diff --git a/broker/src/mqtt.rs b/broker/src/mqtt.rs
index ed1d795..d1f882c 100644
--- a/broker/src/mqtt.rs
+++ b/broker/src/mqtt.rs
@@ -81,50 +81,35 @@ pub fn start_broker(
     let conns_ = connections.clone();
     let _relay_task = std::thread::spawn(move || {
         while let Some(msg) = receiver.blocking_recv() {
-            if let Some(cid) = msg.cid {
-                // for a specific client
-                let pub_topic = format!("{}/{}", cid, msg.topic);
-                if let Err(e) = link_tx.publish(pub_topic, msg.message.clone()) {
-                    log::error!("failed to pub to link_tx! {} {:?}", cid, e);
-                }
-                if let Ok((cid, topic_end, reply)) = msg_rx.recv() {
-                    if let Err(_) = msg.reply_tx.send(ChannelReply { reply, topic_end }) {
-                        log::warn!("could not send on reply_tx {}", cid);
-                    }
-                }
-            } else {
-                // send to each client in turn
-                'retry_loop: loop {
-                    // get the current list of connected clients
+            loop {
+                let reply = if let Some(cid) = msg.cid.clone() {
+                    // for a specific client
+                    pub_wait(&cid, &msg.topic, &msg.message, &msg_rx, &mut link_tx)
+                } else {
+                    // send to each client in turn
                     let cs = conns_.lock().unwrap();
                     let client_list = cs.clients.clone();
                     drop(cs);
                     // wait a second if there are no clients
                     if client_list.len() == 0 {
                         std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
-                    }
-                    for client in client_list.iter() {
-                        let pub_topic = format!("{}/{}", client, msg.topic);
-                        log::info!("SENDING TO {} on topic {}", client, msg.topic);
-                        if let Err(e) = link_tx.publish(pub_topic, msg.message.clone()) {
-                            log::error!("failed to pub to link_tx! {:?}", e);
-                        }
-                        // and receive from the correct client (or timeout to next)
-                        let dur = Duration::from_secs(9);
-                        if let Ok((cid, topic_end, reply)) = msg_rx.recv_timeout(dur) {
-                            if &cid == client {
-                                if let Err(_) = msg.reply_tx.send(ChannelReply { reply, topic_end })
-                                {
-                                    log::warn!("could not send on reply_tx");
-                                }
-                                break 'retry_loop;
-                            } else {
-                                log::warn!("Mismatched client id!");
-                                // wait a second before trying again
-                                std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
+                        None
+                    } else {
+                        let mut rep = None;
+                        for cid in client_list.iter() {
+                            rep = pub_wait(&cid, &msg.topic, &msg.message, &msg_rx, &mut link_tx);
+                            if let Some(_) = &rep {
+                                break;
                             }
                         }
+                        rep
                     }
+                };
+                if let Some(reply) = reply {
+                    if let Err(_) = msg.reply_tx.send(reply) {
+                        log::warn!("could not send on reply_tx");
+                    }
+                    break;
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -173,6 +158,34 @@ pub fn start_broker(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+// publish to signer and wait for response
+// if timeout is exceed, try next signer
+fn pub_wait(
+    client_id: &str,
+    topic: &str,
+    payload: &[u8],
+    msg_rx: &std::sync::mpsc::Receiver<(String, String, Vec<u8>)>,
+    link_tx: &mut LinkTx,
+) -> Option<ChannelReply> {
+    let pub_topic = format!("{}/{}", client_id, topic);
+    log::info!("SENDING TO {} on topic {}", client_id, topic);
+    if let Err(e) = link_tx.publish(pub_topic, payload.to_vec()) {
+        log::error!("failed to pub to link_tx! {:?}", e);
+    }
+    // and receive from the correct client (or timeout to next)
+    let dur = Duration::from_secs(9);
+    if let Ok((cid, topic_end, reply)) = msg_rx.recv_timeout(dur) {
+        if &cid == client_id {
+            return Some(ChannelReply { reply, topic_end });
+        } else {
+            log::warn!("Mismatched client id!");
+            // wait a second before trying again
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
+        }
+    }
+    None
+}
+
 fn subs(cid: &str, mut ltx: LinkTx) {
     ltx.subscribe(format!("{}/{}", cid, topics::VLS_RETURN))
         .unwrap();