diff --git a/src/ctxt/ctxt.c b/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
index c21cde8..1119264 100644
--- a/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
+++ b/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "../backend.h"
 #include "../concurrent/msg.h"
 #include "../concurrent/msgq.h"
+#include "../concurrent/pubsub.h"
 #include "../ctxt.h"
 #include "../util.h"
 #include "theme.h"
@@ -157,8 +158,7 @@ void ax_set_theme_font(
     }
 }
 
-void ax_set_theme_iconset(
-    struct ax_ctxt* ax, const char* iconset_dir)
+void ax_set_theme_iconset(struct ax_ctxt* ax, const char* iconset_dir)
 {
     if (ax->thmb == NULL) {
         ax_log(ax, "`ax_set_theme_iconset' called while not building a theme");
@@ -169,17 +169,17 @@ void ax_set_theme_iconset(
 
 void ax_theme_wait_until_loaded(struct ax_ctxt* ax, struct ax_theme* thm)
 {
-    struct rgn rgn[1];
-    rgn_init(rgn, SMALL);
-    struct msgq* mq = msgq_new(rgn);
-    ax__theme_on_load(thm, mq);
-    msgq_begin_recv_and_wait(mq);
-    MSGQ_RECV_ALL(mq) {
-        default:
-            break;
+    struct rgn rgn;
+    rgn_init(&rgn, SMALL);
+    struct sub* sub = ax__theme_sub_loaded(thm, &rgn);
+    if (sub != NULL) {
+        sub_begin_recv_and_wait(sub);
+        SUB_RECV_ALL(sub) { default: break; }
+        sub_end_recv(sub);
+    } else {
+        ax_log(ax, "subscriber is NULL, this means the theme is already loaded");
     }
-    msgq_end_recv(mq);
-    rgn_cleanup(rgn);
+    rgn_cleanup(&rgn);
 }
 
 int ax_select_theme(struct ax_ctxt* ax, struct ax_theme* thm)
diff --git a/src/ctxt/theme.c b/src/ctxt/theme.c
index 48659a4..89268c9 100644
--- a/src/ctxt/theme.c
+++ b/src/ctxt/theme.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "../backend.h"
 #include "../concurrent/msgq.h"
 #include "../concurrent/msg.h"
+#include "../concurrent/pubsub.h"
 #include <inttypes.h>
 
 static const char* default_font_path(struct rgn* rgn)
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ struct ax_theme* ax__theme_builder_finish(
         thm->font_handle[i] = NULL;
     }
     thm->on_load_rgn = rgn_new(dst_rgn, SMALL);
-    thm->on_load = NULL;
+    thm->on_load = pubsub_new(dst_rgn);
     pthread_mutex_init(&thm->mx, NULL);
     rgn_pin(dst_rgn, thm, (void*) pthread_mutex_destroy);
 
@@ -127,13 +128,6 @@ static inline bool is_loaded(struct ax_theme* thm)
     return true;
 }
 
-static inline void msgq_send_theme_loaded(struct msgq* mq, struct ax_theme* thm)
-{
-    msgq_begin_send_typed(mq, ax_msg_theme_loaded)
-        ->theme = thm;
-    msgq_end_send(mq);
-}
-
 struct ax_font_h* ax__theme_font_handle(
     struct ax_theme* thm,
     enum ax_font_cat i)
@@ -160,27 +154,24 @@ void ax__theme_set_font_handle(
     pthread_mutex_lock(&thm->mx);
     thm->font_handle[i] = h;
     if (is_loaded(thm)) {
-        while (thm->on_load != NULL) {
-            msgq_send_theme_loaded(thm->on_load->mq, thm);
-            thm->on_load = thm->on_load->next;
-        }
+        pubsub_begin_pub_typed(thm->on_load, ax_msg_theme_loaded)
+            ->theme = thm;
+        pubsub_end_pub(thm->on_load);
     }
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&thm->mx);
 }
 
-void ax__theme_on_load(struct ax_theme* thm, struct msgq* res_mq)
+struct sub* ax__theme_sub_loaded(struct ax_theme* thm, struct rgn* dst_rgn)
 {
+    struct sub* sub;
     pthread_mutex_lock(&thm->mx);
     if (is_loaded(thm)) {
-        msgq_send_theme_loaded(res_mq, thm);
+        sub = NULL;
     } else {
-        struct msgq_list* l =
-            ralloc_typed(thm->on_load_rgn, struct msgq_list, 1);
-        l->mq = res_mq;
-        l->next = thm->on_load;
-        thm->on_load = l;
+        sub = sub_new(dst_rgn, thm->on_load);
     }
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&thm->mx);
+    return sub;
 }
 
 int ax__string_to_color_cat(const char* str, enum ax_color_cat* out_cat)
diff --git a/src/ctxt/theme.h b/src/ctxt/theme.h
index 6fb6668..22e1e4d 100644
--- a/src/ctxt/theme.h
+++ b/src/ctxt/theme.h
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 
 struct rgn;
 struct msgq;
-struct msgq_list;
+struct pubsub;
+struct sub;
 struct ax_font_h;
 
 #define THEME_BUILDER_DESIRED_REGION_SIZE (16*1024)
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ struct ax_theme {
     const char*       font_path[AX_FONT__COUNT];
     struct ax_font_h* font_handle[AX_FONT__COUNT];
     struct rgn*       on_load_rgn;
-    struct msgq_list* on_load;
+    struct pubsub*    on_load;
     pthread_mutex_t   mx;
 };
 
@@ -107,9 +108,9 @@ void ax__theme_set_font_handle(
     enum ax_font_cat i,
     struct ax_font_h* h);
 
-void ax__theme_on_load(
+struct sub* ax__theme_sub_loaded(
     struct ax_theme* thm,
-    struct msgq* res_mq);
+    struct rgn* dst_rgn);
 
 /*
 void ax__debug_theme(struct ax_theme* thm);