diff --git a/adafruit_minimqtt/adafruit_minimqtt.py b/adafruit_minimqtt/adafruit_minimqtt.py
index 2a1d600..ac5f233 100644
--- a/adafruit_minimqtt/adafruit_minimqtt.py
+++ b/adafruit_minimqtt/adafruit_minimqtt.py
@@ -240,8 +240,8 @@ def __init__(  # noqa: PLR0915, PLR0913, Too many statements, Too many arguments
         self._lw_msg = None
         self._lw_retain = False
 
-        # List of subscribed topics, used for tracking
-        self._subscribed_topics: List[str] = []
+        # List of subscribed topics and the QoS for each, used for tracking
+        self._subscribed_topics: List[tuple[str, int]] = []
         self._on_message_filtered = MQTTMatcher()
 
         # Default topic callback methods
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@ def subscribe(  # noqa: PLR0912, PLR0915, Too many branches, Too many statements
                     for t, q in topics:
                         if self.on_subscribe is not None:
                             self.on_subscribe(self, self.user_data, t, q)
-                        self._subscribed_topics.append(t)
+                        self._subscribed_topics.append((t, q))
 
                     return
 
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ def unsubscribe(  # noqa: PLR0912, Too many branches
                 self._valid_topic(t)
                 topics.append(t)
         for t in topics:
-            if t not in self._subscribed_topics:
+            if t not in [_t for _t, _ in self._subscribed_topics]:
                 raise MMQTTStateError("Topic must be subscribed to before attempting unsubscribe.")
         # Assemble packet
         self.logger.debug("Sending UNSUBSCRIBE to broker...")
@@ -907,7 +907,8 @@ def unsubscribe(  # noqa: PLR0912, Too many branches
                     for t in topics:
                         if self.on_unsubscribe is not None:
                             self.on_unsubscribe(self, self.user_data, t, self._pid)
-                        self._subscribed_topics.remove(t)
+                        _, q = [(_t, _q) for _t, _q in self._subscribed_topics if _t == t][0]
+                        self._subscribed_topics.remove((t, q))
                     return
                 if op != MQTT_PUBLISH:
                     # [3.10.4] The Server may continue to deliver existing messages buffered
@@ -958,21 +959,31 @@ def reconnect(self, resub_topics: bool = True) -> int:
 
         self.logger.debug("Attempting to reconnect with MQTT broker")
         subscribed_topics = []
-        if self.is_connected():
-            # disconnect() will reset subscribed topics so stash them now.
-            if resub_topics:
-                subscribed_topics = self._subscribed_topics.copy()
-            self.disconnect()
-
-        ret = self.connect(session_id=self.session_id)
-        self.logger.debug("Reconnected with broker")
-
-        if resub_topics and subscribed_topics:
-            self.logger.debug("Attempting to resubscribe to previously subscribed topics.")
-            self._subscribed_topics = []
-            while subscribed_topics:
-                feed = subscribed_topics.pop()
-                self.subscribe(feed)
+
+        # disconnect() will reset subscribed topics, so stash them now.
+        if resub_topics:
+            subscribed_topics = self._subscribed_topics.copy()
+
+        try:
+            if self.is_connected():
+                self.disconnect()
+
+            ret = self.connect(session_id=self.session_id)
+            self.logger.debug("Reconnected with broker")
+
+            if resub_topics and subscribed_topics:
+                self.logger.debug("Attempting to resubscribe to previously subscribed topics.")
+                self._subscribed_topics = []
+                while subscribed_topics:
+                    feed = subscribed_topics.pop()
+                    self.subscribe(*feed)
+        except Exception:
+            # Overly-broad exception to address #253; if we're about to fail, make sure that we
+            # leave a full list of subscribed topics in our class so that we'll properly resub
+            # on the next retry.
+            if sorted(self._subscribed_topics) != sorted(subscribed_topics):
+                self._subscribed_topics = subscribed_topics
+            raise
 
         return ret
 
@@ -1195,7 +1206,7 @@ def _valid_qos(qos_level: int) -> None:
         """
         if isinstance(qos_level, int):
             if qos_level < 0 or qos_level > 2:
-                raise NotImplementedError("QoS must be between 1 and 2.")
+                raise NotImplementedError("QoS must be between 0 and 2.")
         else:
             raise ValueError("QoS must be an integer.")
 
diff --git a/tests/test_unsubscribe.py b/tests/test_unsubscribe.py
index 0f9ed2f..ff3ac53 100644
--- a/tests/test_unsubscribe.py
+++ b/tests/test_unsubscribe.py
@@ -167,9 +167,12 @@ def test_unsubscribe(topic, to_send, exp_recv) -> None:
     mqtt_client.logger = logger
 
     if isinstance(topic, str):
-        mqtt_client._subscribed_topics = [topic]
+        mqtt_client._subscribed_topics = [(topic, 1)]
     elif isinstance(topic, list):
-        mqtt_client._subscribed_topics = topic
+        if topic and isinstance(topic[0], tuple):
+            mqtt_client._subscribed_topics = topic
+        else:
+            mqtt_client._subscribed_topics = [(t, 1) for t in topic]
 
     logger.info(f"unsubscribing from {topic}")
     mqtt_client.unsubscribe(topic)