diff --git a/ros2topic/ros2topic/verb/pub.py b/ros2topic/ros2topic/verb/pub.py
index e546008af..6479570c7 100644
--- a/ros2topic/ros2topic/verb/pub.py
+++ b/ros2topic/ros2topic/verb/pub.py
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ def add_arguments(self, parser, cli_name):
         group.add_argument(
             '-t', '--times', type=nonnegative_int, default=0,
             help='Publish this number of times and then exit')
+        parser.add_argument(
+            '--keep-alive', metavar='N', type=positive_float, default=0.1,
+            help='Keep publishing node alive for N seconds after the last msg '
+                 '(default: 0.1)')
         parser.add_argument(
             '-n', '--node-name',
             help='Name of the created publishing node')
@@ -108,7 +112,8 @@ def main(args):
             1. / args.rate,
             args.print,
             times,
-            qos_profile)
+            qos_profile,
+            args.keep_alive)
 
 
 def publisher(
@@ -120,6 +125,7 @@ def publisher(
     print_nth: int,
     times: int,
     qos_profile: QoSProfile,
+    keep_alive: float = 0.1,
 ) -> Optional[str]:
     """Initialize a node with a single publisher and run its publish loop (maybe only once)."""
     msg_module = get_message(message_type)
@@ -149,7 +155,7 @@ def timer_callback():
     while times == 0 or count < times:
         rclpy.spin_once(node)
 
-    if times == 1:
-        time.sleep(0.1)  # make sure the message reaches the wire before exiting
+    # give some time for the messages to reach the wire before exiting
+    time.sleep(keep_alive)
 
     node.destroy_timer(timer)
diff --git a/ros2topic/test/fixtures/listener_node.py b/ros2topic/test/fixtures/listener_node.py
index 8ee4fddfa..71fa79b9f 100644
--- a/ros2topic/test/fixtures/listener_node.py
+++ b/ros2topic/test/fixtures/listener_node.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 import rclpy
 from rclpy.node import Node
-from rclpy.qos import qos_profile_system_default
+from ros2topic.api import qos_profile_from_short_keys
 
 from std_msgs.msg import String
 
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@ class ListenerNode(Node):
 
     def __init__(self):
         super().__init__('listener')
+        qos_profile = qos_profile_from_short_keys(
+            'system_default', durability='transient_local',
+            reliability='reliable')
         self.sub = self.create_subscription(
-            String, 'chatter', self.callback, qos_profile_system_default
+            String, 'chatter', self.callback, qos_profile
         )
 
     def callback(self, msg):
diff --git a/ros2topic/test/test_cli.py b/ros2topic/test/test_cli.py
index 565c4935c..0173ff91c 100644
--- a/ros2topic/test/test_cli.py
+++ b/ros2topic/test/test_cli.py
@@ -559,7 +559,15 @@ def test_topic_echo_no_publisher(self):
 
     def test_topic_pub(self):
         with self.launch_topic_command(
-            arguments=['pub', '/chit_chatter', 'std_msgs/msg/String', '{data: foo}'],
+            arguments=[
+                'pub',
+                '--keep-alive', '3',  # seconds
+                '--qos-durability', 'transient_local',
+                '--qos-reliability', 'reliable',
+                '/chit_chatter',
+                'std_msgs/msg/String',
+                '{data: foo}'
+            ],
         ) as topic_command:
             assert topic_command.wait_for_output(functools.partial(
                 launch_testing.tools.expect_output, expected_lines=[
@@ -579,6 +587,9 @@ def test_topic_pub_once(self):
         with self.launch_topic_command(
             arguments=[
                 'pub', '--once',
+                '--keep-alive', '3',  # seconds
+                '--qos-durability', 'transient_local',
+                '--qos-reliability', 'reliable',
                 '/chit_chatter',
                 'std_msgs/msg/String',
                 '{data: bar}'
@@ -604,6 +615,9 @@ def test_topic_pub_print_every_two(self):
             arguments=[
                 'pub',
                 '-p', '2',
+                '--keep-alive', '3',  # seconds
+                '--qos-durability', 'transient_local',
+                '--qos-reliability', 'reliable',
                 '/chit_chatter',
                 'std_msgs/msg/String',
                 '{data: fizz}'