diff --git a/src/blockstore/store-meta.ts b/src/blockstore/store-meta.ts
index d9cf2028..4e824692 100644
--- a/src/blockstore/store-meta.ts
+++ b/src/blockstore/store-meta.ts
@@ -114,8 +114,14 @@ export class MetaStoreImpl extends BaseStoreImpl implements MetaStore {
       ensureLogger(sthis, "MetaStoreImpl"),
     );
     if (remote && opts.gateway.subscribe) {
-      this.logger.Debug().Str("url", url.toString()).Msg("Subscribing to the gateway");
-      opts.gateway.subscribe(url, (message: Uint8Array) => decodeGatewayMetaBytesToDbMeta(this.sthis, message));
+      this.onStarted(async () => {
+        this.logger.Debug().Str("url", this.url().toString()).Msg("Subscribing to the gateway");
+        opts.gateway.subscribe?.(this.url(), async (message: Uint8Array) => {
+          this.logger.Debug().Msg("Received message from gateway");
+          const dbMetas = await decodeGatewayMetaBytesToDbMeta(this.sthis, message);
+          await this.loader?.handleDbMetasFromStore(dbMetas.map((m) => m.dbMeta));
+        });
+      });
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/fireproof/all-gateway.test.ts b/tests/fireproof/all-gateway.test.ts
index b00e04f6..20675008 100644
--- a/tests/fireproof/all-gateway.test.ts
+++ b/tests/fireproof/all-gateway.test.ts
@@ -388,6 +388,7 @@ describe("Gateway", function () {
   it("should delete data from Meta Gateway", async function () {
     const metaUrl = await metaGateway?.buildUrl(metaStore?._url, "main");
     await metaGateway?.start(metaStore?._url);
+    // should we be testing .destroy() instead?
     const metaDeleteResult = await metaGateway?.delete(metaUrl?.Ok());
     expect(metaDeleteResult?.Ok()).toBeFalsy();
   });