diff --git a/src/pubsub.js b/src/pubsub.js
index ee6185be20..1df776cd2f 100644
--- a/src/pubsub.js
+++ b/src/pubsub.js
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ var EventEmitter = require('events');
 var nconf = require('nconf');
 
 var real;
+var noCluster;
+var singleHost;
 
 function get() {
 	if (real) {
@@ -13,14 +15,23 @@ function get() {
 	var pubsub;
 
 	if (nconf.get('isCluster') === 'false') {
-		pubsub = new EventEmitter();
-		pubsub.publish = pubsub.emit.bind(pubsub);
+		if (noCluster) {
+			real = noCluster;
+			return real;
+		}
+		noCluster = new EventEmitter();
+		noCluster.publish = noCluster.emit.bind(noCluster);
+		pubsub = noCluster;
 	} else if (nconf.get('singleHostCluster')) {
-		pubsub = new EventEmitter();
+		if (singleHost) {
+			real = singleHost;
+			return real;
+		}
+		singleHost = new EventEmitter();
 		if (!process.send) {
-			pubsub.publish = pubsub.emit.bind(pubsub);
+			singleHost.publish = singleHost.emit.bind(singleHost);
 		} else {
-			pubsub.publish = function (event, data) {
+			singleHost.publish = function (event, data) {
 				process.send({
 					action: 'pubsub',
 					event: event,
@@ -29,10 +40,11 @@ function get() {
 			};
 			process.on('message', function (message) {
 				if (message && typeof message === 'object' && message.action === 'pubsub') {
-					pubsub.emit(message.event, message.data);
+					singleHost.emit(message.event, message.data);
 				}
 			});
 		}
+		pubsub = singleHost;
 	} else if (nconf.get('redis')) {
 		pubsub = require('./database/redis/pubsub');
 	} else if (nconf.get('mongo')) {
@@ -55,4 +67,7 @@ module.exports = {
 	removeAllListeners: function (event) {
 		get().removeAllListeners(event);
 	},
+	reset: function () {
+		real = null;
+	},
 };
diff --git a/test/pubsub.js b/test/pubsub.js
index 1ae3eb5f4f..5fb082a210 100644
--- a/test/pubsub.js
+++ b/test/pubsub.js
@@ -7,27 +7,29 @@ var db = require('./mocks/databasemock');
 var pubsub = require('../src/pubsub');
 
 describe('pubsub', function () {
-	it('should use singleHostCluster', function (done) {
-		var oldValue = nconf.get('singleHostCluster');
-		nconf.set('singleHostCluster', true);
+	it('should use the plain event emitter', function (done) {
+		nconf.set('isCluster', 'false');
+		pubsub.reset();
 		pubsub.on('testEvent', function (message) {
 			assert.equal(message.foo, 1);
-			nconf.set('singleHostCluster', oldValue);
+			nconf.set('isCluster', 'true');
 			pubsub.removeAllListeners('testEvent');
+			pubsub.reset();
 			done();
 		});
 		pubsub.publish('testEvent', { foo: 1 });
 	});
 
-	it('should use the current database\'s pubsub', function (done) {
+	it('should use singleHostCluster', function (done) {
 		var oldValue = nconf.get('singleHostCluster');
-		nconf.set('singleHostCluster', false);
+		nconf.set('singleHostCluster', true);
 		pubsub.on('testEvent', function (message) {
-			assert.equal(message.foo, 1);
+			assert.equal(message.foo, 2);
 			nconf.set('singleHostCluster', oldValue);
 			pubsub.removeAllListeners('testEvent');
+			pubsub.reset();
 			done();
 		});
-		pubsub.publish('testEvent', { foo: 1 });
+		pubsub.publish('testEvent', { foo: 2 });
 	});
 });