diff --git a/packages/backend/server/src/modules/sync/events/events.gateway.ts b/packages/backend/server/src/modules/sync/events/events.gateway.ts
index 4953241185..abc1a946d0 100644
--- a/packages/backend/server/src/modules/sync/events/events.gateway.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/server/src/modules/sync/events/events.gateway.ts
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
   }
 
   @Auth()
-  @SubscribeMessage('client-handshake')
-  async handleClientHandShake(
+  @SubscribeMessage('client-handshake-sync')
+  async handleClientHandshakeSync(
     @CurrentUser() user: UserType,
     @MessageBody() workspaceId: string,
     @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
     );
 
     if (canWrite) {
-      await client.join(workspaceId);
+      await client.join(`${workspaceId}:sync`);
       return {
         data: {
           clientId: client.id,
@@ -140,13 +140,71 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
     }
   }
 
-  @SubscribeMessage('client-leave')
-  async handleClientLeave(
+  @Auth()
+  @SubscribeMessage('client-handshake-awareness')
+  async handleClientHandshakeAwareness(
+    @CurrentUser() user: UserType,
+    @MessageBody() workspaceId: string,
+    @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
+  ): Promise<EventResponse<{ clientId: string }>> {
+    const canWrite = await this.permissions.tryCheckWorkspace(
+      workspaceId,
+      user.id,
+      Permission.Write
+    );
+
+    if (canWrite) {
+      await client.join(`${workspaceId}:awareness`);
+      return {
+        data: {
+          clientId: client.id,
+        },
+      };
+    } else {
+      return {
+        error: new AccessDeniedError(workspaceId),
+      };
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @deprecated use `client-handshake-sync` and `client-handshake-awareness` instead
+   */
+  @Auth()
+  @SubscribeMessage('client-handshake')
+  async handleClientHandShake(
+    @CurrentUser() user: UserType,
+    @MessageBody()
+    workspaceId: string,
+    @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
+  ): Promise<EventResponse<{ clientId: string }>> {
+    const canWrite = await this.permissions.tryCheckWorkspace(
+      workspaceId,
+      user.id,
+      Permission.Write
+    );
+
+    if (canWrite) {
+      await client.join([`${workspaceId}:sync`, `${workspaceId}:awareness`]);
+      return {
+        data: {
+          clientId: client.id,
+        },
+      };
+    } else {
+      return {
+        error: new AccessDeniedError(workspaceId),
+      };
+    }
+  }
+
+  @SubscribeMessage('client-leave-sync')
+  async handleLeaveSync(
     @MessageBody() workspaceId: string,
     @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
   ): Promise<EventResponse> {
-    if (client.rooms.has(workspaceId)) {
-      await client.leave(workspaceId);
+    if (client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:sync`)) {
+      await client.leave(`${workspaceId}:sync`);
       return {};
     } else {
       return {
@@ -155,6 +213,38 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
     }
   }
 
+  @SubscribeMessage('client-leave-awareness')
+  async handleLeaveAwareness(
+    @MessageBody() workspaceId: string,
+    @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
+  ): Promise<EventResponse> {
+    if (client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:awareness`)) {
+      await client.leave(`${workspaceId}:awareness`);
+      return {};
+    } else {
+      return {
+        error: new NotInWorkspaceError(workspaceId),
+      };
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @deprecated use `client-leave-sync` and `client-leave-awareness` instead
+   */
+  @SubscribeMessage('client-leave')
+  async handleClientLeave(
+    @MessageBody() workspaceId: string,
+    @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
+  ): Promise<EventResponse> {
+    if (client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:sync`)) {
+      await client.leave(`${workspaceId}:sync`);
+    }
+    if (client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:awareness`)) {
+      await client.leave(`${workspaceId}:awareness`);
+    }
+    return {};
+  }
+
   /**
    * This is the old version of the `client-update` event without any data protocol.
    * It only exists for backwards compatibility to adapt older clients.
@@ -175,7 +265,7 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
     },
     @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
   ) {
-    if (!client.rooms.has(workspaceId)) {
+    if (!client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:sync`)) {
       this.logger.verbose(
         `Client ${client.id} tried to push update to workspace ${workspaceId} without joining it first`
       );
@@ -185,12 +275,12 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
     const docId = new DocID(guid, workspaceId);
 
     client
-      .to(docId.workspace)
+      .to(`${docId.workspace}:sync`)
       .emit('server-update', { workspaceId, guid, update });
 
     // broadcast to all clients with newer version that only listen to `server-updates`
     client
-      .to(docId.workspace)
+      .to(`${docId.workspace}:sync`)
       .emit('server-updates', { workspaceId, guid, updates: [update] });
 
     const buf = Buffer.from(update, 'base64');
@@ -219,7 +309,7 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
       stateVector?: string;
     }
   ): Promise<{ missing: string; state?: string } | false> {
-    if (!client.rooms.has(workspaceId)) {
+    if (!client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:sync`)) {
       const canRead = await this.permissions.tryCheckWorkspace(
         workspaceId,
         user.id
@@ -264,7 +354,7 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
     },
     @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
   ): Promise<EventResponse<{ accepted: true }>> {
-    if (!client.rooms.has(workspaceId)) {
+    if (!client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:sync`)) {
       return {
         error: new NotInWorkspaceError(workspaceId),
       };
@@ -272,7 +362,7 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
 
     const docId = new DocID(guid, workspaceId);
     client
-      .to(docId.workspace)
+      .to(`${docId.workspace}:sync`)
       .emit('server-updates', { workspaceId, guid, updates });
 
     const buffers = updates.map(update => Buffer.from(update, 'base64'));
@@ -301,7 +391,7 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
       stateVector?: string;
     }
   ): Promise<EventResponse<{ missing: string; state?: string }>> {
-    if (!client.rooms.has(workspaceId)) {
+    if (!client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:sync`)) {
       const canRead = await this.permissions.tryCheckWorkspace(
         workspaceId,
         user.id
@@ -343,8 +433,8 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
     @MessageBody() workspaceId: string,
     @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
   ): Promise<EventResponse<{ clientId: string }>> {
-    if (client.rooms.has(workspaceId)) {
-      client.to(workspaceId).emit('new-client-awareness-init');
+    if (client.rooms.has(`${workspaceId}:awareness`)) {
+      client.to(`${workspaceId}:awareness`).emit('new-client-awareness-init');
       return {
         data: {
           clientId: client.id,
@@ -362,9 +452,9 @@ export class EventsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect {
     @MessageBody() message: { workspaceId: string; awarenessUpdate: string },
     @ConnectedSocket() client: Socket
   ): Promise<EventResponse> {
-    if (client.rooms.has(message.workspaceId)) {
+    if (client.rooms.has(`${message.workspaceId}:awareness`)) {
       client
-        .to(message.workspaceId)
+        .to(`${message.workspaceId}:awareness`)
         .emit('server-awareness-broadcast', message);
       return {};
     } else {