diff --git a/.idea/workspace.xml b/.idea/workspace.xml
index bc0045f15..102782696 100644
--- a/.idea/workspace.xml
+++ b/.idea/workspace.xml
@@ -15,15 +15,9 @@
   <component name="ChangeListManager">
     <list default="true" id="58922733-b05b-4b90-9655-b9b18914977a" name="Default Changelist" comment="">
       <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/.idea/workspace.xml" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/.idea/workspace.xml" afterDir="false" />
-      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/docs/software/TODO.md" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/docs/software/TODO.md" afterDir="false" />
-      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/docs/software/mqtt.md" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/docs/software/mqtt.md" afterDir="false" />
-      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/platformio.ini" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/platformio.ini" afterDir="false" />
       <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/proto" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/proto" afterDir="false" />
-      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/main.cpp" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/main.cpp" afterDir="false" />
-      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mesh/generated/admin.pb.h" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mesh/generated/admin.pb.h" afterDir="false" />
-      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mesh/generated/apponly.pb.c" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mesh/generated/apponly.pb.c" afterDir="false" />
-      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mesh/generated/apponly.pb.h" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mesh/generated/apponly.pb.h" afterDir="false" />
-      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mesh/generated/radioconfig.pb.h" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mesh/generated/radioconfig.pb.h" afterDir="false" />
+      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/proto/docs/docs.md" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/proto/docs/docs.md" afterDir="false" />
+      <change beforePath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mqtt/MQTT.h" beforeDir="false" afterPath="$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mqtt/MQTT.h" afterDir="false" />
     </list>
     <option name="SHOW_DIALOG" value="false" />
     <option name="HIGHLIGHT_CONFLICTS" value="true" />
@@ -55,11 +49,6 @@
     <property name="settings.editor.selected.configurable" value="CMakeSettings" />
   </component>
   <component name="RunManager" selected="GDB Remote Debug.gdbremote-localhost-2345">
-    <configuration default="true" type="CLionExternalRunConfiguration" factoryName="Application" REDIRECT_INPUT="false" ELEVATE="false" PASS_PARENT_ENVS_2="true">
-      <method v="2">
-        <option name="CLION.EXTERNAL.BUILD" enabled="true" />
-      </method>
-    </configuration>
     <configuration default="true" type="CLion_Remote" version="1" remoteCommand="tcp:localhost:2345" symbolFile="" sysroot="">
       <debugger kind="GDB" isBundled="true" />
       <method v="2" />
@@ -78,6 +67,11 @@
         <option name="com.jetbrains.cidr.execution.CidrBuildBeforeRunTaskProvider$BuildBeforeRunTask" enabled="true" />
       </method>
     </configuration>
+    <configuration default="true" type="GradleAppRunConfiguration" factoryName="Application" REDIRECT_INPUT="false" ELEVATE="false" PASS_PARENT_ENVS_2="true">
+      <method v="2">
+        <option name="com.jetbrains.cidr.cpp.gradle.execution.GradleNativeBuildBeforeRunTaskProvider$BuildBeforeRunTask" enabled="true" />
+      </method>
+    </configuration>
     <configuration name="PlatformIO Debug" type="platformio" factoryName="PlatformIO Debug" REDIRECT_INPUT="false" ELEVATE="false" PASS_PARENT_ENVS_2="true" PROJECT_NAME="meshtastic-esp32" TARGET_NAME="Debug" CONFIG_NAME="native" RUN_TARGET_PROJECT_NAME="meshtastic-esp32" RUN_TARGET_NAME="Debug">
       <method v="2">
         <option name="com.jetbrains.cidr.execution.CidrBuildBeforeRunTaskProvider$BuildBeforeRunTask" enabled="true" />
@@ -112,6 +106,7 @@
       <workItem from="1617160691713" duration="1016000" />
       <workItem from="1617279002260" duration="1626000" />
       <workItem from="1617425689081" duration="1896000" />
+      <workItem from="1617437366919" duration="1182000" />
     </task>
     <servers />
   </component>
@@ -144,9 +139,14 @@
           <option name="timeStamp" value="7" />
         </line-breakpoint>
         <line-breakpoint enabled="true" type="com.jetbrains.cidr.execution.debugger.OCBreakpointType">
-          <url>file://$USER_HOME$/.platformio/packages/framework-portduino/libraries/WiFi/src/WiFiClient.cpp</url>
-          <line>49</line>
-          <option name="timeStamp" value="9" />
+          <url>file://$PROJECT_DIR$/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp</url>
+          <line>84</line>
+          <option name="timeStamp" value="10" />
+        </line-breakpoint>
+        <line-breakpoint enabled="true" type="com.jetbrains.cidr.execution.debugger.OCBreakpointType">
+          <url>file://$PROJECT_DIR$/.pio/libdeps/native/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.cpp</url>
+          <line>468</line>
+          <option name="timeStamp" value="11" />
         </line-breakpoint>
       </breakpoints>
     </breakpoint-manager>
diff --git a/bin/mqtt-listen.sh b/bin/mqtt-listen.sh
index f7d8458c0..60779ec7e 100755
--- a/bin/mqtt-listen.sh
+++ b/bin/mqtt-listen.sh
@@ -1 +1 @@
-mosquitto_sub -h test.mosquitto.org -v -t mesh/\#
+mosquitto_sub -h test.mosquitto.org -v -t mesh/\# -F "%j"
diff --git a/docs/software/TODO.md b/docs/software/TODO.md
index 2ae568069..e3d768093 100644
--- a/docs/software/TODO.md
+++ b/docs/software/TODO.md
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ You probably don't care about this section - skip to the next one.
 
 ## MQTT
 
+* reply to MC
+* reply to question about MQTT
+* add test case of preencrypting in the python tool (and sending through a node that lacks keys)
+* leave encrypted messages as forwarded (need fixes on both tx and rx sides)
 * DONE have sim provide a fake wifi connection status saying connected
 * DONE don't start MQTT if we don't have wifi connected
 * have plugin send uplinks from mesh
diff --git a/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp b/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
index 6a731f7ea..40e0938b9 100644
--- a/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
+++ b/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "MQTT.h"
 #include "MQTTPlugin.h"
 #include "NodeDB.h"
+#include "main.h"
 #include "mesh/generated/mqtt.pb.h"
 #include <WiFi.h>
 #include <assert.h>
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ void mqttInit()
     }
 }
 
-MQTT::MQTT() : pubSub(mqttClient)
+MQTT::MQTT() : concurrency::OSThread("mqtt"), pubSub(mqttClient)
 {
     assert(!mqtt);
     mqtt = this;
@@ -50,6 +51,8 @@ MQTT::MQTT() : pubSub(mqttClient)
     bool connected = pubSub.connect(owner.id, myStatus.c_str(), 1, true, "offline");
     if (connected) {
         DEBUG_MSG("MQTT connected\n");
+        enabled = true; // Start running background process again
+        runASAP = true;
 
         static char subsStr[64]; /* We keep this static because the mqtt lib
                                     might not be copying it */
@@ -62,6 +65,15 @@ MQTT::MQTT() : pubSub(mqttClient)
     }
 }
 
+int32_t MQTT::runOnce()
+{
+    // If connected poll rapidly, otherwise sleep forever
+    if (!pubSub.loop())
+        enabled = false;
+
+    return 20;
+}
+
 void MQTT::publish(const MeshPacket &mp)
 {
     // don't bother sending if not connected...
diff --git a/src/mqtt/MQTT.h b/src/mqtt/MQTT.h
index 39652a11d..f3e7b2639 100644
--- a/src/mqtt/MQTT.h
+++ b/src/mqtt/MQTT.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "configuration.h"
 
+#include "concurrency/OSThread.h"
 #include <PubSubClient.h>
 #include <WiFiClient.h>
 
@@ -9,7 +10,7 @@
  * Our wrapper/singleton for sending/receiving MQTT "udp" packets.  This object isolates the MQTT protocol implementation from
  * the two components that use it: MQTTPlugin and MQTTSimInterface.
  */
-class MQTT
+class MQTT : private concurrency::OSThread
 {
     // supposedly the current version is busted:
     // http://www.iotsharing.com/2017/08/how-to-use-esp32-mqtts-with-mqtts-mosquitto-broker-tls-ssl.html
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@ class MQTT
      */
     void publish(const MeshPacket &mp);
 
+  protected:
+    virtual int32_t runOnce();
+
   private:
     const char *getCryptTopic(const char *channelId);
 };