diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 27a632f7..6ffe93c3 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1244,7 +1244,15 @@ export class GossipSub extends EventEmitter<GossipsubEvents> implements PubSub<G
       return
     }
 
-    this.sendRpc(id, { messages: ihave, control: { iwant, prune } })
+    const sent = this.sendRpc(id, { messages: ihave, control: { iwant, prune } })
+    const iwantMessageIds = iwant[0]?.messageIDs
+    if (iwantMessageIds) {
+      if (sent) {
+        this.gossipTracer.addPromise(id, iwantMessageIds)
+      } else {
+        this.metrics?.iwantPromiseUntracked.inc(1)
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1354,7 +1362,7 @@ export class GossipSub extends EventEmitter<GossipsubEvents> implements PubSub<G
     iwantList = iwantList.slice(0, iask)
     this.iasked.set(id, iasked + iask)
 
-    this.gossipTracer.addPromise(id, iwantList)
+    // do not add gossipTracer promise here until a successful sendRpc()
 
     return [
       {
diff --git a/src/metrics.ts b/src/metrics.ts
index d7fd2824..7fbacdd2 100644
--- a/src/metrics.ts
+++ b/src/metrics.ts
@@ -495,6 +495,10 @@ export function getMetrics(
         4 * opts.gossipPromiseExpireSec
       ]
     }),
+    iwantPromiseUntracked: register.gauge({
+      name: 'gossip_iwant_promise_untracked',
+      help: 'Total count of untracked IWANT promise'
+    }),
 
     /* Data structure sizes */
     /** Unbounded cache sizes */