diff --git a/packages/extension-base/src/background/handlers/State.ts b/packages/extension-base/src/background/handlers/State.ts
index 74ee6de3..3fc5dc38 100644
--- a/packages/extension-base/src/background/handlers/State.ts
+++ b/packages/extension-base/src/background/handlers/State.ts
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ export default class State {
   public rpcSend (request: RequestRpcSend, port: chrome.runtime.Port): Promise<JsonRpcResponse> {
     const provider = this.#injectedProviders.get(port);
 
-    assert(provider, 'Cannot call pub(rpc.subscribe) before provider has been set');
+    assert(provider, 'Cannot call pub(rpc.subscribe) before provider is set');
 
     return provider.send(request.method, request.params);
   }
@@ -280,15 +280,25 @@ export default class State {
   public rpcSubscribe ({ method, params, type }: RequestRpcSubscribe, cb: ProviderInterfaceCallback, port: chrome.runtime.Port): Promise<number> {
     const provider = this.#injectedProviders.get(port);
 
-    assert(provider, 'Cannot call pub(rpc.subscribe) before provider has been set');
+    assert(provider, 'Cannot call pub(rpc.subscribe) before provider is set');
 
     return provider.subscribe(type, method, params, cb);
   }
 
+  public rpcSubscribeConnected (_request: null, cb: ProviderInterfaceCallback, port: chrome.runtime.Port): void {
+    const provider = this.#injectedProviders.get(port);
+
+    assert(provider, 'Cannot call pub(rpc.subscribeConnected) before provider is set');
+
+    cb(null, provider.isConnected()); // Immediately send back current isConnected
+    provider.on('connected', () => cb(null, true));
+    provider.on('disconnected', () => cb(null, false));
+  }
+
   public rpcUnsubscribe (request: RequestRpcUnsubscribe, port: chrome.runtime.Port): Promise<boolean> {
     const provider = this.#injectedProviders.get(port);
 
-    assert(provider, 'Cannot call pub(rpc.unsubscribe) before provider has been set');
+    assert(provider, 'Cannot call pub(rpc.unsubscribe) before provider is set');
 
     return provider.unsubscribe(request.type, request.method, request.subscriptionId);
   }
diff --git a/packages/extension-base/src/background/handlers/Tabs.ts b/packages/extension-base/src/background/handlers/Tabs.ts
index 53a3fb76..e298464b 100644
--- a/packages/extension-base/src/background/handlers/Tabs.ts
+++ b/packages/extension-base/src/background/handlers/Tabs.ts
@@ -98,6 +98,18 @@ export default class Tabs {
     return true;
   }
 
+  private rpcSubscribeConnected (request: null, id: string, port: chrome.runtime.Port): Promise<boolean> {
+    const innerCb = createSubscription<'pub(rpc.subscribeConnected)'>(id, port);
+    const cb = (_error: Error | null, data: SubscriptionMessageTypes['pub(rpc.subscribeConnected)']): void => innerCb(data);
+    this.#state.rpcSubscribeConnected(request, cb, port);
+
+    port.onDisconnect.addListener((): void => {
+      unsubscribe(id);
+    });
+
+    return Promise.resolve(true);
+  }
+
   private async rpcUnsubscribe (request: RequestRpcUnsubscribe, port: chrome.runtime.Port): Promise<boolean> {
     return this.#state.rpcUnsubscribe(request, port);
   }
@@ -135,6 +147,9 @@ export default class Tabs {
       case 'pub(rpc.subscribe)':
         return this.rpcSubscribe(request as RequestRpcSubscribe, id, port);
 
+      case 'pub(rpc.subscribeConnected)':
+        return this.rpcSubscribeConnected(request as null, id, port);
+
       case 'pub(rpc.unsubscribe)':
         return this.rpcUnsubscribe(request as RequestRpcUnsubscribe, port);
 
diff --git a/packages/extension-base/src/background/types.ts b/packages/extension-base/src/background/types.ts
index 4a934997..77e56f40 100644
--- a/packages/extension-base/src/background/types.ts
+++ b/packages/extension-base/src/background/types.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ export interface RequestSignatures {
   'pub(rpc.send)': [RequestRpcSend, JsonRpcResponse];
   'pub(rpc.startProvider)': [string, ProviderMeta];
   'pub(rpc.subscribe)': [RequestRpcSubscribe, number, JsonRpcResponse];
+  'pub(rpc.subscribeConnected)': [null, boolean, boolean];
   'pub(rpc.unsubscribe)': [RequestRpcUnsubscribe, boolean];
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/extension-base/src/page/PostMessageProvider.ts b/packages/extension-base/src/page/PostMessageProvider.ts
index 8f129c35..7dffbf9a 100644
--- a/packages/extension-base/src/page/PostMessageProvider.ts
+++ b/packages/extension-base/src/page/PostMessageProvider.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ interface SubscriptionHandler {
 export default class PostMessageProvider implements InjectedProvider {
   readonly #eventemitter: EventEmitter;
 
+  // Whether or not the actual extension background provider is connected
+  #isConnected = false
+
   readonly #sendRequest: SendRequest;
 
   // Subscription IDs are (historically) not guaranteed to be globally unique;
@@ -43,11 +46,6 @@ export default class PostMessageProvider implements InjectedProvider {
   public constructor (sendRequest: SendRequest) {
     this.#eventemitter = new EventEmitter();
     this.#sendRequest = sendRequest;
-
-    // Give subscribers time to subscribe
-    setTimeout((): void => {
-      this.#eventemitter.emit('connected');
-    });
   }
 
   /**
@@ -78,8 +76,7 @@ export default class PostMessageProvider implements InjectedProvider {
    * @return {boolean} true if connected
    */
   public isConnected (): boolean {
-    // FIXME This should see if the extension's state's provider is connected
-    return true;
+    return this.#isConnected;
   }
 
   public listProviders (): Promise<ProviderList> {
@@ -121,8 +118,29 @@ export default class PostMessageProvider implements InjectedProvider {
     }
   }
 
-  public startProvider (key: string): Promise<ProviderMeta> {
-    return this.#sendRequest('pub(rpc.startProvider)', key);
+  /**
+   * @summary Spawn a provider on the extension background.
+   */
+  public async startProvider (key: string): Promise<ProviderMeta> {
+    // Disconnect from the previous provider
+    this.#isConnected = false;
+    this.#eventemitter.emit('disconnected');
+
+    const meta = await this.#sendRequest('pub(rpc.startProvider)', key);
+
+    this.#sendRequest('pub(rpc.subscribeConnected)', null, (connected) => {
+      this.#isConnected = connected;
+
+      if (connected) {
+        this.#eventemitter.emit('connected');
+      } else {
+        this.#eventemitter.emit('disconnected');
+      }
+
+      return true;
+    });
+
+    return meta;
   }
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any