diff --git a/examples/examples/chainhead_subscription.rs b/examples/examples/chainhead_subscription.rs
index 3471495432..2e9c8e4113 100644
--- a/examples/examples/chainhead_subscription.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/chainhead_subscription.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     let genesis = api.rpc().chainhead_genesis_hash().await?;
     println!("Genesis: {:?}", genesis);
 
-    let mut follow_sub = api.blocks().subscribe_chainhead_finalized(true).await?;
+    let mut follow_sub = api.blocks().subscribe_chainhead_finalized(false).await?;
+    println!("Following subscription...");
     // Handle all subscriptions from the `chainHead_follow`.
     while let Some(block) = follow_sub.next().await {
         let block = block?;
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         let call = block
             .call("AccountNonceApi_account_nonce".into(), Some(&call_params))
             .await?;
-        println!("[hash={:?}] call={:?}", block.hash(), call);
+        // println!("[hash={:?}] call={:?}", block.hash(), call);
     }
 
     // Subscribe to the `chainHead_follow` method.
diff --git a/subxt/src/client/online_client.rs b/subxt/src/client/online_client.rs
index 668ddf65b1..27821511fc 100644
--- a/subxt/src/client/online_client.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/client/online_client.rs
@@ -90,18 +90,18 @@ impl<T: Config> OnlineClient<T> {
     ) -> Result<OnlineClient<T>, Error> {
         let rpc = Rpc::new(rpc_client);
 
-        let (genesis_hash, runtime_version, metadata) = future::join3(
-            rpc.genesis_hash(),
-            rpc.runtime_version(None),
-            rpc.metadata(None),
+        let (genesis_hash, result) = future::join(
+            rpc.chainhead_genesis_hash(),
+            rpc.fetch_chainhead_call_metadata_runtime(),
         )
         .await;
+        let (metadata, runtime_version) = result?;
 
         Ok(OnlineClient {
             inner: Arc::new(RwLock::new(Inner {
                 genesis_hash: genesis_hash?,
-                runtime_version: runtime_version?,
-                metadata: metadata?,
+                runtime_version,
+                metadata,
             })),
             rpc,
         })
diff --git a/subxt/src/metadata/metadata_type.rs b/subxt/src/metadata/metadata_type.rs
index f63cf08838..cf71620dcb 100644
--- a/subxt/src/metadata/metadata_type.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/metadata/metadata_type.rs
@@ -409,18 +409,10 @@ pub enum InvalidMetadataError {
     TypeDefNotVariant(u32),
 }
 
-impl TryFrom<RuntimeMetadataPrefixed> for Metadata {
+impl TryFrom<RuntimeMetadataV14> for Metadata {
     type Error = InvalidMetadataError;
 
-    fn try_from(metadata: RuntimeMetadataPrefixed) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
-        if metadata.0 != META_RESERVED {
-            return Err(InvalidMetadataError::InvalidPrefix)
-        }
-        let metadata = match metadata.1 {
-            RuntimeMetadata::V14(meta) => meta,
-            _ => return Err(InvalidMetadataError::InvalidVersion),
-        };
-
+    fn try_from(metadata: RuntimeMetadataV14) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
         let get_type_def_variant = |type_id: u32| {
             let ty = metadata
                 .types
@@ -547,6 +539,31 @@ impl TryFrom<RuntimeMetadataPrefixed> for Metadata {
     }
 }
 
+impl TryFrom<RuntimeMetadata> for Metadata {
+    type Error = InvalidMetadataError;
+
+    fn try_from(metadata: RuntimeMetadata) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        let metadata = match metadata {
+            RuntimeMetadata::V14(meta) => meta,
+            _ => return Err(InvalidMetadataError::InvalidVersion),
+        };
+
+        metadata.try_into()
+    }
+}
+
+impl TryFrom<RuntimeMetadataPrefixed> for Metadata {
+    type Error = InvalidMetadataError;
+
+    fn try_from(metadata: RuntimeMetadataPrefixed) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        if metadata.0 != META_RESERVED {
+            return Err(InvalidMetadataError::InvalidPrefix)
+        }
+
+        metadata.1.try_into()
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/subxt/src/rpc/rpc.rs b/subxt/src/rpc/rpc.rs
index 4bd299327c..bd6cc764d6 100644
--- a/subxt/src/rpc/rpc.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/rpc/rpc.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ use super::{
         ChainHeadEvent,
         ChainHeadResult,
         FollowEvent,
+        RuntimeEvent,
     },
     RpcClient,
     RpcClientT,
@@ -60,7 +61,10 @@ use codec::{
     Decode,
     Encode,
 };
-use frame_metadata::RuntimeMetadataPrefixed;
+use frame_metadata::{
+    OpaqueMetadata,
+    RuntimeMetadataPrefixed,
+};
 use serde::{
     Deserialize,
     Serialize,
@@ -845,6 +849,78 @@ impl<T: Config> Rpc<T> {
         Err(Error::Other("Failed to execute runtime API call".into()))
     }
 
+    /// Call into the runtime API to fetch the metadata and the runtime event.
+    pub async fn fetch_chainhead_call_metadata_runtime(
+        &self,
+    ) -> Result<(Metadata, RuntimeVersion), Error> {
+        let (bytes, event) = {
+            let mut sub = self.subscribe_chainhead_follow(true).await?;
+
+            let subscription_id_rpc = match sub.subscription_id() {
+                Some(id) => id.clone(),
+                None => return Err(Error::Other("Subscription without ID".into())),
+            };
+            println!("Recv from jsonrpsee: {:?}", subscription_id_rpc);
+
+            // TODO: Jsonrpsee needs update.
+            let subscription_id = "A".to_string();
+
+            let event = match sub.next().await {
+                Some(event) => event,
+                None => return Err(Error::Other("Subscription without ID".into())),
+            };
+
+            let event = event?;
+
+            let event = match event {
+                FollowEvent::Initialized(init) => init,
+                _ => {
+                    return Err(Error::Other(
+                        "Unexpected event from chainHead_follow".into(),
+                    ))
+                }
+            };
+
+            let bytes = self
+                .fetch_chainhead_call(
+                    subscription_id,
+                    event.finalized_block_hash,
+                    "Metadata_metadata".into(),
+                    &vec![],
+                )
+                .await?;
+
+            println!("Dropping subscription");
+            // Manually cancel the susbcription
+            // {"id": 1, "method": "eth_unsubscribe", "params": ["0xcd0c3e8af590364c09d0fa6a1210faf5"]}
+
+            let result: bool = self
+                .client
+                .request(
+                    "chainHead_unstable_unfollow",
+                    rpc_params![subscription_id_rpc],
+                )
+                .await?;
+            println!("Subscription dropped with result={:?}", result);
+            drop(sub);
+
+            (bytes, event)
+        };
+
+        let metadata: OpaqueMetadata = Decode::decode(&mut &bytes[..])?;
+        let bytes = metadata.0;
+        let meta: RuntimeMetadataPrefixed = Decode::decode(&mut &bytes[..])?;
+
+        let metadata: Metadata = meta.try_into()?;
+
+        let runtime_version = match event.finalized_block_runtime {
+            Some(RuntimeEvent::Valid(event)) => event.spec,
+            _ => return Err(Error::Other("Expected runtime event".into())),
+        };
+
+        Ok((metadata, runtime_version))
+    }
+
     /// Subscribe to finalized block headers.
     ///
     /// Note: this may not produce _every_ block in the finalized chain;