diff --git a/include/libwebsockets/lws-mqtt.h b/include/libwebsockets/lws-mqtt.h
index 462374d4f..71193e662 100644
--- a/include/libwebsockets/lws-mqtt.h
+++ b/include/libwebsockets/lws-mqtt.h
@@ -70,8 +70,10 @@ typedef struct lws_mqtt_client_connect_param_s {
 	uint16_t 			keep_alive;	/* MQTT keep alive
 							   interval in
 							   seconds */
-	uint8_t 			clean_start;	/* MQTT clean
+	uint8_t 			clean_start:1;	/* MQTT clean
 							   session */
+	uint8_t				client_id_nofree:1;
+	/**< do not free the client id */
 	struct {
 		const char 		*topic;
 		const char 		*message;
@@ -143,6 +145,8 @@ typedef enum {
 
 /* flags from byte 8 of C_TO_S CONNECT */
 typedef enum {
+	LMQCFT_CLIENT_ID_NOFREE					= (1 << 8),
+	/* only the low 8 are standardized and go out in the protocol */
 	LMQCFT_USERNAME						= (1 << 7),
 	LMQCFT_PASSWORD						= (1 << 6),
 	LMQCFT_WILL_RETAIN					= (1 << 5),
diff --git a/lib/roles/mqtt/client/client-mqtt-handshake.c b/lib/roles/mqtt/client/client-mqtt-handshake.c
index 009838bef..ffdf262d5 100644
--- a/lib/roles/mqtt/client/client-mqtt-handshake.c
+++ b/lib/roles/mqtt/client/client-mqtt-handshake.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ lws_mqtt_client_send_connect(struct lws *wsi)
 		*p++ = 'T';
 		*p++ = 'T';
 		*p++ = MQTT_VER_3_1_1;
-		*p++ = c->conn_flags;
+		*p++ = (uint8_t)c->conn_flags;
 		lws_ser_wu16be(p, c->keep_alive_secs);
 		p += 2;
 
diff --git a/lib/roles/mqtt/client/client-mqtt.c b/lib/roles/mqtt/client/client-mqtt.c
index 5ad4471a6..6529fdc99 100644
--- a/lib/roles/mqtt/client/client-mqtt.c
+++ b/lib/roles/mqtt/client/client-mqtt.c
@@ -120,7 +120,11 @@ lws_create_client_mqtt_object(const struct lws_client_connect_info *i,
 	if (cp->clean_start || !(cp->client_id &&
 				 cp->client_id[0]))
 		c->conn_flags = LMQCFT_CLEAN_START;
-	lws_free((void *)cp->client_id);
+	if (cp->client_id_nofree)
+		c->conn_flags |= LMQCFT_CLIENT_ID_NOFREE;
+
+	if (!(c->conn_flags & LMQCFT_CLIENT_ID_NOFREE))
+		lws_free((void *)cp->client_id);
 
 	c->keep_alive_secs = cp->keep_alive;
 	c->aws_iot = cp->aws_iot;
@@ -138,8 +142,8 @@ lws_create_client_mqtt_object(const struct lws_client_connect_info *i,
 			if (!c->will.message)
 				goto oom2;
 		}
-		c->conn_flags = (uint8_t)(unsigned int)(c->conn_flags | ((cp->will_param.qos << 3) & LMQCFT_WILL_QOS_MASK));
-		c->conn_flags |= (uint8_t)((!!cp->will_param.retain) * LMQCFT_WILL_RETAIN);
+		c->conn_flags = (uint16_t)(unsigned int)(c->conn_flags | ((cp->will_param.qos << 3) & LMQCFT_WILL_QOS_MASK));
+		c->conn_flags |= (uint16_t)((!!cp->will_param.retain) * LMQCFT_WILL_RETAIN);
 	}
 
 	if (cp->username &&
diff --git a/lib/roles/mqtt/private-lib-roles-mqtt.h b/lib/roles/mqtt/private-lib-roles-mqtt.h
index 4c225bb2b..a1f5d23c3 100644
--- a/lib/roles/mqtt/private-lib-roles-mqtt.h
+++ b/lib/roles/mqtt/private-lib-roles-mqtt.h
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ typedef struct lws_mqttc {
 		uint8_t		retain;
 	} will;
 	uint16_t		keep_alive_secs;
-	uint8_t			conn_flags;
+	uint16_t			conn_flags;
 	uint8_t			aws_iot;
 } lws_mqttc_t;
 
diff --git a/lib/secure-streams/protocols/ss-mqtt.c b/lib/secure-streams/protocols/ss-mqtt.c
index 9c0ec0ee0..2c3c52222 100644
--- a/lib/secure-streams/protocols/ss-mqtt.c
+++ b/lib/secure-streams/protocols/ss-mqtt.c
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ secstream_connect_munge_mqtt(lws_ss_handle_t *h, char *buf, size_t len,
 	}
 
 	ct->ccp.keep_alive		= h->policy->u.mqtt.keep_alive;
-	ct->ccp.clean_start		= h->policy->u.mqtt.clean_start;
+	ct->ccp.clean_start		= (h->policy->u.mqtt.clean_start & 1u);
 	ct->ccp.will_param.qos		= h->policy->u.mqtt.will_qos;
 	ct->ccp.will_param.retain	= h->policy->u.mqtt.will_retain;
 	ct->ccp.aws_iot			= h->policy->u.mqtt.aws_iot;
diff --git a/minimal-examples/mqtt-client/minimal-mqtt-client/minimal-mqtt-client.c b/minimal-examples/mqtt-client/minimal-mqtt-client/minimal-mqtt-client.c
index 948cbbda8..8eb954240 100644
--- a/minimal-examples/mqtt-client/minimal-mqtt-client/minimal-mqtt-client.c
+++ b/minimal-examples/mqtt-client/minimal-mqtt-client/minimal-mqtt-client.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ static const lws_mqtt_client_connect_param_t client_connect_param = {
 	.client_id			= "lwsMqttClient",
 	.keep_alive			= 60,
 	.clean_start			= 1,
+	.client_id_nofree		= 1,
 	.will_param = {
 		.topic			= "good/bye",
 		.message		= "sign-off",