diff --git a/src/socketio/asyncio_pubsub_manager.py b/src/socketio/asyncio_pubsub_manager.py
index ff37f2d..ac261a1 100644
--- a/src/socketio/asyncio_pubsub_manager.py
+++ b/src/socketio/asyncio_pubsub_manager.py
@@ -166,14 +166,20 @@ class AsyncPubSubManager(AsyncManager):
                     if data and 'method' in data:
                         self._get_logger().info('pubsub message: {}'.format(
                             data['method']))
-                        if data['method'] == 'emit':
-                            await self._handle_emit(data)
-                        elif data['method'] == 'callback':
-                            await self._handle_callback(data)
-                        elif data['method'] == 'disconnect':
-                            await self._handle_disconnect(data)
-                        elif data['method'] == 'close_room':
-                            await self._handle_close_room(data)
+                        try:
+                            if data['method'] == 'emit':
+                                await self._handle_emit(data)
+                            elif data['method'] == 'callback':
+                                await self._handle_callback(data)
+                            elif data['method'] == 'disconnect':
+                                await self._handle_disconnect(data)
+                            elif data['method'] == 'close_room':
+                                await self._handle_close_room(data)
+                        except asyncio.CancelledError:
+                            raise  # let the outer try/except handle it
+                        except:
+                            self.server.logger.exception(
+                                'Unknown error in pubsub listening task')
             except asyncio.CancelledError:  # pragma: no cover
                 break
             except:  # pragma: no cover
diff --git a/src/socketio/pubsub_manager.py b/src/socketio/pubsub_manager.py
index 9b6f36d..2b619b8 100644
--- a/src/socketio/pubsub_manager.py
+++ b/src/socketio/pubsub_manager.py
@@ -164,11 +164,15 @@ class PubSubManager(BaseManager):
             if data and 'method' in data:
                 self._get_logger().info('pubsub message: {}'.format(
                     data['method']))
-                if data['method'] == 'emit':
-                    self._handle_emit(data)
-                elif data['method'] == 'callback':
-                    self._handle_callback(data)
-                elif data['method'] == 'disconnect':
-                    self._handle_disconnect(data)
-                elif data['method'] == 'close_room':
-                    self._handle_close_room(data)
+                try:
+                    if data['method'] == 'emit':
+                        self._handle_emit(data)
+                    elif data['method'] == 'callback':
+                        self._handle_callback(data)
+                    elif data['method'] == 'disconnect':
+                        self._handle_disconnect(data)
+                    elif data['method'] == 'close_room':
+                        self._handle_close_room(data)
+                except:
+                    self.server.logger.exception(
+                        'Unknown error in pubsub listening thread')
diff --git a/tests/asyncio/test_asyncio_pubsub_manager.py b/tests/asyncio/test_asyncio_pubsub_manager.py
index 48480a5..c95c073 100644
--- a/tests/asyncio/test_asyncio_pubsub_manager.py
+++ b/tests/asyncio/test_asyncio_pubsub_manager.py
@@ -445,3 +445,21 @@ class TestAsyncPubSubManager(unittest.TestCase):
         self.pm._handle_close_room.mock.assert_called_once_with(
             {'method': 'close_room', 'value': 'baz'}
         )
+
+    def test_background_thread_exception(self):
+        self.pm._handle_emit = AsyncMock(side_effect=[ValueError(),
+                                                      asyncio.CancelledError])
+
+        async def messages():
+            yield {'method': 'emit', 'value': 'foo'}
+            yield {'method': 'emit', 'value': 'bar'}
+
+        self.pm._listen = messages
+        _run(self.pm._thread())
+
+        self.pm._handle_emit.mock.assert_any_call(
+            {'method': 'emit', 'value': 'foo'}
+        )
+        self.pm._handle_emit.mock.assert_called_with(
+            {'method': 'emit', 'value': 'bar'}
+        )
diff --git a/tests/common/test_pubsub_manager.py b/tests/common/test_pubsub_manager.py
index 066349f..ebaec41 100644
--- a/tests/common/test_pubsub_manager.py
+++ b/tests/common/test_pubsub_manager.py
@@ -394,3 +394,23 @@ class TestPubSubManager(unittest.TestCase):
         self.pm._handle_close_room.assert_called_once_with(
             {'method': 'close_room', 'value': 'baz'}
         )
+
+    def test_background_thread_exception(self):
+        self.pm._handle_emit = mock.MagicMock(side_effect=[ValueError(), None])
+
+        def messages():
+            yield {'method': 'emit', 'value': 'foo'}
+            yield {'method': 'emit', 'value': 'bar'}
+
+        self.pm._listen = mock.MagicMock(side_effect=messages)
+        try:
+            self.pm._thread()
+        except StopIteration:
+            pass
+
+        self.pm._handle_emit.assert_any_call(
+            {'method': 'emit', 'value': 'foo'}
+        )
+        self.pm._handle_emit.assert_called_with(
+            {'method': 'emit', 'value': 'bar'}
+        )