diff --git a/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp b/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
index 8e1ddbed1..dac739a6d 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
+++ b/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@
  * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  *********************************************************************************/
 
-#include <cstring>
 #include <mutex>
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <mosquitto.h>
 
 #include <villas/node_compat.hpp>
@@ -33,50 +34,6 @@ using namespace villas;
 using namespace villas::node;
 using namespace villas::utils;
 
-// Each process has a list of clients for which a thread invokes the mosquitto loop
-static std::list<mosquitto *> clients;
-static std::mutex clients_lock;
-
-static pthread_t thread;
-static Logger logger;
-
-static
-void * mosquitto_loop_thread(void *ctx)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	auto logger = logging.get("mqtt");
-
-	// Set the cancel type of this thread to async
-	ret = pthread_setcanceltype(PTHREAD_CANCEL_ASYNCHRONOUS, nullptr);
-	if (ret != 0)
-		throw RuntimeError("Unable to set cancel type of MQTT communication thread to asynchronous.");
-
-	while (true) {
-		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(clients_lock);
-
-		for (auto *client : clients) {
-			// Execute mosquitto loop for this client
-			ret = mosquitto_loop(client, 0, 1);
-			if (ret) {
-				logger->warn("Connection error: {}, attempting reconnect", mosquitto_strerror(ret));
-
-				ret = mosquitto_reconnect(client);
-				if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
-					logger->warn("Reconnection to broker failed: {}", mosquitto_strerror(ret));
-				else
-					logger->warn("Successfully reconnected to broker: {}", mosquitto_strerror(ret));
-
-				ret = mosquitto_loop(client, 0, 1);
-				if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
-					logger->warn("Persisting connection error: {}", mosquitto_strerror(ret));
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nullptr;
-}
-
 static
 void mqtt_log_cb(struct mosquitto *mosq, void *ctx, int level, const char *str)
 {
@@ -185,17 +142,12 @@ int villas::node::mqtt_reverse(NodeCompat *n)
 
 int villas::node::mqtt_init(NodeCompat *n)
 {
-	int ret;
 	auto *m = n->getData<struct mqtt>();
 
 	m->client = mosquitto_new(nullptr, true, (void *) n);
 	if (!m->client)
 		return -1;
 
-	ret = mosquitto_threaded_set(m->client, true);
-	if (ret)
-		goto mosquitto_error;
-
 	mosquitto_log_callback_set(m->client, mqtt_log_cb);
 	mosquitto_connect_callback_set(m->client, mqtt_connect_cb);
 	mosquitto_disconnect_callback_set(m->client, mqtt_disconnect_cb);
@@ -227,11 +179,6 @@ int villas::node::mqtt_init(NodeCompat *n)
 	m->ssl.ciphers = nullptr;
 
 	return 0;
-
-mosquitto_error:
-	n->logger->warn("{}", mosquitto_strerror(ret));
-
-	return ret;
 }
 
 int villas::node::mqtt_parse(NodeCompat *n, json_t *json)
@@ -447,12 +394,9 @@ int villas::node::mqtt_start(NodeCompat *n)
 	if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
 		goto mosquitto_error;
 
-	// Add client to global list of MQTT clients
-	// so that thread can call mosquitto loop for this client
-	{
-		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(clients_lock);
-		clients.push_back(m->client);
-	}
+	ret = mosquitto_loop_start(m->client);
+	if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
+		goto mosquitto_error;
 
 	return 0;
 
@@ -467,18 +411,14 @@ int villas::node::mqtt_stop(NodeCompat *n)
 	int ret;
 	auto *m = n->getData<struct mqtt>();
 
-	// Unregister client from global MQTT client list
-	// so that mosquitto loop is no longer invoked  for this client
-	// important to do that before disconnecting from broker, otherwise, mosquitto thread will attempt to reconnect
-	{
-		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(clients_lock);
-		clients.remove(m->client);
-	}
-
 	ret = mosquitto_disconnect(m->client);
 	if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
 		goto mosquitto_error;
 
+	ret = mosquitto_loop_stop(m->client, false);
+	if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
+		goto mosquitto_error;
+
 	ret = queue_signalled_close(&m->queue);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -495,20 +435,14 @@ int villas::node::mqtt_type_start(villas::node::SuperNode *sn)
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	logger = logging.get("node:mqtt");
-
 	ret = mosquitto_lib_init();
 	if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
 		goto mosquitto_error;
 
-	// Start thread here to run mosquitto loop for registered clients
-	ret = pthread_create(&thread, nullptr, mosquitto_loop_thread, nullptr);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
 	return 0;
 
 mosquitto_error:
+	auto logger = logging.get("node:mqtt");
 	logger->warn("{}", mosquitto_strerror(ret));
 
 	return ret;
@@ -518,28 +452,14 @@ int villas::node::mqtt_type_stop()
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	// Stop thread here that executes mosquitto loop
-	ret = pthread_cancel(thread);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
-	logger->debug("Called pthread_cancel() on MQTT communication management thread.");
-
-	ret = pthread_join(thread, nullptr);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
 	ret = mosquitto_lib_cleanup();
 	if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
 		goto mosquitto_error;
 
-	// When this is called the list of clients should be empty
-	if (clients.size() > 0)
-		throw RuntimeError("List of MQTT clients contains elements at time of destruction. Call node_stop for each MQTT node before stopping node type!");
-
 	return 0;
 
 mosquitto_error:
+	auto logger = logging.get("node:mqtt");
 	logger->warn("{}", mosquitto_strerror(ret));
 
 	return ret;