diff --git a/common b/common
index 43fd33c9c..793427ac7 160000
--- a/common
+++ b/common
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 43fd33c9c77db22b93f65c92a1acb25c141d42a3
+Subproject commit 793427ac7f06e8a70509264e9688a024fca9a7c9
diff --git a/lib/node.cpp b/lib/node.cpp
index 9250f2cd5..186533bc8 100644
--- a/lib/node.cpp
+++ b/lib/node.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ int node_init(struct node *n, struct node_type *vt)
 	n->_vt = vt;
 	n->_vd = alloc(vt->size);
 
-	n->stats = nullptr;
+	//n->stats = nullptr;
 	n->name = nullptr;
 	n->_name = nullptr;
 	n->_name_long = nullptr;
diff --git a/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp b/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
index 9cee077d8..1e69d7ab4 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
+++ b/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,47 @@
 
 using namespace villas::utils;
 
+// Each process has a list of clients for which a thread invokes the mosquitto loop
+static struct vlist clients;
+static pthread_t thread;
+
+static void * mosquitto_loop_thread(void *ctx)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	// Set the cancel type of this thread to async
+	ret = pthread_setcanceltype(PTHREAD_CANCEL_ASYNCHRONOUS, nullptr);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		error("Unable to set cancel type of MQTT communication thread to asynchronous.");
+		return nullptr;
+	}
+
+	while (true) {
+		for (unsigned i = 0; i < vlist_length(&clients); i++) {
+			struct node *node = (struct node *) vlist_at(&clients, i);
+			struct mqtt *m = (struct mqtt *) node->_vd;
+
+			// Execute mosquitto loop for this client
+			ret = mosquitto_loop(m->client, 0, 1);
+			if (ret) {
+				warning("MQTT: connection error for node %s: %s, attempting reconnect", node_name(node), mosquitto_strerror(ret));
+
+				ret = mosquitto_reconnect(m->client);
+				if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
+					error("MQTT: reconnection to broker failed for node %s: %s", node_name(node), mosquitto_strerror(ret));
+				else
+					warning("MQTT: successfully reconnected to broker for node %s: %s", node_name(node), mosquitto_strerror(ret));
+
+				ret = mosquitto_loop(m->client, -1, 1);
+				if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
+					error("MQTT: persisting connection error for node %s: %s", node_name(node), mosquitto_strerror(ret));
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
 static void mqtt_log_cb(struct mosquitto *mosq, void *userdata, int level, const char *str)
 {
 	switch (level) {
@@ -100,6 +141,7 @@ static void mqtt_message_cb(struct mosquitto *mosq, void *userdata, const struct
 		warning("  Payload: %s", (char *) msg->payload);
 		return;
 	}
+
 	if (ret == 0) {
 		debug(4, "MQTT: skip empty message for node %s", node_name(n));
 		sample_decref_many(smps, n->in.vectorize);
@@ -331,9 +373,9 @@ int mqtt_start(struct node *n)
 	if (ret)
 		goto mosquitto_error;
 
-	ret = mosquitto_loop_start(m->client);
-	if (ret)
-		goto mosquitto_error;
+	// Add client to global list of MQTT clients
+	// so that thread can call mosquitto loop for this client
+	vlist_push(&clients, n);
 
 	return 0;
 
@@ -348,11 +390,12 @@ int mqtt_stop(struct node *n)
 	int ret;
 	struct mqtt *m = (struct mqtt *) n->_vd;
 
-	ret = mosquitto_disconnect(m->client);
-	if (ret)
-		goto mosquitto_error;
+	// 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
+	vlist_remove(&clients, vlist_index(&clients, n));
 
-	ret = mosquitto_loop_stop(m->client, 0);
+	ret = mosquitto_disconnect(m->client);
 	if (ret)
 		goto mosquitto_error;
 
@@ -372,10 +415,21 @@ int mqtt_type_start(villas::node::SuperNode *sn)
 {
 	int ret;
 
+	ret = vlist_init(&clients);
+	if (ret) {
+	    return ret;
+	}
+
 	ret = mosquitto_lib_init();
 	if (ret)
 		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:
@@ -388,10 +442,27 @@ int mqtt_type_stop()
 {
 	int ret;
 
+	// Stop thread here that executes mosquitto loop
+	ret = pthread_cancel(thread);
+	if (ret)
+	    return ret;
+	debug(  3, "Called pthread_cancel() on MQTT communication management thread.");
+
+	ret = pthread_join(thread, nullptr);
+	if (ret) {
+	    return ret;
+	}
+
 	ret = mosquitto_lib_cleanup();
 	if (ret)
 		goto mosquitto_error;
 
+	// When this is called the list of clients should be empty
+	if (vlist_length(&clients) > 0) {
+	    error("List of MQTT clients contains elements at time of destruction. Call node_stop for each MQTT node before stopping node type!");
+	}
+	vlist_destroy(&clients, nullptr, false);
+
 	return 0;
 
 mosquitto_error: