diff --git a/netclient/functions/connection.go b/netclient/functions/connection.go
index 5c1dee2d..f151a923 100644
--- a/netclient/functions/connection.go
+++ b/netclient/functions/connection.go
@@ -24,9 +24,14 @@ func Connect(network string) error {
 	if err = wireguard.ApplyConf(&cfg.Node, cfg.Node.Interface, filePath); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = config.ModNodeConfig(&cfg.Node)
+	if err := setupMQTTSingleton(cfg); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := PublishNodeUpdate(cfg); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	daemon.Restart()
-	return err
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Disconnect - attempts to disconnect a node on given network
@@ -44,7 +49,12 @@ func Disconnect(network string) error {
 	if err = wireguard.ApplyConf(&cfg.Node, cfg.Node.Interface, filePath); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = config.ModNodeConfig(&cfg.Node)
+	if err := setupMQTTSingleton(cfg); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := PublishNodeUpdate(cfg); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	daemon.Restart()
-	return err
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/netclient/functions/daemon.go b/netclient/functions/daemon.go
index d29c4fdf..993059be 100644
--- a/netclient/functions/daemon.go
+++ b/netclient/functions/daemon.go
@@ -232,6 +232,33 @@ func NewTLSConfig(server string) (*tls.Config, error) {
 
 }
 
+// func setMQTTSingenton creates a connection to broker for single use (ie to publish a message)
+// only to be called from cli (eg. connect/disconnect, join, leave) and not from daemon ---
+func setupMQTTSingleton(cfg *config.ClientConfig) error {
+	opts := mqtt.NewClientOptions()
+	server := cfg.Server.Server
+	port := cfg.Server.MQPort
+	opts.AddBroker("ssl://" + server + ":" + port)
+	tlsConfig, err := NewTLSConfig(server)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Log(0, "failed to get TLS config for", server, err.Error())
+		return err
+	}
+	opts.SetTLSConfig(tlsConfig)
+	mqclient = mqtt.NewClient(opts)
+	var connecterr error
+	opts.SetClientID(ncutils.MakeRandomString(23))
+	if token := mqclient.Connect(); !token.WaitTimeout(30*time.Second) || token.Error() != nil {
+		logger.Log(0, "unable to connect to broker, retrying ...")
+		if token.Error() == nil {
+			connecterr = errors.New("connect timeout")
+		} else {
+			connecterr = token.Error()
+		}
+	}
+	return connecterr
+}
+
 // setupMQTT creates a connection to broker and returns client
 // this function is primarily used to create a connection to publish to the broker
 func setupMQTT(cfg *config.ClientConfig) error {