diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index b79a110..0178928 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ const { EventEmitter } = require('events')
 const DHT = require('hyperdht')
 const spq = require('shuffled-priority-queue')
 const b4a = require('b4a')
+const unslab = require('unslab')
 
 const PeerInfo = require('./lib/peer-info')
 const RetryTimer = require('./lib/retry-timer')
@@ -423,6 +424,8 @@ module.exports = class Hyperswarm extends EventEmitter {
   // TODO: When you rejoin, it should reannounce + bump lookup priority
   join (topic, opts = {}) {
     if (!topic) throw new Error(ERR_MISSING_TOPIC)
+    topic = unslab(topic)
+
     const topicString = b4a.toString(topic, 'hex')
 
     let discovery = this._discovery.get(topicString)
diff --git a/lib/peer-info.js b/lib/peer-info.js
index 8ac79e5..1ad1574 100644
--- a/lib/peer-info.js
+++ b/lib/peer-info.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const { EventEmitter } = require('events')
 const b4a = require('b4a')
+const unslab = require('unslab')
 
 const MIN_CONNECTION_TIME = 15000
 
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ module.exports = class PeerInfo extends EventEmitter {
   constructor ({ publicKey, relayAddresses }) {
     super()
 
-    this.publicKey = publicKey
+    this.publicKey = unslab(publicKey)
     this.relayAddresses = relayAddresses
 
     this.reconnecting = true
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ module.exports = class PeerInfo extends EventEmitter {
     // Set by the Swarm
     this.queued = false
     this.client = false
-    this.topics = []
+    this.topics = [] // TODO: remove on next major (check with mafintosh for context)
 
     this.attempts = 0
     this.priority = NORMAL_PRIORITY
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6469a5c..b4fbaef 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
     "bare-events": "^2.2.0",
     "hyperdht": "^6.11.0",
     "safety-catch": "^1.0.2",
-    "shuffled-priority-queue": "^2.1.0"
+    "shuffled-priority-queue": "^2.1.0",
+    "unslab": "^1.3.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "brittle": "^3.0.2",
diff --git a/test/swarm.js b/test/swarm.js
index 624a501..f148092 100644
--- a/test/swarm.js
+++ b/test/swarm.js
@@ -747,6 +747,49 @@ test('peerDiscovery has unslabbed closestNodes', async (t) => {
   t.is(hasUnslabbeds, false, 'sanity check: all are unslabbed')
 })
 
+test('topic and peer get unslabbed in PeerInfo', async (t) => {
+  const { bootstrap } = await createTestnet(3, t.teardown)
+
+  const swarm1 = new Hyperswarm({ bootstrap })
+  const swarm2 = new Hyperswarm({ bootstrap })
+
+  t.plan(3)
+
+  t.teardown(async () => {
+    await swarm1.destroy()
+    await swarm2.destroy()
+  })
+
+  swarm2.on('connection', (conn) => {
+    t.is(
+      [...swarm2.peers.values()][0].publicKey.buffer.byteLength,
+      32,
+      'unslabbed publicKey in peerInfo'
+    )
+    t.is([...swarm2.peers.values()][0].topics[0].buffer.byteLength,
+      32,
+      'unslabbed topic in peerInfo'
+    )
+
+    conn.on('error', noop)
+    conn.end()
+  })
+  swarm1.on('connection', (conn) => {
+    t.is(
+      [...swarm1.peers.values()][0].publicKey.buffer.byteLength,
+      32,
+      'unslabbed publicKey in peerInfo'
+    )
+
+    conn.on('error', noop)
+    conn.end()
+  })
+
+  const topic = Buffer.alloc(32).fill('hello world')
+  await swarm1.join(topic, { server: true, client: false }).flushed()
+  swarm2.join(topic, { client: true, server: false })
+})
+
 function noop () {}
 
 function eventFlush () {