diff --git a/cmd/setup.go b/cmd/setup.go
index 9133ba85a..24dc706ca 100644
--- a/cmd/setup.go
+++ b/cmd/setup.go
@@ -161,14 +161,21 @@ func configureInflux(conf server.InfluxConfig, site site.API, in <-chan util.Par
 func configureMQTT(conf mqttConfig) error {
 	log := util.NewLogger("mqtt")
 
-	var err error
-	if mqtt.Instance, err = mqtt.RegisteredClient(log, conf.Broker, conf.User, conf.Password, conf.ClientID, 1, conf.Insecure, func(options *paho.ClientOptions) {
+	instance, err := mqtt.RegisteredClient(log, conf.Broker, conf.User, conf.Password, conf.ClientID, 1, conf.Insecure, func(options *paho.ClientOptions) {
 		topic := fmt.Sprintf("%s/status", strings.Trim(conf.Topic, "/"))
 		options.SetWill(topic, "offline", 1, true)
-	}); err != nil {
+
+		oc := options.OnConnect
+		options.SetOnConnectHandler(func(client paho.Client) {
+			oc(client)                                       // original handler
+			_ = mqtt.Instance.Publish(topic, true, "online") // alive
+		})
+	})
+	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed configuring mqtt: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	mqtt.Instance = instance
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/server/mqtt.go b/server/mqtt.go
index 0a337807f..91e9903f4 100644
--- a/server/mqtt.go
+++ b/server/mqtt.go
@@ -209,10 +209,6 @@ func (m *MQTT) listenSetters(topic string, site site.API, lp loadpoint.API) {
 
 // Run starts the MQTT publisher for the MQTT API
 func (m *MQTT) Run(site site.API, in <-chan util.Param) {
-	// alive
-	topic := fmt.Sprintf("%s/status", m.root)
-	m.publish(topic, true, "online")
-
 	// site setters
 	m.Handler.ListenSetter(m.root+"/site/prioritySoc", func(payload string) error {
 		val, err := parseFloat(payload)
@@ -255,7 +251,7 @@ func (m *MQTT) Run(site site.API, in <-chan util.Param) {
 	})
 
 	// number of loadpoints
-	topic = fmt.Sprintf("%s/loadpoints", m.root)
+	topic := fmt.Sprintf("%s/loadpoints", m.root)
 	m.publish(topic, true, len(site.Loadpoints()))
 
 	// loadpoint setters