diff --git a/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp b/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
index 85906aa73..8c1bac69b 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
+++ b/lib/nodes/mqtt.cpp
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ int mqtt_init(struct vnode *n)
 	int ret;
 	struct mqtt *m = (struct mqtt *) n->_vd;
 
-	m->client = mosquitto_new(n->name, 0, (void *) n);
+	m->client = mosquitto_new(nullptr, true, (void *) n);
 	if (!m->client)
 		return -1;
 
@@ -314,6 +314,26 @@ int mqtt_check(struct vnode *n)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int mqtt_prepare(struct vnode *n)
+{
+	int ret;
+	struct mqtt *m = (struct mqtt *) n->_vd;
+
+	ret = io_init(&m->io, m->format, &n->in.signals, (int) SampleFlags::HAS_ALL & ~(int) SampleFlags::HAS_OFFSET);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	ret = pool_init(&m->pool, 1024, SAMPLE_LENGTH(vlist_length(&n->in.signals)));
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	ret = queue_signalled_init(&m->queue, 1024);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 char * mqtt_print(struct vnode *n)
 {
 	struct mqtt *m = (struct mqtt *) n->_vd;
@@ -394,18 +414,6 @@ int mqtt_start(struct vnode *n)
 			goto mosquitto_error;
 	}
 
-	ret = io_init(&m->io, m->format, &n->in.signals, (int) SampleFlags::HAS_ALL & ~(int) SampleFlags::HAS_OFFSET);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
-	ret = pool_init(&m->pool, 1024, SAMPLE_LENGTH(vlist_length(&n->in.signals)));
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
-	ret = queue_signalled_init(&m->queue, 1024);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
 	ret = mosquitto_connect(m->client, m->host, m->port, m->keepalive);
 	if (ret != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS)
 		goto mosquitto_error;
@@ -567,6 +575,7 @@ static void register_plugin() {
 	p.node.destroy		= mqtt_destroy;
 	p.node.parse		= mqtt_parse;
 	p.node.check		= mqtt_check;
+	p.node.prepare		= mqtt_prepare;
 	p.node.print		= mqtt_print;
 	p.node.init		= mqtt_init;
 	p.node.destroy		= mqtt_destroy;