diff --git a/.changeset/hungry-bees-call.md b/.changeset/hungry-bees-call.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9db59de19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/hungry-bees-call.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@openfn/runtime': patch
+---
+
+make sure that notify are properly awaited
diff --git a/.changeset/strict-windows-think.md b/.changeset/strict-windows-think.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d42790cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/strict-windows-think.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@openfn/engine-multi': patch
+---
+
+Make publish() async
diff --git a/packages/engine-multi/src/worker/thread/run.ts b/packages/engine-multi/src/worker/thread/run.ts
index a388faf0f..483753ee1 100644
--- a/packages/engine-multi/src/worker/thread/run.ts
+++ b/packages/engine-multi/src/worker/thread/run.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ register({
         notify: (name: NotifyEvents, payload: any) => {
           // @ts-ignore
           const mappedPayload = eventMap[name]?.(payload) ?? payload;
-          publish(`worker:${name}`, {
+          return publish(`worker:${name}`, {
             workflowId: plan.id,
             ...mappedPayload,
           });
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/execute/step.ts b/packages/runtime/src/execute/step.ts
index 819c35ade..a9d1e26e8 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/execute/step.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/execute/step.ts
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ const executeStep = async (
     const jobName = job.name || job.id;
 
     // The notify events only apply to jobs - not steps - so names don't need to be changed here
-    notify(NOTIFY_INIT_START, { jobId });
+    await notify(NOTIFY_INIT_START, { jobId });
 
     // lazy load config and state
     const configuration = await loadCredentials(
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ const executeStep = async (
       plan.workflow?.credentials
     );
 
-    notify(NOTIFY_INIT_COMPLETE, {
+    await notify(NOTIFY_INIT_COMPLETE, {
       jobId,
       duration: Date.now() - duration,
     });
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ const executeStep = async (
     const startTime = Date.now();
     try {
       // TODO include the upstream job?
-      notify(NOTIFY_JOB_START, { jobId });
+      await notify(NOTIFY_JOB_START, { jobId });
       result = await executeExpression(
         ctx,
         job.expression!,
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ const executeStep = async (
         report(state, jobId, error);
 
         next = calculateNext(step, result, logger);
-        notify(NOTIFY_JOB_ERROR, {
+        await notify(NOTIFY_JOB_ERROR, {
           duration: Date.now() - startTime,
           error,
           state,
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ const executeStep = async (
       }
 
       next = calculateNext(step, result, logger);
-      notify(NOTIFY_JOB_COMPLETE, {
+      await notify(NOTIFY_JOB_COMPLETE, {
         duration: Date.now() - duration,
         state: result,
         jobId,