diff --git a/Realtime/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/github/jan/supabase/realtime/RealtimeChannelImpl.kt b/Realtime/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/github/jan/supabase/realtime/RealtimeChannelImpl.kt
index 40f49217..e29c3a85 100644
--- a/Realtime/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/github/jan/supabase/realtime/RealtimeChannelImpl.kt
+++ b/Realtime/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/github/jan/supabase/realtime/RealtimeChannelImpl.kt
@@ -50,11 +50,15 @@ internal class RealtimeChannelImpl(
     private val broadcastUrl = realtimeImpl.broadcastUrl()
     private val subTopic = topic.replaceFirst(Regex("^${RealtimeTopic.PREFIX}:", RegexOption.IGNORE_CASE), "")
     private val httpClient = realtimeImpl.supabaseClient.httpClient
+    private val userPresenceEnabled = presenceJoinConfig.enabled
 
     internal val joinAttempt = AtomicInt(0)
 
     private suspend fun accessToken() = realtimeImpl.config.accessToken(supabaseClient) ?: realtimeImpl.accessToken
 
+    private fun shouldEnablePresence(): Boolean =
+        userPresenceEnabled || callbackManager.hasPresenceCallback()
+
     @OptIn(SupabaseInternal::class)
     override suspend fun subscribe(blockUntilSubscribed: Boolean) {
         if(realtimeImpl.status.value != Realtime.Status.CONNECTED) {
@@ -68,8 +72,7 @@ internal class RealtimeChannelImpl(
         Realtime.logger.d { "Subscribing to channel $topic" }
         val currentJwt = accessToken()
         val postgrestChanges = clientChanges.toList()
-        val hasPresenceCallback = callbackManager.hasPresenceCallback()
-        presenceJoinConfig.enabled = hasPresenceCallback
+        presenceJoinConfig.enabled = shouldEnablePresence()
         val joinConfig = RealtimeJoinPayload(RealtimeJoinConfig(broadcastJoinConfig, presenceJoinConfig, postgrestChanges, isPrivate))
         val joinConfigObject = buildJsonObject {
             putJsonObject(Json.encodeToJsonElement(joinConfig).jsonObject)
@@ -232,17 +235,14 @@ internal class RealtimeChannelImpl(
         }
         val id = callbackManager.addPresenceCallback(callback)
         if(status.value == RealtimeChannel.Status.SUBSCRIBED && !presenceJoinConfig.enabled) {
-            // If the channel is already subscribed, we need to resubscribe to enable presence
             Realtime.logger.d { "Resubscribing to channel $topic to enable presence..." }
-            launch {
-                resubscribe()
-            }
+            resubscribe()
         }
         awaitClose { callbackManager.removeCallbackById(id) }
     }
 
     override fun updateStatus(status: RealtimeChannel.Status) {
-        if(this.status.value == RealtimeChannel.Status.SUBSCRIBED) {
+        if(status == RealtimeChannel.Status.SUBSCRIBED) {
             joinAttempt.store(0)
         }
         _status.value = status
diff --git a/Realtime/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/github/jan/supabase/realtime/RealtimeJoinPayload.kt b/Realtime/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/github/jan/supabase/realtime/RealtimeJoinPayload.kt
index 20037fa8..5af1b301 100644
--- a/Realtime/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/github/jan/supabase/realtime/RealtimeJoinPayload.kt
+++ b/Realtime/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/github/jan/supabase/realtime/RealtimeJoinPayload.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
+@file:OptIn(kotlinx.serialization.ExperimentalSerializationApi::class)
+
 package io.github.jan.supabase.realtime
 
 import io.github.jan.supabase.annotations.SupabaseInternal
+import kotlinx.serialization.EncodeDefault
+import kotlinx.serialization.ExperimentalSerializationApi
 import kotlinx.serialization.SerialName
 import kotlinx.serialization.Serializable
 
@@ -33,7 +37,11 @@ data class BroadcastJoinConfig(@SerialName("ack") var acknowledgeBroadcasts: Boo
  * @param enabled Whether presence is enabled for this channel
  */
 @Serializable
-data class PresenceJoinConfig(var key: String, internal var enabled: Boolean)
+data class PresenceJoinConfig(
+    var key: String,
+    @EncodeDefault
+    internal var enabled: Boolean = false
+)
 
 @SupabaseInternal
 @Serializable