diff --git a/topic.go b/topic.go
index edec94ff..901138bf 100644
--- a/topic.go
+++ b/topic.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/crypto"
 	pb "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub/pb"
 
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
@@ -15,6 +16,12 @@ import (
 // ErrTopicClosed is returned if a Topic is utilized after it has been closed
 var ErrTopicClosed = errors.New("this Topic is closed, try opening a new one")
 
+// ErrNilSignKey is returned if a nil private key was provided
+var ErrNilSignKey = errors.New("nil sign key")
+
+// ErrEmptyPeerID is returned if an empty peer ID was provided
+var ErrEmptyPeerID = errors.New("empty peer ID")
+
 // Topic is the handle for a pubsub topic
 type Topic struct {
 	p     *PubSub
@@ -202,8 +209,12 @@ func (t *Topic) Relay() (RelayCancelFunc, error) {
 // RouterReady is a function that decides if a router is ready to publish
 type RouterReady func(rt PubSubRouter, topic string) (bool, error)
 
+// ProvideKey is a function that provides a private key and its associated peer ID when publishing a new message
+type ProvideKey func() (crypto.PrivKey, peer.ID)
+
 type PublishOptions struct {
-	ready RouterReady
+	ready     RouterReady
+	customKey ProvideKey
 }
 
 type PubOpt func(pub *PublishOptions) error
@@ -216,27 +227,40 @@ func (t *Topic) Publish(ctx context.Context, data []byte, opts ...PubOpt) error
 		return ErrTopicClosed
 	}
 
+	pid := t.p.signID
+	key := t.p.signKey
+
+	pub := &PublishOptions{}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		err := opt(pub)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if pub.customKey != nil {
+		key, pid = pub.customKey()
+		if key == nil {
+			return ErrNilSignKey
+		}
+		if len(pid) == 0 {
+			return ErrEmptyPeerID
+		}
+	}
+
 	m := &pb.Message{
 		Data:  data,
 		Topic: &t.topic,
 		From:  nil,
 		Seqno: nil,
 	}
-	if t.p.signID != "" {
-		m.From = []byte(t.p.signID)
+	if pid != "" {
+		m.From = []byte(pid)
 		m.Seqno = t.p.nextSeqno()
 	}
-	if t.p.signKey != nil {
-		m.From = []byte(t.p.signID)
-		err := signMessage(t.p.signID, t.p.signKey, m)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
-	pub := &PublishOptions{}
-	for _, opt := range opts {
-		err := opt(pub)
+	if key != nil {
+		m.From = []byte(pid)
+		err := signMessage(pid, key, m)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -295,6 +319,18 @@ func WithReadiness(ready RouterReady) PubOpt {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithSecretKeyAndPeerId returns a publishing option for providing a custom private key and its corresponding peer ID
+// This option is useful when we want to send messages from "virtual", never-connectable peers in the network
+func WithSecretKeyAndPeerId(key crypto.PrivKey, pid peer.ID) PubOpt {
+	return func(pub *PublishOptions) error {
+		pub.customKey = func() (crypto.PrivKey, peer.ID) {
+			return key, pid
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // Close closes down the topic. Will return an error unless there are no active event handlers or subscriptions.
 // Does not error if the topic is already closed.
 func (t *Topic) Close() error {
diff --git a/topic_test.go b/topic_test.go
index e236c602..b87a9b6f 100644
--- a/topic_test.go
+++ b/topic_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
 	pb "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub/pb"
+	tnet "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-testing/net"
 )
 
 func getTopics(psubs []*PubSub, topicID string, opts ...TopicOpt) []*Topic {
@@ -381,7 +382,7 @@ func TestSubscriptionLeaveNotification(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Test removing peers and verifying that they cause events
 	subs[1].Cancel()
-	hosts[2].Close()
+	_ = hosts[2].Close()
 	psubs[0].BlacklistPeer(hosts[3].ID())
 
 	leavingPeers := make(map[peer.ID]struct{})
@@ -878,7 +879,7 @@ func TestWithTopicMsgIdFunction(t *testing.T) {
 	}))
 	connectAll(t, hosts)
 
-	topicsA := getTopics(pubsubs, topicA) // uses global msgIdFn
+	topicsA := getTopics(pubsubs, topicA)                                                      // uses global msgIdFn
 	topicsB := getTopics(pubsubs, topicB, WithTopicMessageIdFn(func(pmsg *pb.Message) string { // uses custom
 		hash := sha1.Sum(pmsg.Data)
 		return string(hash[:])
@@ -920,3 +921,101 @@ func TestWithTopicMsgIdFunction(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("msg ids are equal")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestTopicPublishWithKeyInvalidParameters(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	const topic = "foobar"
+	const numHosts = 5
+
+	virtualPeer := tnet.RandPeerNetParamsOrFatal(t)
+	hosts := getNetHosts(t, ctx, numHosts)
+	topics := getTopics(getPubsubs(ctx, hosts), topic)
+
+	t.Run("nil sign private key should error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		withVirtualKey := WithSecretKeyAndPeerId(nil, virtualPeer.ID)
+		err := topics[0].Publish(ctx, []byte("buff"), withVirtualKey)
+		if err != ErrNilSignKey {
+			t.Fatal("error should have been of type errNilSignKey")
+		}
+	})
+	t.Run("empty peer ID should error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		withVirtualKey := WithSecretKeyAndPeerId(virtualPeer.PrivKey, "")
+		err := topics[0].Publish(ctx, []byte("buff"), withVirtualKey)
+		if err != ErrEmptyPeerID {
+			t.Fatal("error should have been of type errEmptyPeerID")
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func TestTopicRelayPublishWithKey(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	const topic = "foobar"
+	const numHosts = 5
+
+	virtualPeer := tnet.RandPeerNetParamsOrFatal(t)
+	hosts := getNetHosts(t, ctx, numHosts)
+	topics := getTopics(getPubsubs(ctx, hosts), topic)
+
+	// [0.Rel] - [1.Rel] - [2.Sub]
+	//             |
+	//           [3.Rel] - [4.Sub]
+
+	connect(t, hosts[0], hosts[1])
+	connect(t, hosts[1], hosts[2])
+	connect(t, hosts[1], hosts[3])
+	connect(t, hosts[3], hosts[4])
+
+	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+
+	var subs []*Subscription
+
+	for i, topicValue := range topics {
+		if i == 2 || i == 4 {
+			sub, err := topicValue.Subscribe()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			subs = append(subs, sub)
+		} else {
+			_, err := topicValue.Relay()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+
+	for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
+		msg := []byte("message")
+
+		owner := rand.Intn(len(topics))
+
+		withVirtualKey := WithSecretKeyAndPeerId(virtualPeer.PrivKey, virtualPeer.ID)
+		err := topics[owner].Publish(ctx, msg, withVirtualKey)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		for _, sub := range subs {
+			received, errSub := sub.Next(ctx)
+			if errSub != nil {
+				t.Fatal(errSub)
+			}
+
+			if !bytes.Equal(msg, received.Data) {
+				t.Fatal("received message is other than expected")
+			}
+			if string(received.From) != string(virtualPeer.ID) {
+				t.Fatal("received message is not from the virtual peer")
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}