diff --git a/packages/event-service/src/__tests__/client.test.ts b/packages/event-service/src/__tests__/client.test.ts
index 9527dec426..01fe89f415 100644
--- a/packages/event-service/src/__tests__/client.test.ts
+++ b/packages/event-service/src/__tests__/client.test.ts
@@ -387,4 +387,102 @@ describe('EventServiceClient', () => {
     expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(Error);
     expect(err.name).toBe('HandshakeTimeoutError');
   });
+
+  describe('subscribe/unsubscribe refcounting', () => {
+    function sentMessages() {
+      return lastMockWs.sent.map(s => JSON.parse(s) as unknown);
+    }
+
+    it('only sends one wire context.subscribe when two consumers subscribe to the same context', async () => {
+      const client = makeClient();
+      await client.connect();
+      lastMockWs.sent = [];
+
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+
+      expect(sentMessages()).toEqual([{ type: 'context.subscribe', contexts: ['room:1'] }]);
+    });
+
+    it('keeps the subscription alive when one of two consumers unsubscribes', async () => {
+      const client = makeClient();
+      await client.connect();
+      lastMockWs.sent = [];
+
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+      client.unsubscribe(['room:1']);
+
+      // Only the initial 0→1 subscribe should have been sent. No unsubscribe yet
+      // because the second consumer is still holding a ref.
+      expect(sentMessages()).toEqual([{ type: 'context.subscribe', contexts: ['room:1'] }]);
+    });
+
+    it('sends context.unsubscribe only when the last consumer drops the ref (1→0)', async () => {
+      const client = makeClient();
+      await client.connect();
+      lastMockWs.sent = [];
+
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+      client.unsubscribe(['room:1']);
+      client.unsubscribe(['room:1']);
+
+      expect(sentMessages()).toEqual([
+        { type: 'context.subscribe', contexts: ['room:1'] },
+        { type: 'context.unsubscribe', contexts: ['room:1'] },
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('handles a mixed batch: only newly-active contexts get sent', async () => {
+      const client = makeClient();
+      await client.connect();
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+      lastMockWs.sent = [];
+
+      // room:1 already at refcount 1, room:2 is new. Only room:2 should hit the wire.
+      client.subscribe(['room:1', 'room:2']);
+
+      expect(sentMessages()).toEqual([{ type: 'context.subscribe', contexts: ['room:2'] }]);
+    });
+
+    it('extra unsubscribes for an unknown context are no-ops', async () => {
+      const client = makeClient();
+      await client.connect();
+      lastMockWs.sent = [];
+
+      // Never subscribed — must not crash and must not emit a wire message.
+      client.unsubscribe(['ghost']);
+
+      expect(sentMessages()).toEqual([]);
+    });
+
+    it('resubscribe-on-reconnect deduplicates by context (one entry per active context)', async () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
+      const client = makeClient();
+      await client.connect();
+
+      // Two consumers hold the same context.
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+      client.subscribe(['room:1']);
+
+      // Drop the connection — auto-reconnect kicks in.
+      lastMockWs.triggerClose();
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(2000);
+      expect(allMockWs.length).toBe(2);
+      // The second mock socket also auto-triggers open via the global stub.
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+
+      const resubMessages = allMockWs[1].sent
+        .map(s => JSON.parse(s) as { type: string; contexts?: string[] })
+        .filter(m => m.type === 'context.subscribe');
+
+      // Exactly one resubscribe message containing the context exactly once,
+      // regardless of how many consumers hold the ref.
+      expect(resubMessages).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(resubMessages[0]?.contexts).toEqual(['room:1']);
+
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/event-service/src/client.ts b/packages/event-service/src/client.ts
index 1bda87f200..5a9490bf2d 100644
--- a/packages/event-service/src/client.ts
+++ b/packages/event-service/src/client.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,11 @@ export class EventServiceClient {
   private ws: WebSocket | null = null;
   private connected = false;
   private eventHandlers = new Map<string, Set<(context: string, payload: unknown) => void>>();
-  private activeContexts = new Set<string>();
+  // Refcounted so multiple consumers can independently subscribe to and
+  // unsubscribe from the same context without trampling each other. The wire
+  // `context.subscribe`/`context.unsubscribe` messages are only sent on the
+  // 0↔1 transitions; intermediate refcount churn stays client-side.
+  private activeContexts = new Map<string, number>();
   private reconnectTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
   private destroyed = false;
   private reconnectAttempts = 0;
@@ -219,20 +223,31 @@ export class EventServiceClient {
   }
 
   subscribe(contexts: string[]): void {
+    const newlyActive: string[] = [];
     for (const ctx of contexts) {
-      this.activeContexts.add(ctx);
+      const next = (this.activeContexts.get(ctx) ?? 0) + 1;
+      this.activeContexts.set(ctx, next);
+      if (next === 1) newlyActive.push(ctx);
     }
-    if (this.isConnected()) {
-      this.send({ type: 'context.subscribe', contexts });
+    if (newlyActive.length > 0 && this.isConnected()) {
+      this.send({ type: 'context.subscribe', contexts: newlyActive });
     }
   }
 
   unsubscribe(contexts: string[]): void {
+    const released: string[] = [];
     for (const ctx of contexts) {
-      this.activeContexts.delete(ctx);
+      const current = this.activeContexts.get(ctx);
+      if (current === undefined) continue;
+      if (current <= 1) {
+        this.activeContexts.delete(ctx);
+        released.push(ctx);
+      } else {
+        this.activeContexts.set(ctx, current - 1);
+      }
     }
-    if (this.isConnected()) {
-      this.send({ type: 'context.unsubscribe', contexts });
+    if (released.length > 0 && this.isConnected()) {
+      this.send({ type: 'context.unsubscribe', contexts: released });
     }
   }
 
@@ -315,7 +330,7 @@ export class EventServiceClient {
     if (this.activeContexts.size > 0) {
       this.send({
         type: 'context.subscribe',
-        contexts: Array.from(this.activeContexts),
+        contexts: Array.from(this.activeContexts.keys()),
       });
     }
   }