diff --git a/packages/gossipsub/src/gossipsub.ts b/packages/gossipsub/src/gossipsub.ts
index d0436777fc..886a851b16 100644
--- a/packages/gossipsub/src/gossipsub.ts
+++ b/packages/gossipsub/src/gossipsub.ts
@@ -672,10 +672,11 @@ export class GossipSub extends TypedEventEmitter<GossipSubEvents> implements Typ
     }
 
     try {
+      const rawStream = await connection.newStream(this.protocols, {
+        runOnLimitedConnection: this.runOnLimitedConnection
+      })
       const stream = new OutboundStream(
-        await connection.newStream(this.protocols, {
-          runOnLimitedConnection: this.runOnLimitedConnection
-        }),
+        rawStream,
         (e) => { this.log.error('outbound pipe error', e) },
         { maxBufferSize: this.opts.maxOutboundBufferSize }
       )
@@ -690,6 +691,14 @@ export class GossipSub extends TypedEventEmitter<GossipSubEvents> implements Typ
       }
       this.metrics?.peersPerProtocol.inc({ protocol }, 1)
 
+      rawStream.addEventListener('close', () => {
+        if (this.streamsOutbound.get(id) === stream) {
+          this.streamsOutbound.delete(id)
+          this.floodsubPeers.delete(id)
+          this.metrics?.peersPerProtocol.inc({ protocol }, -1)
+        }
+      }, { once: true })
+
       // Immediately send own subscriptions via the newly attached stream
       if (this.subscriptions.size > 0) {
         this.log('send subscriptions to', id)
diff --git a/packages/gossipsub/test/outbound-stream-lifecycle.spec.ts b/packages/gossipsub/test/outbound-stream-lifecycle.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..337a28e263
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gossipsub/test/outbound-stream-lifecycle.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { stop } from '@libp2p/interface'
+import { expect } from 'aegir/chai'
+import pWaitFor from 'p-wait-for'
+import { createComponentsArray } from './utils/create-pubsub.ts'
+import type { GossipSubAndComponents } from './utils/create-pubsub.ts'
+import type { Stream } from '@libp2p/interface'
+
+describe('outbound stream lifecycle', () => {
+  let nodes: GossipSubAndComponents[]
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    nodes = await createComponentsArray({ number: 2, connected: true })
+  })
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await stop(...nodes.reduce<any[]>((acc, curr) => acc.concat(curr.pubsub, ...Object.entries(curr.components)), []))
+  })
+
+  it('removes an outbound stream from the registry when it closes', async () => {
+    const [nodeA, nodeB] = nodes
+    const bId = nodeB.components.peerId.toString()
+
+    // wait until nodeA has opened an outbound stream to nodeB
+    await pWaitFor(() => nodeA.pubsub.streamsOutbound.has(bId), { timeout: 10000 })
+
+    const outboundStream = nodeA.pubsub.streamsOutbound.get(bId)
+    expect(outboundStream).to.not.be.undefined()
+
+    // simulate the underlying stream being reset/closed while the connection
+    // itself stays open (e.g. a WebRTC stream reset or a relayed stream closing).
+    // reach the wrapped stream directly to mimic a transport-level reset
+    const { rawStream } = outboundStream as unknown as { rawStream: Stream }
+    rawStream.abort(new Error('simulated stream reset'))
+
+    // the closed stream must be removed from the registry, otherwise it blocks
+    // every future outbound message to this peer for the life of the connection
+    await pWaitFor(() => !nodeA.pubsub.streamsOutbound.has(bId), { timeout: 10000 })
+    expect(nodeA.pubsub.streamsOutbound.has(bId)).to.be.false()
+  })
+})