diff --git a/lib/diagnostics_channel.js b/lib/diagnostics_channel.js
index 59a95b08226..312bd258f58 100644
--- a/lib/diagnostics_channel.js
+++ b/lib/diagnostics_channel.js
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ const {
   ArrayPrototypeAt,
   ArrayPrototypeIndexOf,
   ArrayPrototypePush,
+  ArrayPrototypePushApply,
+  ArrayPrototypeSlice,
   ArrayPrototypeSplice,
   ObjectDefineProperty,
   ObjectGetPrototypeOf,
@@ -97,6 +99,7 @@ function wrapStoreRun(store, data, next, transform = defaultTransform) {
 class ActiveChannel {
   subscribe(subscription) {
     validateFunction(subscription, 'subscription');
+    this._subscribers = ArrayPrototypeSlice(this._subscribers);
     ArrayPrototypePush(this._subscribers, subscription);
     channels.incRef(this.name);
   }
@@ -105,7 +108,10 @@ class ActiveChannel {
     const index = ArrayPrototypeIndexOf(this._subscribers, subscription);
     if (index === -1) return false;
 
-    ArrayPrototypeSplice(this._subscribers, index, 1);
+    const before = ArrayPrototypeSlice(this._subscribers, 0, index);
+    const after = ArrayPrototypeSlice(this._subscribers, index + 1);
+    this._subscribers = before;
+    ArrayPrototypePushApply(this._subscribers, after);
 
     channels.decRef(this.name);
     maybeMarkInactive(this);
@@ -137,9 +143,10 @@ class ActiveChannel {
   }
 
   publish(data) {
-    for (let i = 0; i < (this._subscribers?.length || 0); i++) {
+    const subscribers = this._subscribers;
+    for (let i = 0; i < (subscribers?.length || 0); i++) {
       try {
-        const onMessage = this._subscribers[i];
+        const onMessage = subscribers[i];
         onMessage(data, this.name);
       } catch (err) {
         process.nextTick(() => {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-diagnostics-channel-sync-unsubscribe.js b/test/parallel/test-diagnostics-channel-sync-unsubscribe.js
index 87bf44249f5..51db6a56c23 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-diagnostics-channel-sync-unsubscribe.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-diagnostics-channel-sync-unsubscribe.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const published_data = 'some message';
 const onMessageHandler = common.mustCall(() => dc.unsubscribe(channel_name, onMessageHandler));
 
 dc.subscribe(channel_name, onMessageHandler);
+dc.subscribe(channel_name, common.mustCall());
 
 // This must not throw.
 dc.channel(channel_name).publish(published_data);