubsubTopic: string;
 
   constructor(
     public contentTopic: string,
+    public pubsubTopic: string,
     private hsStepResult: HandshakeStepResult,
     public ephemeral: boolean = true
   ) {
-    this.pubsubTopic = contentTopicToPubsubTopic(contentTopic);
   }
 
   async toWire(message: IMessage): Promise<Uint8Array | undefined> {
@@ -77,12 +77,11 @@ export class NoiseHandshakeEncoder implements IEncoder {
  */
 export class NoiseHandshakeDecoder implements IDecoder<NoiseHandshakeMessage> {
   /**
+   * @param pubsubTopic pubsub topic on which handshake happens
    * @param contentTopic content topic on which the encoded WakuMessages were sent
    */
-  pubsubTopic: string;
 
-  constructor(public contentTopic: string) {
-    this.pubsubTopic = contentTopicToPubsubTopic(contentTopic);
+  constructor(public contentTopic: string, public pubsubTopic: string) {
   }
 
   fromWireToProtoObj(bytes: Uint8Array): Promise<IProtoMessage | undefined> {
@@ -139,19 +138,19 @@ export class NoiseSecureMessage extends DecodedMessage implements IDecodedMessag
 export class NoiseSecureTransferEncoder implements IEncoder {
   /**
    * @param contentTopic content topic on which the encoded WakuMessages were sent.
+   * @param pubsubTopic pubsub topic on which handshake happens
    * @param hsResult handshake result obtained after the handshake is successful.
    * @param ephemeral whether messages should be tagged as ephemeral defaults to true.
    * @param metaSetter callback function that set the `meta` field.
    */
-  pubsubTopic: string;
 
   constructor(
     public contentTopic: string,
+    public pubsubTopic: string,
     private hsResult: HandshakeResult,
     public ephemeral: boolean = true,
     public metaSetter?: IMetaSetter
   ) {
-    this.pubsubTopic = contentTopicToPubsubTopic(contentTopic);
   }
 
   async toWire(message: IMessage): Promise<Uint8Array | undefined> {
@@ -199,12 +198,11 @@ export class NoiseSecureTransferEncoder implements IEncoder {
 export class NoiseSecureTransferDecoder implements IDecoder<NoiseSecureMessage> {
   /**
    * @param contentTopic content topic on which the encoded WakuMessages were sent
+   * @param pubsubTopic pubsub topic on which handshake happens
    * @param hsResult handshake result obtained after the handshake is successful
    */
-  pubsubTopic: string;
 
-  constructor(public contentTopic: string, private hsResult: HandshakeResult) {
-    this.pubsubTopic = contentTopicToPubsubTopic(contentTopic);
+  constructor(public contentTopic: string, public pubsubTopic: string, private hsResult: HandshakeResult) {
   }
 
   fromWireToProtoObj(bytes: Uint8Array): Promise<IProtoMessage | undefined> {
diff --git a/src/pairing.ts b/src/pairing.ts
index 36e5b92..cd3a2f6 100644
--- a/src/pairing.ts
+++ b/src/pairing.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ export class WakuPairing {
   }
 
   /**
+   * @param pubsubTopic pubsubTopic to be used for handshake
    * @param sender object that implements Sender interface to publish waku messages
    * @param responder object that implements Responder interface to subscribe and receive waku messages
    * @param myStaticKey x25519 keypair
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ export class WakuPairing {
    * @param encoderParameters optional parameters for the resulting encoders
    */
   constructor(
+    private pubsubTopic: string,
     private sender: ISender,
     private responder: IReceiver,
     private myStaticKey: KeyPair,
@@ -223,7 +225,7 @@ export class WakuPairing {
 
   private async initiatorHandshake(): Promise<[NoiseSecureTransferEncoder, NoiseSecureTransferDecoder]> {
     // Subscribe to the contact content topic
-    const decoder = new NoiseHandshakeDecoder(this.contentTopic);
+    const decoder = new NoiseHandshakeDecoder(this.contentTopic, this.pubsubTopic);
     const subscriptionIterator = await this.responder.toSubscriptionIterator(decoder);
 
     // The handshake initiator writes a Waku2 payload v2 containing the handshake message
@@ -236,7 +238,7 @@ export class WakuPairing {
 
     // We prepare a message from initiator's payload2
     // At this point wakuMsg is sent over the Waku network to responder content topic
-    let encoder = new NoiseHandshakeEncoder(this.contentTopic, hsStep);
+    let encoder = new NoiseHandshakeEncoder(this.contentTopic, this.pubsubTopic, hsStep);
     await this.sender.send(encoder, {
       payload: new Uint8Array(),
     });
@@ -281,7 +283,7 @@ export class WakuPairing {
       messageNametag: this.handshake.hs.toMessageNametag(),
     });
 
-    encoder = new NoiseHandshakeEncoder(this.contentTopic, hsStep);
+    encoder = new NoiseHandshakeEncoder(this.contentTopic, this.pubsubTopic, hsStep);
     await this.sender.send(encoder, {
       payload: new Uint8Array(),
     });
@@ -291,12 +293,12 @@ export class WakuPairing {
 
     this.eventEmitter.emit("pairingComplete");
 
-    return WakuPairing.getSecureCodec(this.contentTopic, this.handshakeResult, this.encoderParameters);
+    return WakuPairing.getSecureCodec(this.contentTopic, this.pubsubTopic, this.handshakeResult, this.encoderParameters);
   }
 
   private async responderHandshake(): Promise<[NoiseSecureTransferEncoder, NoiseSecureTransferDecoder]> {
     // Subscribe to the contact content topic
-    const decoder = new NoiseHandshakeDecoder(this.contentTopic);
+    const decoder = new NoiseHandshakeDecoder(this.contentTopic, this.pubsubTopic);
     const subscriptionIterator = await this.responder.toSubscriptionIterator(decoder);
 
     // the received reads the initiator's payloads, and returns the (decrypted) transport message the initiator sent
@@ -322,7 +324,7 @@ export class WakuPairing {
     });
 
     // We prepare a Waku message from responder's payload2
-    const encoder = new NoiseHandshakeEncoder(this.contentTopic, hsStep);
+    const encoder = new NoiseHandshakeEncoder(this.contentTopic, this.pubsubTopic, hsStep);
     await this.sender.send(encoder, {
       payload: new Uint8Array(),
     });
@@ -355,7 +357,7 @@ export class WakuPairing {
 
     this.eventEmitter.emit("pairingComplete");
 
-    return WakuPairing.getSecureCodec(this.contentTopic, this.handshakeResult, this.encoderParameters);
+    return WakuPairing.getSecureCodec(this.contentTopic, this.pubsubTopic, this.handshakeResult, this.encoderParameters);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -368,16 +370,18 @@ export class WakuPairing {
    */
   static getSecureCodec(
     contentTopic: string,
+    pubsubTopic: string,
     hsResult: HandshakeResult,
     encoderParameters: EncoderParameters
   ): [NoiseSecureTransferEncoder, NoiseSecureTransferDecoder] {
     const secureEncoder = new NoiseSecureTransferEncoder(
       contentTopic,
+      pubsubTopic,
       hsResult,
       encoderParameters.ephemeral,
       encoderParameters.metaSetter
     );
-    const secureDecoder = new NoiseSecureTransferDecoder(contentTopic, hsResult);
+    const secureDecoder = new NoiseSecureTransferDecoder(contentTopic, pubsubTopic, hsResult);
 
     return [secureEncoder, secureDecoder];
   }