diff --git a/include/zenoh-pico/api/types.h b/include/zenoh-pico/api/types.h
index a08580bd8..080974c0b 100644
--- a/include/zenoh-pico/api/types.h
+++ b/include/zenoh-pico/api/types.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "zenoh-pico/net/session.h"
 #include "zenoh-pico/net/subscribe.h"
 #include "zenoh-pico/protocol/core.h"
+#include "zenoh-pico/session/session.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
@@ -141,9 +142,7 @@ _Z_OWNED_TYPE_VALUE(_z_value_t, reply_err)
  * A struct that indicates if there exist Subscribers matching the Publisher's key expression or Queryables matching
  * Querier's key expression and target.
  */
-typedef struct {
-    bool matching;  // true if there exist matching Zenoh entities, false otherwise.
-} z_matching_status_t;
+typedef _z_matching_status_t z_matching_status_t;
 #endif
 
 /**
@@ -426,7 +425,7 @@ _Z_OWNED_TYPE_VALUE(_z_reply_t, reply)
  */
 _Z_OWNED_TYPE_VALUE(_z_string_svec_t, string_array)
 
-typedef void (*z_closure_drop_callback_t)(void *arg);
+typedef _z_drop_handler_t z_closure_drop_callback_t;
 typedef _z_closure_sample_callback_t z_closure_sample_callback_t;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -493,20 +492,7 @@ typedef struct {
 _Z_OWNED_TYPE_VALUE(_z_closure_zid_t, closure_zid)
 
 #if defined(Z_FEATURE_MATCHING)
-typedef void (*z_closure_matching_status_callback_t)(const z_matching_status_t *status, void *arg);
-
-typedef struct {
-    void *context;
-    z_closure_matching_status_callback_t call;
-    z_closure_drop_callback_t drop;
-} _z_closure_matching_status_t;
-
-// TODO(sashacmc): found better place?
-typedef struct _z_matching_listener_ctx_t {
-    uint32_t decl_id;
-    _z_closure_matching_status_t callback;
-} _z_matching_listener_ctx_t;
-
+typedef _z_closure_matching_status_t z_closure_matching_status_t;
 /**
  * Represents the matching status callback closure.
  */
diff --git a/include/zenoh-pico/net/matching.h b/include/zenoh-pico/net/matching.h
index 472f4a2e5..3f1a56a91 100644
--- a/include/zenoh-pico/net/matching.h
+++ b/include/zenoh-pico/net/matching.h
@@ -21,12 +21,15 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+typedef struct _z_publisher_t _z_publisher_t;
+
 #if Z_FEATURE_MATCHING == 1
 typedef struct _z_matching_listener_t {
     uint32_t _interest_id;
     _z_session_weak_t _zn;
 } _z_matching_listener_t;
 
+_z_matching_listener_t _z_matching_listener_declare(const _z_publisher_t *pub, _z_closure_matching_status_t callback);
 // Warning: None of the sub-types require a non-0 initialization. Add a init function if it changes.
 static inline _z_matching_listener_t _z_matching_listener_null(void) { return (_z_matching_listener_t){0}; }
 static inline bool _z_matching_listener_check(const _z_matching_listener_t *matching_listener) {
diff --git a/include/zenoh-pico/session/matching.h b/include/zenoh-pico/session/matching.h
index 9a26074dd..190e26ff5 100644
--- a/include/zenoh-pico/session/matching.h
+++ b/include/zenoh-pico/session/matching.h
@@ -17,13 +17,29 @@
 
 #include "zenoh-pico/collections/element.h"
 #include "zenoh-pico/collections/intmap.h"
+#include "zenoh-pico/session/session.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 #if Z_FEATURE_MATCHING == 1
-typedef struct _z_matching_listener_ctx_t _z_matching_listener_ctx_t;
+typedef struct {
+    bool matching;  // true if there exist matching Zenoh entities, false otherwise.
+} _z_matching_status_t;
+
+typedef void (*_z_closure_matching_status_callback_t)(const _z_matching_status_t *status, void *arg);
+
+typedef struct {
+    void *context;
+    _z_closure_matching_status_callback_t call;
+    _z_drop_handler_t drop;
+} _z_closure_matching_status_t;
+
+typedef struct _z_matching_listener_ctx_t {
+    uint32_t decl_id;
+    _z_closure_matching_status_t callback;
+} _z_matching_listener_ctx_t;
 
 typedef struct {
     uint32_t _interest_id;
diff --git a/src/api/api.c b/src/api/api.c
index 1f598370e..a2d1fc8f3 100644
--- a/src/api/api.c
+++ b/src/api/api.c
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ _Z_OWNED_FUNCTIONS_CLOSURE_IMPL(closure_query, _z_closure_query_callback_t, z_cl
 _Z_OWNED_FUNCTIONS_CLOSURE_IMPL(closure_reply, _z_closure_reply_callback_t, z_closure_drop_callback_t)
 _Z_OWNED_FUNCTIONS_CLOSURE_IMPL(closure_hello, z_closure_hello_callback_t, z_closure_drop_callback_t)
 _Z_OWNED_FUNCTIONS_CLOSURE_IMPL(closure_zid, z_closure_zid_callback_t, z_closure_drop_callback_t)
-_Z_OWNED_FUNCTIONS_CLOSURE_IMPL(closure_matching_status, z_closure_matching_status_callback_t,
+_Z_OWNED_FUNCTIONS_CLOSURE_IMPL(closure_matching_status, _z_closure_matching_status_callback_t,
                                 z_closure_drop_callback_t)
 
 /************* Primitives **************/
@@ -1119,11 +1119,9 @@ z_result_t z_publisher_declare_background_matching_listener(const z_loaned_publi
 z_result_t z_publisher_declare_matching_listener(const z_loaned_publisher_t *publisher,
                                                  z_owned_matching_listener_t *matching_listener,
                                                  z_moved_closure_matching_status_t *callback) {
-    (void)publisher;
-    (void)matching_listener;
-    (void)callback;
-    // TODO(sashacmc): Implement
-    return _Z_RES_OK;
+    _z_matching_listener_t listener = _z_matching_listener_declare(publisher, callback->_this._val);
+    matching_listener->_val = listener;
+    return _z_matching_listener_check(&listener) ? _Z_RES_OK : _Z_ERR_GENERIC;
 }
 
 z_result_t z_publisher_get_matching_status(const z_loaned_publisher_t *publisher,
diff --git a/src/net/matching.c b/src/net/matching.c
index 7dc969091..14f9e51f5 100644
--- a/src/net/matching.c
+++ b/src/net/matching.c
@@ -47,25 +47,24 @@ static void _z_matching_listener_callback(const _z_interest_msg_t *msg, void *ar
     }
 }
 
-z_result_t _z_matching_listener_create(_z_publisher_t *pub) {
+_z_matching_listener_t _z_matching_listener_declare(const _z_publisher_t *pub, _z_closure_matching_status_t callback) {
     uint8_t flags = _Z_INTEREST_FLAG_KEYEXPRS | _Z_INTEREST_FLAG_SUBSCRIBERS | _Z_INTEREST_FLAG_RESTRICTED |
                     _Z_INTEREST_FLAG_CURRENT | _Z_INTEREST_FLAG_FUTURE | _Z_INTEREST_FLAG_AGGREGATE;
     _z_matching_listener_ctx_t *ctx = z_malloc(sizeof(_z_matching_listener_ctx_t));
 
+    _z_matching_listener_t listener = _z_matching_listener_null();
     if (ctx == NULL) {
-        return _Z_ERR_SYSTEM_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+        return listener;
     }
     ctx->decl_id = 0;
-
-    _z_matching_listener_t listener = _z_matching_listener_null();
+    ctx->callback = callback;
     listener._interest_id =
         _z_add_interest(_Z_RC_IN_VAL(&pub->_zn), _z_keyexpr_alias_from_user_defined(pub->_key, true),
                         _z_matching_listener_callback, flags, (void *)ctx);
     if (listener._interest_id == 0) {
         z_free(ctx);
-        return _Z_ERR_GENERIC;
     }
-    return _Z_RES_OK;
+    return listener;
 }
 
 void _z_matching_listener_clear(_z_matching_listener_t *listener) {