diff --git a/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift b/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
index f79251bc..6267f1c3 100644
--- a/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
+++ b/Sources/AblyChat/RoomLifecycleManager.swift
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Contributor: RoomLifecycleContributor> {
     private var listenForStateChangesTask: Task<Void, Never>!
     // TODO: clean up old subscriptions (https://github.com/ably-labs/ably-chat-swift/issues/36)
     private var subscriptions: [Subscription<RoomStatusChange>] = []
+    private var operationResultContinuations = OperationResultContinuations()
 
     // MARK: - Initializers and `deinit`
 
@@ -376,12 +377,88 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Contributor: RoomLifecycleContributor> {
         status.operationID != nil
     }
 
+    /// Stores bookkeeping information needed for allowing one operation to await the result of another.
+    private struct OperationResultContinuations {
+        typealias Continuation = CheckedContinuation<Void, Error>
+
+        private var operationResultContinuationsByOperationID: [UUID: [Continuation]] = [:]
+
+        mutating func addContinuation(_ continuation: Continuation, forResultOfOperationWithID operationID: UUID) {
+            operationResultContinuationsByOperationID[operationID, default: []].append(continuation)
+        }
+
+        mutating func removeContinuationsForResultOfOperationWithID(_ waitedOperationID: UUID) -> [Continuation] {
+            operationResultContinuationsByOperationID.removeValue(forKey: waitedOperationID) ?? []
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Waits for the operation with ID `waitedOperationID` to complete, re-throwing any error thrown by that operation.
+    ///
+    /// Note that this method currently treats all waited operations as throwing. If you wish to wait for an operation that you _know_ to be non-throwing (which the RELEASE operation currently is) then you’ll need to call this method with `try!` or equivalent. (It might be possible to improve this in the future, but I didn’t want to put much time into figuring it out.)
+    ///
+    /// - Parameters:
+    ///   - waitedOperationID: The ID of the operation whose completion will be awaited.
+    ///   - waitingOperationID: The ID of the operation which is awaiting this result. Only used for logging.
+    private func waitForCompletionOfOperationWithID(
+        _ waitedOperationID: UUID,
+        waitingOperationID: UUID
+    ) async throws {
+        logger.log(message: "Operation \(waitingOperationID) started waiting for result of operation \(waitedOperationID)", level: .debug)
+
+        do {
+            try await withCheckedThrowingContinuation { (continuation: OperationResultContinuations.Continuation) in
+                // TODO: how can we be sure that these don't result in actor hopping? i.e. that the synchronous part of `resultOfOperationWithID` happens immediately
+                operationResultContinuations.addContinuation(continuation, forResultOfOperationWithID: waitedOperationID)
+            }
+
+            logger.log(message: "Operation \(waitingOperationID) completed waiting for result of operation \(waitedOperationID), which completed successfully", level: .debug)
+        } catch {
+            logger.log(message: "Operation \(waitingOperationID) completed waiting for result of operation \(waitedOperationID), which threw error \(error)", level: .debug)
+        }
+    }
+
+    // TODO: who calls this? I don't think the `defer` can? but we don't want to have to call it each time an operation completes. ok, that's what i'm implementing with performAnOperation
+    private func operationWithID(_ operationID: UUID, didCompleteWithResult result: Result<Void, Error>) {
+        logger.log(message: "Operation \(operationID) completed with result \(result)", level: .debug)
+        let continuationsToResume = operationResultContinuations.removeContinuationsForResultOfOperationWithID(operationID)
+
+        for continuation in continuationsToResume {
+            continuation.resume(with: result)
+        }
+    }
+
+    // TODO: make it clear that what we have _not_ implemented is a queue — each operation has its own logic for whether it should proceed in relation to other operations
+
+    // TODO: what is this
+    // TODO: use this for all operations
+    // TODO: note that the operation is isolated to the actor (or is it? not sure — find out)
+    private func performAnOperation<Failure: Error>(_ body: (UUID) async throws(Failure) -> Void) async throws(Failure) {
+        let operationID = UUID()
+        logger.log(message: "Performing operation \(operationID)", level: .debug)
+        let result: Result<Void, Failure>
+        do {
+            try await body(operationID)
+            result = .success(())
+        } catch {
+            result = .failure(error)
+        }
+
+        // TODO: I guess the fact that the operation hasn't returned doesn't matter?
+        operationWithID(operationID, didCompleteWithResult: result.mapError { $0 })
+
+        try result.get()
+    }
+
     // MARK: - ATTACH operation
 
     /// Implements CHA-RL1’s `ATTACH` operation.
     internal func performAttachOperation() async throws {
-        let operationID = UUID()
+        try await performAnOperation { operationID in
+            try await bodyOfAttachOperation(operationID: operationID)
+        }
+    }
 
+    private func bodyOfAttachOperation(operationID: UUID) async throws {
         switch status {
         case .attached:
             // CHA-RL1a
@@ -476,8 +553,12 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Contributor: RoomLifecycleContributor> {
 
     /// Implements CHA-RL2’s DETACH operation.
     internal func performDetachOperation() async throws {
-        let operationID = UUID()
+        try await performAnOperation { operationID in
+            try await bodyOfDetachOperation(operationID: operationID)
+        }
+    }
 
+    private func bodyOfDetachOperation(operationID: UUID) async throws {
         switch status {
         case .detached:
             // CHA-RL2a
@@ -559,8 +640,12 @@ internal actor RoomLifecycleManager<Contributor: RoomLifecycleContributor> {
 
     /// Implements CHA-RL3’s RELEASE operation.
     internal func performReleaseOperation() async {
-        let operationID = UUID()
+        await performAnOperation { operationID in
+            await bodyOfReleaseOperation(operationID: operationID)
+        }
+    }
 
+    private func bodyOfReleaseOperation(operationID: UUID) async {
         switch status {
         case .released:
             // CHA-RL3a