diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 1de15ea..43f5b0e 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ module.exports = observable
  */
 
 function observable (initialValue) {
-  var listeners = []
-  var nextListeners = listeners
+  var listeners
+  var nextListeners
   var val = initialValue
 
   observableValue.subscribe = subscribe
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ function observable (initialValue) {
   function observableValue (nextVal) {
     if (arguments.length > 0) {
       val = nextVal
-      next(val)
+      if (nextListeners !== undefined) {
+        next(val)
+      }
     }
 
     return val
@@ -47,7 +49,13 @@ function observable (initialValue) {
 
     var isSubscribed = true
     canMutate()
-    nextListeners.push(listener)
+    if (nextListeners === undefined) {
+      nextListeners = listener
+    } else if (isFunction(nextListeners)) {
+      nextListeners = [nextListeners, listener]
+    } else {
+      nextListeners.push(listener)
+    }
 
     return function unsubscribe () {
       if (!isSubscribed) {
@@ -57,8 +65,16 @@ function observable (initialValue) {
       isSubscribed = false
 
       canMutate()
-      var index = nextListeners.indexOf(listener)
-      nextListeners.splice(index, 1)
+
+      if (nextListeners === listener) {
+        nextListeners = undefined
+      } else {
+        var index = nextListeners.indexOf(listener)
+        nextListeners.splice(index, 1)
+        if (nextListeners.length === 1) {
+          nextListeners = nextListeners[0]
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -70,7 +86,11 @@ function observable (initialValue) {
 
   function next (val) {
     listeners = nextListeners
-    foreach(call, listeners)
+    if (Array.isArray(listeners)) {
+      foreach(call, listeners)
+    } else {
+      listeners(val)
+    }
 
     function call (listener) {
       listener(val)
@@ -83,7 +103,7 @@ function observable (initialValue) {
    */
 
   function canMutate () {
-    if (nextListeners === listeners) {
+    if (nextListeners !== undefined && nextListeners === listeners && !isFunction(nextListeners)) {
       nextListeners = slice(listeners)
     }
   }
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index beffed6..446daa1 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -5,6 +5,23 @@
 var Observable = require('..')
 var test = require('tap').test
 
+function noop () {}
+
+function recordOrder () {
+  var list = []
+  return {
+    list: list,
+    record: function (name) {
+      return function (val) {
+        list.push({
+          name: name,
+          val: val
+        })
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Tests
  */
@@ -30,22 +47,14 @@ test('should pass new value to subscribers', function (t) {
 test('should allow to unsubscribe while listening', function (t) {
   t.plan(1)
   var o = Observable(0)
-  var order = []
-  var record = function (name) {
-    return function (val) {
-      order.push({
-        name: name,
-        val: val
-      })
-    }
-  }
-  o.subscribe(record('A'))
+  var order = recordOrder()
+  o.subscribe(order.record('A'))
   var unsubscribe = o.subscribe(function (val) {
-    record('B')(val)
+    order.record('B')(val)
     unsubscribe()
     setImmediate(function () {
       o(2)
-      t.deepEqual(order, [
+      t.deepEqual(order.list, [
         {name: 'A', val: 1},
         {name: 'B', val: 1},
         {name: 'C', val: 1},
@@ -54,7 +63,7 @@ test('should allow to unsubscribe while listening', function (t) {
       ])
     })
   })
-  o.subscribe(record('C'))
+  o.subscribe(order.record('C'))
   o(1)
 })
 
@@ -71,8 +80,55 @@ test('should throw an exception if something else but a function is added as lis
 
 test('repeated unsubscribtion should be okay', function (t) {
   var o = Observable(0)
-  var unsubscribe = o.subscribe(function () {})
+  var unsubscribe = o.subscribe(noop)
   unsubscribe()
   unsubscribe()
   t.end()
 })
+
+test('should work after listeners were drained and readded again', function (t) {
+  var o = Observable(0)
+  var unsubscribe = o.subscribe(noop)
+  o(1)
+  unsubscribe()
+  o(2)
+  unsubscribe = o.subscribe(noop)
+  o(3)
+  t.end()
+})
+
+test('should work with 0, 1 or many listeners', function (t) {
+  var o = Observable(0)
+  var unsub1
+  var unsub2
+  var order = recordOrder()
+  o(1) // zero listener
+  unsub1 = o.subscribe(order.record('A'))
+  o(2) // 1 listener
+  unsub2 = o.subscribe(order.record('B'))
+  o(3) // 2 listener
+  unsub1()
+  o(4) // 1 listener again
+  unsub2()
+  o(5) // 0 listener again
+  unsub1 = o.subscribe(order.record('C'))
+  o(6)
+  unsub2 = o.subscribe(order.record('D'))
+  o(7)
+  t.deepEqual(order.list, [
+    {name: 'A', val: 2},
+    {name: 'A', val: 3},
+    {name: 'B', val: 3},
+    {name: 'B', val: 4},
+    {name: 'C', val: 6},
+    {name: 'C', val: 7},
+    {name: 'D', val: 7}
+  ])
+  t.end()
+})
+
+test('it should work without subscriber', function (t) {
+  var o = Observable(0)
+  o(1)
+  t.end()
+})