diff --git a/types/aws-iot-device-sdk/aws-iot-device-sdk-tests.ts b/types/aws-iot-device-sdk/aws-iot-device-sdk-tests.ts
index 10eeed099d..bcb407c352 100644
--- a/types/aws-iot-device-sdk/aws-iot-device-sdk-tests.ts
+++ b/types/aws-iot-device-sdk/aws-iot-device-sdk-tests.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ const thingShadows = new awsIot.thingShadow({
    (err: Error, failedTopics: mqtt.Granted[]) => { }
  );
 
+ thingShadows.subscribe("topic", {}, (error: any, granted: mqtt.Granted) => {});
+
  thingShadows.on("connect", function() {
      console.log("connected to AWS IoT");
   });
diff --git a/types/aws-iot-device-sdk/index.d.ts b/types/aws-iot-device-sdk/index.d.ts
index b165089f82..8d01f279eb 100644
--- a/types/aws-iot-device-sdk/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/aws-iot-device-sdk/index.d.ts
@@ -333,8 +333,7 @@ export class thingShadow extends NodeJS.EventEmitter {
    * @param options
    * @param callback
    */
-  publish(topic: string, message: Buffer, options?: mqtt.ClientPublishOptions, callback?: Function): mqtt.Client;
-  publish(topic: string, message: string, options?: mqtt.ClientPublishOptions, callback?: Function): mqtt.Client;
+  publish(topic: string, message: Buffer | string, options?: mqtt.ClientPublishOptions, callback?: Function): mqtt.Client;
 
   /**
    * Subscribe to a topic or topics
@@ -342,9 +341,7 @@ export class thingShadow extends NodeJS.EventEmitter {
    * @param the options to subscribe with
    * @param callback fired on suback
    */
-  subscribe(topic: string, options?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeOptions, callback?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeCallback): mqtt.Client;
-  subscribe(topic: string[], options?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeOptions, callback?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeCallback): mqtt.Client;
-  subscribe(topic: mqtt.Topic, options?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeOptions, callback?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeCallback): mqtt.Client;
+  subscribe(topic: string | string[] | mqtt.Topic, options?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeOptions, callback?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeCallback): mqtt.Client;
 
   /**
    * Unsubscribe from a topic or topics
@@ -353,8 +350,7 @@ export class thingShadow extends NodeJS.EventEmitter {
    * @param options
    * @param callback  fired on unsuback
    */
-  unsubscribe(topic: string, options?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeOptions, callback?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeCallback): mqtt.Client;
-  unsubscribe(topic: string[], options?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeOptions, callback?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeCallback): mqtt.Client;
+  unsubscribe(topic: string | string[], options?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeOptions, callback?: mqtt.ClientSubscribeCallback): mqtt.Client;
 
   /**
    * end - close connection