diff --git a/src/cluster/websocket/WebSocket.cc b/src/cluster/websocket/WebSocket.cc
index 1f2610a99b..8ca19a91de 100644
--- a/src/cluster/websocket/WebSocket.cc
+++ b/src/cluster/websocket/WebSocket.cc
@@ -372,6 +372,30 @@ void WebSocketEventDispatcher::Process(const WebSocketSubscribeFinished& fin) {
         return;
     }
 
+    if ( ! entry.ready_to_publish ) {
+        // Still waiting for the backend to be ready.
+        return;
+    }
+
+    HandleSubscriptionsActive(entry);
+}
+
+void WebSocketEventDispatcher::Process(const WebSocketBackendReadyToPublish& ready) {
+    const auto& it = clients.find(ready.id);
+    if ( it == clients.end() ) {
+        reporter->Error("Backend ready from non-existing WebSocket client with id %s!", ready.id.c_str());
+        return;
+    }
+
+    auto& entry = it->second;
+
+    entry.ready_to_publish = true;
+
+    if ( ! entry.wsc->AllSubscriptionsActive() ) {
+        // More subscriptions to come!
+        return;
+    }
+
     HandleSubscriptionsActive(entry);
 }
 
@@ -397,14 +421,6 @@ void WebSocketEventDispatcher::HandleSubscriptions(WebSocketClientEntry& entry,
 
     entry.wsc->SetSubscriptions(subscriptions);
 
-    // Short-circuit setting up subscriptions and directly reply with
-    // an ack if the client didn't request any topic subscriptions.
-    if ( subscriptions.empty() ) {
-        assert(entry.wsc->AllSubscriptionsActive());
-        HandleSubscriptionsActive(entry);
-        return;
-    }
-
     auto cb = [this, id = entry.id, wsc = entry.wsc](const std::string& topic,
                                                      const Backend::SubscriptionCallbackInfo& info) {
         if ( info.status == Backend::CallbackStatus::Error ) {
@@ -424,6 +440,13 @@ void WebSocketEventDispatcher::HandleSubscriptions(WebSocketClientEntry& entry,
             QueueReply(WebSocketCloseReply{entry.wsc, 1011, "Could not subscribe. Something bad happened!"});
         }
     }
+
+    // Register a callback to be invoked when the backend is ready for publishing.
+    entry.backend->ReadyToPublishCallback([this, id = entry.id](const auto& info) {
+        // Ready callbacks are supposed to  run on the main thread,
+        // so we can just start processing a WebSocketBackendReady.
+        Process(WebSocketBackendReadyToPublish{id});
+    });
 }
 
 void WebSocketEventDispatcher::HandleSubscriptionsActive(const WebSocketClientEntry& entry) {
diff --git a/src/cluster/websocket/WebSocket.h b/src/cluster/websocket/WebSocket.h
index 4dd0965372..296c9a731d 100644
--- a/src/cluster/websocket/WebSocket.h
+++ b/src/cluster/websocket/WebSocket.h
@@ -145,7 +145,13 @@ struct WebSocketSubscribeFinished {
     std::string topic_prefix;
 };
 
-using WebSocketEvent = std::variant<WebSocketOpen, WebSocketSubscribeFinished, WebSocketClose, WebSocketMessage>;
+// Internally created when the backend of a Websocket client is ready.
+struct WebSocketBackendReadyToPublish {
+    std::string id;
+};
+
+using WebSocketEvent = std::variant<WebSocketOpen, WebSocketSubscribeFinished, WebSocketClose, WebSocketMessage,
+                                    WebSocketBackendReadyToPublish>;
 
 struct WebSocketSendReply {
     std::shared_ptr<WebSocketClient> wsc;
@@ -211,6 +217,7 @@ private:
 
     void Process(const WebSocketOpen& open);
     void Process(const WebSocketSubscribeFinished& fin);
+    void Process(const WebSocketBackendReadyToPublish& ready);
     void Process(const WebSocketMessage& msg);
     void Process(const WebSocketClose& close);
 
@@ -222,6 +229,7 @@ private:
         std::string id;
         std::shared_ptr<WebSocketClient> wsc;
         std::shared_ptr<zeek::cluster::Backend> backend;
+        bool ready_to_publish = false;
         uint64_t msg_count = 0;
         std::list<WebSocketMessage> queue;
     };