diff --git a/services/real-time/app/coffee/ChannelManager.coffee b/services/real-time/app/coffee/ChannelManager.coffee
index 4d5c843d10..1eca7a9143 100644
--- a/services/real-time/app/coffee/ChannelManager.coffee
+++ b/services/real-time/app/coffee/ChannelManager.coffee
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ ClientMap = new Map() # for each redis client, stores a Set of subscribed channe
 # handled by RoomManager.
 
 module.exports = ChannelManager =
-    _createNewClientEntry: (rclient) ->
-        ClientMap.set(rclient, new Set()).get(rclient)
+    getClientMapEntry: (rclient) ->
+        # return the rclient channel set if it exists, otherwise create and
+        # return an empty set for the client.
+        ClientMap.get(rclient) || ClientMap.set(rclient, new Set()).get(rclient)
 
     subscribe: (rclient, baseChannel, id) ->
-        existingChannelSet = ClientMap.get(rclient) || @_createNewClientEntry(rclient)
+        existingChannelSet = @getClientMapEntry(rclient)
         channel = "#{baseChannel}:#{id}"
         if existingChannelSet.has(channel)
             logger.error {channel}, "already subscribed - shouldn't happen"
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ module.exports = ChannelManager =
             metrics.inc "subscribe.#{baseChannel}"
 
     unsubscribe: (rclient, baseChannel, id) ->
-        existingChannelSet = ClientMap.get(rclient)
+        existingChannelSet = @getClientMapEntry(rclient)
         channel = "#{baseChannel}:#{id}"
         if !existingChannelSet.has(channel)
             logger.error {channel}, "not subscribed - shouldn't happen"
diff --git a/services/real-time/app/coffee/RoomManager.coffee b/services/real-time/app/coffee/RoomManager.coffee
index d3a3bea5e8..225dd37f6d 100644
--- a/services/real-time/app/coffee/RoomManager.coffee
+++ b/services/real-time/app/coffee/RoomManager.coffee
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ RoomEvents = new EventEmitter()
 module.exports = RoomManager =
 
     joinProject: (client, project_id) ->
-        @_join client, "project", project_id
+        @joinEntity client, "project", project_id
 
     joinDoc: (client, doc_id) ->
-        @_join client, "doc", doc_id
+        @joinEntity client, "doc", doc_id
 
     leaveDoc: (client, doc_id) ->
-        @_leave client, "doc", doc_id
+        @leaveEntity client, "doc", doc_id
 
     leaveProjectAndDocs: (client) ->
         # what rooms is this client in? we need to leave them all. socket.io
@@ -33,11 +33,36 @@ module.exports = RoomManager =
         # has not joined any rooms and do a final disconnection.
         for id in @_roomsClientIsIn(client)
             entity = IdMap.get(id)
-            @_leave client, entity, id
+            @leaveEntity client, entity, id
 
     eventSource: () ->
         return RoomEvents
 
+    joinEntity: (client, entity, id) ->
+        beforeCount = @_clientsInRoom(client, id)
+        client.join id
+        afterCount = @_clientsInRoom(client, id)
+        logger.log {client: client.id, entity, id, beforeCount, afterCount}, "client joined room"
+        # is this a new room? if so, subscribe
+        if beforeCount == 0 and afterCount == 1
+            logger.log {entity, id}, "room is now active"
+            RoomEvents.emit "#{entity}-active", id
+            IdMap.set(id, entity)
+
+    leaveEntity: (client, entity, id) ->
+        beforeCount = @_clientsInRoom(client, id)
+        client.leave id
+        afterCount = @_clientsInRoom(client, id)
+        logger.log {client: client.id, entity, id, beforeCount, afterCount}, "client left room"
+        # is the room now empty? if so, unsubscribe
+        if !entity?
+            logger.error {entity: id}, "unknown entity when leaving with id"
+            return
+        if beforeCount == 1 and afterCount == 0
+            logger.log {entity, id}, "room is now empty"
+            RoomEvents.emit "#{entity}-empty", id
+            IdMap.delete(id)
+
     # internal functions below, these access socket.io rooms data directly and
     # will need updating for socket.io v2
 
@@ -52,25 +77,3 @@ module.exports = RoomManager =
             [prefix, room] = fullRoomPath.split('/', 2)
             room
         return roomList
-
-    _join: (client, entity, id) ->
-        beforeCount = @_clientsInRoom(client, id)
-        client.join id
-        afterCount = @_clientsInRoom(client, id)
-        logger.log {client: client.id, entity, id, beforeCount, afterCount}, "client joined room"
-        # is this a new room? if so, subscribe
-        if beforeCount == 0 and afterCount == 1
-            logger.log {entity, id}, "room is now active"
-            RoomEvents.emit "#{entity}-active", id
-            IdMap.set(id, entity)
-
-    _leave: (client, entity, id) ->
-        beforeCount = @_clientsInRoom(client, id)
-        client.leave id
-        afterCount = @_clientsInRoom(client, id)
-        logger.log {client: client.id, entity, id, beforeCount, afterCount}, "client left room"
-        # is the room now empty? if so, unsubscribe
-        if beforeCount == 1 and afterCount == 0
-            logger.log {entity, id}, "room is now empty"
-            RoomEvents.emit "#{entity}-empty", id
-            IdMap.delete(id)
\ No newline at end of file