diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 8f1699c..0245f06 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -660,8 +660,8 @@ void sendValues() {
   jsonDoc["timestamp"] = sensor_readings.lastUpdate;
   serializeJson(jsonDoc, buf, JSON_BUF_LEN);
   String topic_json = String("thomas/sensor/") + ota.getMAC() + String("/json");
-  mqtt.publish(topic_json.c_str(), buf, strlen(buf), 1, 1);
-  delay(10);
+  int msg_id = mqtt.publish(topic_json.c_str(), buf, strlen(buf), 1, 1);
+  mqtt.waitForMsg(msg_id, 5000 / portTICK_PERIOD_MS);
 
 }
 
@@ -821,6 +821,9 @@ void loop()
   }
 
   getSensorMeasurements();
+  if (!mqtt.waitForConnectResult(5000)) {
+    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "failed to establish full connection");
+  }
   sendValues();
   delay(1);
   displayValues();
diff --git a/src/network/XD0MQTT.cpp b/src/network/XD0MQTT.cpp
index 7ba6a03..97f920b 100644
--- a/src/network/XD0MQTT.cpp
+++ b/src/network/XD0MQTT.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,12 @@ esp_err_t XD0MQTT::mqtt_event_handler_cb(esp_mqtt_event_handle_t event)
             connected = true;
             for (const auto &subscription : subscriptions_) {
               int msg_id = esp_mqtt_client_subscribe(client, subscription.topic, subscription.qos);
-              ESP_LOGI(TAG, "sent subscribe successful, msg_id=%d", msg_id);
+              if (msg_id == -1) {
+                ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed subscribing to \"%s\"", subscription.topic);
+              } else {
+                connectWaitingForMsg.push_back(msg_id);
+                ESP_LOGI(TAG, "sent subscribe, msg_id=%d", msg_id);
+              }
             }
             break;
         case MQTT_EVENT_DISCONNECTED:
@@ -48,12 +53,16 @@ esp_err_t XD0MQTT::mqtt_event_handler_cb(esp_mqtt_event_handle_t event)
             break;
         case MQTT_EVENT_SUBSCRIBED:
             ESP_LOGI(TAG, "MQTT_EVENT_SUBSCRIBED, msg_id=%d", event->msg_id);
+            connectWaitingForMsg.erase(std::remove(connectWaitingForMsg.begin(), connectWaitingForMsg.end(), event->msg_id), connectWaitingForMsg.end());
+            wakeTask(event->msg_id);
             break;
         case MQTT_EVENT_UNSUBSCRIBED:
             ESP_LOGI(TAG, "MQTT_EVENT_UNSUBSCRIBED, msg_id=%d", event->msg_id);
+            wakeTask(event->msg_id);
             break;
         case MQTT_EVENT_PUBLISHED:
             ESP_LOGI(TAG, "MQTT_EVENT_PUBLISHED, msg_id=%d", event->msg_id);
+            wakeTask(event->msg_id);
             break;
         case MQTT_EVENT_DATA:
             ESP_LOGI(TAG, "MQTT_EVENT_DATA");
@@ -126,6 +135,7 @@ void XD0MQTT::end(void) {
   //}
   subscriptions_.clear();
   esp_mqtt_client_stop(client);
+  waitingForMsg.clear();
   delay(10);
   esp_mqtt_client_destroy(client);
 }
@@ -134,9 +144,10 @@ bool XD0MQTT::isConnected(void) {
   return connected;
 }
 
-bool XD0MQTT::publish(const char* topic, const char* data, int len, int qos, int retain) {
+int XD0MQTT::publish(const char* topic, const char* data, int len, int qos, int retain) {
   int msg_id = esp_mqtt_client_publish(client, topic, data, len, qos, retain);
   ESP_LOGI(TAG, "sent publish successful, msg_id=%d", msg_id);
+  return msg_id;
 }
 
 bool XD0MQTT::publishf(const char* topic, const char* format, ...) {
@@ -164,9 +175,17 @@ bool XD0MQTT::publishf2(const char* topic, int qos, int retain, const char* form
 }
 
 bool XD0MQTT::subscribe(const char* topic, const cb_t &cb, int qos) {
-    subscription_t subscription = {topic, cb, qos};
-    subscriptions_.push_back(subscription);
-    return true;
+  subscription_t subscription = {topic, cb, qos};
+  subscriptions_.push_back(subscription);
+
+  if (connected) {
+    int msg_id = esp_mqtt_client_subscribe(client, subscription.topic, subscription.qos);
+    if (msg_id == -1) {
+      ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed subscribing to \"%s\"", subscription.topic);
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+  return true;
 }
 
 bool XD0MQTT::unsubscribe(const char* topic) {
@@ -180,3 +199,57 @@ bool XD0MQTT::unsubscribe(const char* topic) {
   ESP_LOGI(TAG, "sent unsubscribe successful, msg_id=%d", msg_id);
   return true;
 }
+
+bool XD0MQTT::waitForMsg(const int msgid, TickType_t delay) {
+  uint32_t ulNotifiedValue; BaseType_t ret;
+  waitingForMsg.insert(std::make_pair(msgid, xTaskGetCurrentTaskHandle()));
+  ret = xTaskNotifyWait( 0x00,      // don't clear notification bits on entry
+                   ULONG_MAX, // clear all notification bits on exit
+                   &ulNotifiedValue,
+                   delay );
+  auto p = waitingForMsg.equal_range(msgid);
+  for (auto& it = p.first; it != p.second; ++it) {
+    if (it->second == xTaskGetCurrentTaskHandle()) {
+      waitingForMsg.erase(it);
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  if (ret == pdFALSE) {
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "waitForMsg(): msg_id=%d timeout", msgid);
+    return false;
+  } else if (ulNotifiedValue == msgid) {
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "waitForMsg(): msg_id=%d successfully delivered", msgid);
+    return true;
+  } else {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "waitForMsg(): msg_id=%d received unexpected notification value", msgid);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+bool XD0MQTT::wakeTask(const int msgid) {
+  int woken = 0;
+  auto p = waitingForMsg.equal_range(msgid);
+  for (auto& it = p.first; it != p.second; ++it) {
+      TaskHandle_t xTaskToNotify = it->second;
+      configASSERT( xTaskToNotify != NULL );
+      if( xTaskNotify(xTaskToNotify, (uint32_t)msgid, eSetValueWithoutOverwrite) == pdPASS ) {
+        woken++;
+      } else {
+        ESP_LOGW(TAG, "woke task waiting for msg_id=%d, but it had other pending notifications", msgid);
+      }
+  }
+  if (woken > 0) return true;
+  return false;
+}
+
+bool XD0MQTT::waitForConnectResult(int delay_ms) {
+  int start_time = millis();
+  while(!isConnected() || connectWaitingForMsg.size() > 0) {
+    delay(10);
+    if (millis() - start_time >= delay_ms) {
+      ESP_LOGI(TAG, "mqtt still waiting for connection (%d subscriptions pending)\n", connectWaitingForMsg.size());
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/network/XD0MQTT.h b/src/network/XD0MQTT.h
index 43837da..1ef3a89 100644
--- a/src/network/XD0MQTT.h
+++ b/src/network/XD0MQTT.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <Arduino.h>
 #include <functional>
 #include <vector>
+#include <map>
 
 #include "mqtt_client.h"
 
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ class XD0MQTT {
     XD0MQTT(void);
     bool begin(void);
     void end(void);
-    bool publish(const char* topic, const char* data, int len, int qos=1, int retain=0);
+    int publish(const char* topic, const char* data, int len, int qos=1, int retain=0);
     bool publishf(const char* topic, const char* format, ...);
     bool publishf2(const char* topic, int qos, int retain, const char* format, ...);
     bool publishf2(const char* topic, int qos, int retain, const char* format, va_list argp);
@@ -38,9 +39,15 @@ class XD0MQTT {
     bool unsubscribe(const char* topic);
     esp_err_t mqtt_event_handler_cb(esp_mqtt_event_handle_t event);
     bool isConnected(void);
+    bool waitForConnectResult(int delay_ms = -1);
+    bool waitForMsg(const int msgid, TickType_t delay);
     std::vector<subscription_t> subscriptions_;
   private:
     bool connected = false;
+    std::multimap<int, TaskHandle_t> waitingForMsg;
+    std::vector<int> connectWaitingForMsg;
+
+    bool wakeTask(const int msgid);
     // openssl s_client -showcerts -connect home.xd0.de:8883 </dev/null 2>/dev/null|openssl x509 -outform PEM >mqtt_xd0.de.pem
     const char* rootCACertificate = \
       "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n" \