diff --git a/livekit-rtc/livekit/rtc/room.py b/livekit-rtc/livekit/rtc/room.py
index 8f89e8a5..0601f9a4 100644
--- a/livekit-rtc/livekit/rtc/room.py
+++ b/livekit-rtc/livekit/rtc/room.py
@@ -551,7 +551,14 @@ def on_participant_connected(participant):
             req.connect.options.rtc_config.ice_servers.extend(options.rtc_config.ice_servers)
 
         # subscribe before connecting so we don't miss any events
-        self._ffi_queue = FfiClient.instance.queue.subscribe(self._loop)
+        # Media streams have their own subscriptions. Keep other events, including
+        # the publish/unpublish callbacks forwarded through _room_queue.
+        self._ffi_queue = FfiClient.instance.queue.subscribe(
+            self._loop,
+            filter_fn=lambda e: (
+                e.WhichOneof("message") not in ("audio_stream_event", "video_stream_event")
+            ),
+        )
 
         queue = FfiClient.instance.queue.subscribe()
         try:
diff --git a/tests/rtc/test_room_ffi_filter.py b/tests/rtc/test_room_ffi_filter.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b5e0a218
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rtc/test_room_ffi_filter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+# Copyright 2026 LiveKit, Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+"""Exercise Room.connect's real subscription without a native FFI or server."""
+
+import asyncio
+from collections.abc import AsyncIterator
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from livekit import rtc
+from livekit.rtc._ffi_client import FfiClient, FfiQueue
+from livekit.rtc._proto import ffi_pb2 as proto_ffi
+from livekit.rtc._proto import track_pb2 as proto_track
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+async def connected_room(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> AsyncIterator[tuple[rtc.Room, FfiQueue[proto_ffi.FfiEvent]]]:
+    queue = FfiQueue[proto_ffi.FfiEvent]()
+
+    def request(req: proto_ffi.FfiRequest) -> proto_ffi.FfiResponse:
+        response = proto_ffi.FfiResponse()
+        event = proto_ffi.FfiEvent()
+        which = req.WhichOneof("message")
+        if which == "connect":
+            response.connect.async_id = event.connect.async_id = 1
+            event.connect.result.room.handle.id = 1
+            event.connect.result.room.info.sid = "RM_test"
+        elif which == "ready_for_room_event":
+            return response
+        elif which == "publish_track":
+            response.publish_track.async_id = event.publish_track.async_id = 2
+            event.publish_track.publication.info.sid = "TR_test"
+        elif which == "unpublish_track":
+            response.unpublish_track.async_id = event.unpublish_track.async_id = 3
+        elif which == "disconnect":
+            response.disconnect.async_id = event.disconnect.async_id = 4
+            eos = proto_ffi.FfiEvent()
+            eos.room_event.room_handle = req.disconnect.room_handle
+            eos.room_event.eos.SetInParent()
+            queue.put(eos)
+        else:
+            raise AssertionError(f"unexpected FFI request: {which}")
+        queue.put(event)
+        return response
+
+    # A different PID prevents synthetic handles from being dropped natively.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        FfiClient, "_instance", SimpleNamespace(queue=queue, request=request, _pid=-1)
+    )
+    room = rtc.Room()
+    await asyncio.wait_for(room.connect("wss://example.invalid", "test-token"), 1)
+    assert room._ffi_handle is not None
+    room._ffi_handle.mark_consumed()
+    try:
+        yield room, queue
+    finally:
+        try:
+            await asyncio.wait_for(room.disconnect(), 1)
+        finally:
+            # Do not access the restored FFI singleton from Room.__del__ later.
+            room._ffi_handle = None
+        assert not queue._subscribers
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("event_type", ["audio_stream_event", "video_stream_event"])
+async def test_media_events_do_not_schedule_room_callbacks(
+    connected_room: tuple[rtc.Room, FfiQueue[proto_ffi.FfiEvent]], event_type: str
+) -> None:
+    room, queue = connected_room
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    media_queue = queue.subscribe(loop, filter_fn=lambda e: e.WhichOneof("message") == event_type)
+    event = proto_ffi.FfiEvent()
+    getattr(event, event_type).SetInParent()
+    try:
+        with patch.object(
+            loop, "call_soon_threadsafe", wraps=loop.call_soon_threadsafe
+        ) as schedule:
+            for _ in range(100):
+                queue.put(event)
+
+        # Only the independent media subscriber should incur an event-loop wakeup.
+        assert schedule.call_count == 100
+        assert all(call.args[0] == media_queue.put_nowait for call in schedule.call_args_list)
+        await asyncio.sleep(0)
+        assert media_queue.qsize() == 100
+        assert room._ffi_queue.empty()
+    finally:
+        queue.unsubscribe(media_queue)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "event_type",
+    [
+        "room_event",
+        "rpc_method_invocation",
+        "publish_track",
+        "unpublish_track",
+        "capture_audio_frame",
+    ],
+)
+async def test_room_keeps_control_events_and_request_callbacks(
+    connected_room: tuple[rtc.Room, FfiQueue[proto_ffi.FfiEvent]],
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+    event_type: str,
+) -> None:
+    room, queue = connected_room
+    room_handler = Mock()
+    rpc_handler = Mock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(room, "_on_room_event", room_handler)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(room, "_on_rpc_method_invocation", rpc_handler)
+    subscriber = room._room_queue.subscribe()
+    event = proto_ffi.FfiEvent()
+    getattr(event, event_type).SetInParent()
+    if event_type == "room_event":
+        event.room_event.room_handle = 1
+    try:
+        queue.put(event)
+        received = await asyncio.wait_for(subscriber.get(), 1)
+        subscriber.task_done()
+        assert received is event
+        if event_type == "room_event":
+            room_handler.assert_called_once_with(event.room_event)
+        elif event_type == "rpc_method_invocation":
+            rpc_handler.assert_called_once_with(event.rpc_method_invocation)
+    finally:
+        room._room_queue.unsubscribe(subscriber)
+
+
+async def test_publish_and_unpublish_complete_through_room_subscription(
+    connected_room: tuple[rtc.Room, FfiQueue[proto_ffi.FfiEvent]],
+) -> None:
+    room, _ = connected_room
+    track = rtc.LocalAudioTrack(proto_track.OwnedTrack())
+    participant = room.local_participant
+
+    publication = await asyncio.wait_for(participant.publish_track(track), 1)
+    assert participant.track_publications["TR_test"] is publication
+    assert publication.track is track
+
+    await asyncio.wait_for(participant.unpublish_track(publication.sid), 1)
+    assert not participant.track_publications
+    assert publication.track is None