diff --git a/sphinx-key/src/conn/mqtt.rs b/sphinx-key/src/conn/mqtt.rs
index 1da6621..cc2c3de 100644
--- a/sphinx-key/src/conn/mqtt.rs
+++ b/sphinx-key/src/conn/mqtt.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,61 @@ use std::thread;
 use esp_idf_sys::{self};
 use esp_idf_sys::EspError;
 
+pub fn make_client(broker: &str) -> Result<EspMqttClient<ConnState<MessageImpl, EspError>>> {
+    let conf = MqttClientConfiguration {
+        client_id: Some("rust-esp32-std-demo-1"),
+        // FIXME - mqtts
+        // crt_bundle_attach: Some(esp_idf_sys::esp_crt_bundle_attach),
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+
+    let b = format!("mqtt://{}", broker);
+    println!("===> CONNECT TO {}", b);
+    let (mut client, mut connection) = EspMqttClient::new_with_conn(b, &conf)?;
+
+    info!("MQTT client started");
+
+    Ok(client)
+}
+
+pub fn start_listening(client: &EspMqttClient<ConnState<MessageImpl, EspError>>) -> Result<()> {
+    // Need to immediately start pumping the connection for messages, or else subscribe() and publish() below will not work
+    // Note that when using the alternative constructor - `EspMqttClient::new` - you don't need to
+    // spawn a new thread, as the messages will be pumped with a backpressure into the callback you provide.
+    // Yet, you still need to efficiently process each message in the callback without blocking for too long.
+    thread::spawn(move || {
+        info!("MQTT Listening for messages");
+
+        while let Some(msg) = connection.next() {
+            match msg {
+                Err(e) => info!("MQTT Message ERROR: {}", e),
+                Ok(msg) => {
+                    eventloop.post(&Message::new([0; 256]), None).unwrap();
+                    info!("MQTT Message: {:?}", msg);
+                },
+            }
+        }
+
+        info!("MQTT connection loop exit");
+    });
+
+    client.subscribe("rust-esp32-std-demo", QoS::AtMostOnce)?;
+
+    info!("Subscribed to all topics (rust-esp32-std-demo)");
+
+    client.publish(
+        "rust-esp32-std-demo",
+        QoS::AtMostOnce,
+        false,
+        "Hello from rust-esp32-std-demo!".as_bytes(),
+    )?;
+
+    info!("Published a hello message to topic \"rust-esp32-std-demo\"");
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+// this one is both together
 pub fn mqtt_client(broker: &str, mut eventloop: EspBackgroundEventLoop) -> Result<EspMqttClient<ConnState<MessageImpl, EspError>>> {
     info!("About to start MQTT client");
 
diff --git a/sphinx-key/src/core/events.rs b/sphinx-key/src/core/events.rs
index 7c136db..03b9d8c 100644
--- a/sphinx-key/src/core/events.rs
+++ b/sphinx-key/src/core/events.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 use esp_idf_svc::eventloop::*;
 use embedded_svc::httpd::Result;
 use esp_idf_sys::{self, c_types};
+use embedded_svc::mqtt::client::utils::ConnState;
+use embedded_svc::mqtt::client::{Client, Connection, MessageImpl, Publish, QoS};
+use esp_idf_svc::mqtt::client::*;
+use esp_idf_sys::EspError;
+use std::sync::Arc;
 use log::*;
 
 const MSG_SIZE: usize = 256;
@@ -39,7 +44,7 @@ impl EspTypedEventDeserializer<Message> for Message {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn make_eventloop() -> Result<(EspBackgroundEventLoop, EspBackgroundSubscription)> {
+pub fn make_eventloop(client: &EspMqttClient<ConnState<MessageImpl, EspError>>) -> Result<(EspBackgroundEventLoop, EspBackgroundSubscription)> {
     use embedded_svc::event_bus::EventBus;
 
     info!("About to start a background event loop");
@@ -48,6 +53,12 @@ pub fn make_eventloop() -> Result<(EspBackgroundEventLoop, EspBackgroundSubscrip
     info!("About to subscribe to the background event loop");
     let subscription = eventloop.subscribe(|message: &Message| {
         info!("!!! Got message from the event loop"); //: {:?}", message.0);
+        let _ = client.publish(
+            "rust-esp32-std-demo-return",
+            QoS::AtMostOnce,
+            false,
+            "Hello from rust-esp32-std-demo!".as_bytes(),
+        );
     })?;
     // let subscription = eventloop.subscribe(cb)?;
 
diff --git a/sphinx-key/src/main.rs b/sphinx-key/src/main.rs
index cf563a2..9176e7d 100644
--- a/sphinx-key/src/main.rs
+++ b/sphinx-key/src/main.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ use esp_idf_svc::nvs::*;
 use esp_idf_svc::nvs_storage::EspNvsStorage;
 use embedded_svc::storage::Storage;
 use embedded_svc::wifi::Wifi;
-use embedded_svc::event_bus::EventBus;
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     // Temporary. Will disappear once ESP-IDF 4.4 is released, but for now it is necessary to call this function once,
@@ -35,9 +34,11 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         println!("=============> START CLIENT NOW <============== {:?}", exist);
         // store.remove("config").expect("couldnt remove config");
         let wifi = start_client(default_nvs.clone(), &exist)?;
+
+        let mqtt = conn::mqtt::make_client(&exist.broker)?;
         // if the subscription goes out of scope its dropped
         // the sub needs to publish back to mqtt???
-        let (eventloop, _sub) = make_eventloop()?;
+        let (eventloop, _sub) = make_eventloop(&mqtt)?;
         let mqtt_client = conn::mqtt::mqtt_client(&exist.broker, eventloop)?;
        
         println!("{:?}", wifi.get_status());