diff --git a/sarracenia/moth/mqtt.py b/sarracenia/moth/mqtt.py
index 179aecaa8..552d07a3f 100755
--- a/sarracenia/moth/mqtt.py
+++ b/sarracenia/moth/mqtt.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ def __init__(self, options, is_subscriber):
 
             if 'logLevel' in self.o['settings'][me]:
                 logger.setLevel(self.o['logLevel'].upper())
-
+        
         self.proto_version = paho.mqtt.client.MQTTv5
 
         if 'receiveMaximum' in self.o and type(self.o['receiveMaximum']) is not int:
@@ -300,11 +300,9 @@ def __clientSetup(self, cid) -> paho.mqtt.client.Client:
 
         if (self.o['broker'].url.scheme[-2:] == 'ws' ) or  \
            (self.o['broker'].url.scheme[-1] == 'w' ) : 
-            logger.critical("yo! FIXME. I have websockets")
             client = paho.mqtt.client.Client( userdata=self, transport="websockets", \
                 client_id=cid, protocol=paho.mqtt.client.MQTTv5 )
         else:
-            logger.critical("yo! FIXME. darnwebnot")
             client = paho.mqtt.client.Client( userdata=self, \
                 client_id=cid, protocol=paho.mqtt.client.MQTTv5 )
 
@@ -441,11 +439,9 @@ def __putSetup(self):
 
                 if (self.o['broker'].url.scheme[-2:] == 'ws' ) or  \
                    (self.o['broker'].url.scheme[-1] == 'w' ) : 
-                    logger.critical("yo! FIXME. I have websockets")
                     self.client = paho.mqtt.client.Client( userdata=self, transport="websockets", \
                         protocol=self.proto_version )
                 else:
-                    logger.critical("yo! FIXME. darnwebnot")
                     self.client = paho.mqtt.client.Client( userdata=self, \
                         protocol=self.proto_version )
 
@@ -465,10 +461,15 @@ def __putSetup(self):
                 res = self.client.connect_async(self.o['broker'].url.hostname,
                                           port=self.__sslClientSetup(),
                                           properties=props)
-                logger.info('connecting to %s, res=%s' %
-                            (self.o['broker'].url.hostname, res))
+                logger.info('connecting to %s, res=%s' % (self.o['broker'].url.hostname, res))
 
                 self.client.loop_start()
+
+                while self.connect_in_progress:
+                     time.sleep(0.1)
+                     logger.info( f"waiting for connection to {self.o['broker']}")
+                     self.client.loop()
+
                 self.connected=True
                 break
 
@@ -652,6 +653,9 @@ def putNewMessage(self,
         if not self.connected:
             self.__putSetup()
 
+        # The caller probably doesn't expect the message to get modified by this method, so use a copy of the message
+        body = copy.deepcopy(body)
+
         postFormat = body['_format']
 
         if '_deleteOnPost' in body:
@@ -727,6 +731,7 @@ def putNewMessage(self,
                 logger.info("published mid={} ack_pending={} {} to under: {} ".format(
                     info.mid, ack_pending, body, topic))
                 return True  #success...
+            logger.error( f"publish failed {paho.mqtt.client.error_string(info.rc)} ")
 
         except Exception as ex:
             logger.error('Exception details: ', exc_info=True)