diff --git a/src/headless/plugins/carbons.js b/src/headless/plugins/carbons.js
index de1a88e03..0d3f031e2 100644
--- a/src/headless/plugins/carbons.js
+++ b/src/headless/plugins/carbons.js
@@ -5,38 +5,46 @@
  * @description Implements support for XEP-0280 Message Carbons
  */
 
-import log from '@converse/headless/log';
+import log from '@converse/headless/log.js';
 import { Strophe } from 'strophe.js/src/strophe';
 import { _converse, api, converse } from "../core.js";
 
+const { u } = converse.env;
 
-/* Ask the XMPP server to enable Message Carbons
- * See XEP-0280 https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0280.html#enabling
+
+/**
+ * Ask the XMPP server to enable Message Carbons
+ * See [XEP-0280](https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0280.html#enabling)
  */
-function enableCarbons (reconnecting) {
-    if (reconnecting) {
-        _converse.session?.set({'carbons_enabled': false})
+async function enableCarbons (reconnecting) {
+    if (reconnecting && _converse.session.get('carbons_enabled')) {
+        if (_converse.session.get('smacks_enabled')) {
+            // No need to re-enable carbons when resuming a XEP-0198 stream
+            return;
+        }
+        _converse.session.set({'carbons_enabled': false})
     }
+
     if (!api.settings.get("message_carbons") || _converse.session?.get('carbons_enabled')) {
         return;
     }
-    const carbons_iq = new Strophe.Builder('iq', {
-        'from': _converse.connection.jid,
-        'id': 'enablecarbons',
-        'type': 'set'
-      })
-      .c('enable', {xmlns: Strophe.NS.CARBONS});
 
-    _converse.connection.addHandler((iq) => {
-        if (iq.querySelectorAll('error').length > 0) {
-            log.warn('An error occurred while trying to enable message carbons.');
-        } else {
-            _converse.session.set({'carbons_enabled': true});
-            log.debug('Message carbons have been enabled.');
-        }
-        _converse.session.save(); // Gather multiple sets into one save
-    }, null, "iq", null, "enablecarbons");
-    _converse.connection.send(carbons_iq);
+    const iq = new Strophe.Builder('iq', {
+        'from': _converse.connection.jid,
+        'type': 'set'
+      }).c('enable', {xmlns: Strophe.NS.CARBONS});
+
+    const result = await api.sendIQ(iq, null, false);
+    if (result === null) {
+        log.warn(`A timeout occurred while trying to enable carbons`);
+    } else if (u.isErrorStanza(result)) {
+        log.warn('An error occurred while trying to enable message carbons.');
+        log.error(result);
+    } else {
+        _converse.session.set({'carbons_enabled': true});
+        log.debug('Message carbons have been enabled.');
+    }
+    _converse.session.save(); // Gather multiple sets into one save
 }
 
 
@@ -47,6 +55,7 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-carbons', {
             message_carbons: true
         });
 
-        api.listen.on('afterResourceBinding', enableCarbons);
+        api.listen.on('connected', () => enableCarbons());
+        api.listen.on('reconnected', () => enableCarbons(true));
     }
 });