diff --git a/bin/test_redirect b/bin/test_redirect
index 90fc55de5e..79c772b22d 100755
--- a/bin/test_redirect
+++ b/bin/test_redirect
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ log bin/reset_config $site_path $project_spec $device_id shutdown_config.json
 bin/reset_config $site_path $project_spec $device_id shutdown_config.json
 
 log And let it settle for last start termination...
-sleep 120
+sleep 125
 
 tail out/pubber.log.2
 
diff --git a/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/Pubber.java b/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/Pubber.java
index f0d9f1fd78..6b06dee3fc 100644
--- a/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/Pubber.java
+++ b/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/Pubber.java
@@ -43,11 +43,9 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.function.Function;
-import org.apache.http.ConnectionClosedException;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import udmi.lib.base.MqttDevice;
-import udmi.lib.base.MqttPublisher.PublisherException;
 import udmi.lib.client.DeviceManager;
 import udmi.lib.client.SystemManager;
 import udmi.lib.intf.FamilyProvider;
@@ -103,7 +101,6 @@ public class Pubber extends PubberManager implements PubberUdmiPublisher {
   private SchemaVersion targetSchema;
   private int deviceUpdateCount = -1;
   private PubberDeviceManager deviceManager;
-  private boolean isConnected;
   private boolean isGatewayDevice;
 
   /**
@@ -393,7 +390,7 @@ private void processDeviceMetadata(Metadata metadata) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void periodicUpdate() {
+  public synchronized void periodicUpdate() {
     try {
       deviceUpdateCount++;
       checkSmokyFailure();
@@ -403,6 +400,7 @@ public void periodicUpdate() {
       flushDirtyState();
     } catch (Exception e) {
       error("Fatal error during execution", e);
+      resetConnection(getWorkingEndpoint());
     }
   }
 
@@ -427,18 +425,13 @@ public void startConnection(Function<String, Boolean> connectionDone) {
 
   private boolean attemptConnection() {
     try {
-      isConnected = false;
       deviceManager.stop();
       super.stop();
-      if (deviceTarget == null || !deviceTarget.isActive()) {
-        error("Mqtt publisher not active");
-        disconnectMqtt();
-        initializeMqtt();
-      }
+      disconnectMqtt();
+      initializeMqtt();
       registerMessageHandlers();
       connect();
       configLatchWait();
-      isConnected = true;
       deviceManager.activate();
       return true;
     } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -515,22 +508,14 @@ public byte[] ensureKeyBytes() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void publisherException(Exception toReport) {
-    if (toReport instanceof PublisherException report) {
-      publisherHandler(report.getType(), report.getPhase(), report.getCause(),
-          report.getDeviceId());
-    } else if (toReport instanceof ConnectionClosedException) {
-      error("Connection closed, attempting reconnect...");
-      while (retriesRemaining.getAndDecrement() > 0) {
-        if (attemptConnection()) {
-          return;
-        }
+  public synchronized void reconnect() {
+    while (retriesRemaining.getAndDecrement() > 0) {
+      if (attemptConnection()) {
+        return;
       }
-      error("Connection retry failed, giving up.");
-      deviceManager.systemLifecycle(SystemMode.TERMINATE);
-    } else {
-      error("Unknown exception type " + toReport.getClass(), toReport);
     }
+    error("Connection retry failed, giving up.");
+    deviceManager.systemLifecycle(SystemMode.TERMINATE);
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -541,12 +526,10 @@ public void persistEndpoint(EndpointConfiguration endpoint) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void resetConnection(String targetEndpoint) {
+  public synchronized void resetConnection(String targetEndpoint) {
     try {
       config.endpoint = fromJsonString(targetEndpoint,
           EndpointConfiguration.class);
-      disconnectMqtt();
-      initializeMqtt();
       retriesRemaining.set(CONNECT_RETRIES);
       startConnection(connectionDone);
     } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -700,7 +683,7 @@ public void setConfigLatch(CountDownLatch countDownLatch) {
 
   @Override
   public boolean isConnected() {
-    return isConnected;
+    return deviceTarget != null && deviceTarget.isActive();
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/PubberGatewayManager.java b/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/PubberGatewayManager.java
index e0225ec02b..fe9a14df06 100644
--- a/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/PubberGatewayManager.java
+++ b/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/PubberGatewayManager.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import udmi.lib.ProtocolFamily;
 import udmi.lib.client.GatewayManager;
 import udmi.lib.client.ProxyDeviceHost;
@@ -47,8 +48,9 @@ public void setMetadata(Metadata metadata) {
 
   @Override
   public void activate() {
-    ifNotNullThen(proxyDevices, p -> p.values()
-        .parallelStream().forEach(ProxyDeviceHost::activate));
+    ifNotNullThen(proxyDevices, p -> CompletableFuture.runAsync(() -> p.values()
+            .parallelStream()
+            .forEach(ProxyDeviceHost::activate)));
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/PubberUdmiPublisher.java b/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/PubberUdmiPublisher.java
index a2573c9fd5..ca42f9a0d6 100644
--- a/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/PubberUdmiPublisher.java
+++ b/pubber/src/main/java/daq/pubber/PubberUdmiPublisher.java
@@ -52,11 +52,13 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.Lock;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.function.Function;
+import org.apache.http.ConnectionClosedException;
 import udmi.lib.base.GatewayError;
 import udmi.lib.base.MqttDevice;
 import udmi.lib.base.MqttPublisher.FakeTopic;
 import udmi.lib.base.MqttPublisher.InjectedMessage;
 import udmi.lib.base.MqttPublisher.InjectedState;
+import udmi.lib.base.MqttPublisher.PublisherException;
 import udmi.lib.client.DeviceManager;
 import udmi.lib.client.PointsetManager;
 import udmi.lib.client.PointsetManager.ExtraPointsetEvent;
@@ -242,9 +244,9 @@ default void captureExceptions(String action, Runnable runnable) {
    */
   default void disconnectMqtt() {
     if (getDeviceTarget() != null) {
-      captureExceptions("closing mqtt publisher", () -> getDeviceTarget().close());
-      captureExceptions("shutting down mqtt publisher executor",
+      captureExceptions("Shutting down MQTT publisher executor",
           () -> getDeviceTarget().shutdown());
+      captureExceptions("Closing MQTT publisher", () -> getDeviceTarget().close());
       setDeviceTarget(null);
     }
   }
@@ -805,16 +807,12 @@ default void publishSynchronousState() {
     }
   }
 
-  default boolean publisherActive() {
-    return getDeviceTarget() != null && getDeviceTarget().isActive();
-  }
-
   /**
    * Publishes the current device state as a message to the publisher if the publisher is active. If
    * the publisher is not active, it marks the state as dirty and returns without publishing.
    */
   default void publishStateMessage() {
-    if (!publisherActive()) {
+    if (!isConnected()) {
       markStateDirty(-1);
       return;
     }
@@ -898,8 +896,8 @@ private void publishDeviceMessage(String targetId, Object message) {
    * configured.
    */
   default void publishDeviceMessage(String targetId, Object message, Runnable callback) {
-    if (getDeviceTarget() == null) {
-      error("publisher not active");
+    if (!isConnected()) {
+      error(format("Publisher not active (%s)", targetId));
       return;
     }
     String topicSuffix = MESSAGE_TOPIC_SUFFIX_MAP.get(message.getClass());
@@ -989,6 +987,10 @@ default void debug(String message, String detail) {
 
   void startConnection(Function<String, Boolean> connectionDone);
 
+  void reconnect();
+
+  void resetConnection(String targetEndpoint);
+
   /**
    * Flushes the dirty state by publishing an asynchronous state change.
    */
@@ -1000,12 +1002,25 @@ default void flushDirtyState() {
 
   byte[] ensureKeyBytes();
 
-  void publisherException(Exception toReport);
+  /**
+   * Handles exceptions related to the publisher and
+   * takes appropriate actions based on the exception type.
+   *
+   * @param toReport the exception to be handled;
+   */
+  default void publisherException(Exception toReport) {
+    if (toReport instanceof PublisherException r) {
+      publisherHandler(r.getType(), r.getPhase(), r.getCause(), r.getDeviceId());
+    } else if (toReport instanceof ConnectionClosedException) {
+      warn("Connection closed, attempting reconnect...");
+      reconnect();
+    } else {
+      error("Unknown exception type " + toReport.getClass(), toReport);
+    }
+  }
 
   void persistEndpoint(EndpointConfiguration endpoint);
 
-  void resetConnection(String targetEndpoint);
-
   String traceTimestamp(String messageBase);
 
   /**
diff --git a/pubber/src/main/java/udmi/lib/base/MqttPublisher.java b/pubber/src/main/java/udmi/lib/base/MqttPublisher.java
index 2879cc9139..5d808fa677 100644
--- a/pubber/src/main/java/udmi/lib/base/MqttPublisher.java
+++ b/pubber/src/main/java/udmi/lib/base/MqttPublisher.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.Semaphore;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
+import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import javax.net.SocketFactory;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLSocketFactory;
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ public class MqttPublisher implements Publisher {
 
   private final Map<String, MqttClient> mqttClients = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
   private final Map<String, Instant> reauthTimes = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+  ReentrantLock reconnectLock = new ReentrantLock();
 
   private final ExecutorService publisherExecutor =
       Executors.newFixedThreadPool(PUBLISH_THREAD_COUNT);
@@ -215,22 +217,32 @@ private void publishCore(String deviceId, String topicSuffix, Object data, Runna
         callback.run();
       }
     } catch (Exception e) {
+      if (!isActive()) {
+        return;
+      }
       errorCounter.incrementAndGet();
       warn(format("Publish %s failed for %s: %s", topicSuffix, deviceId, e));
       if (getGatewayId() == null) {
         closeMqttClient(deviceId);
         if (mqttClients.isEmpty()) {
           warn("Last client closed, shutting down connection.");
-          close();
-          shutdown();
+          reconnect();
+        }
+      } else if (getGatewayId().equals(deviceId)) {
+        reconnect();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  private synchronized void reconnect() {
+    if (isActive()) {
+      if (reconnectLock.tryLock()) {
+        try {
           // Force reconnect to address potential bad states
           onError.accept(new ConnectionClosedException());
+        } finally {
+          reconnectLock.unlock();
         }
-      } else if (getGatewayId().equals(deviceId)) {
-        close();
-        shutdown();
-        // Force reconnect to address potential bad states
-        onError.accept(new ConnectionClosedException());
       }
     }
   }
@@ -268,7 +280,7 @@ private void closeMqttClient(String deviceId) {
       if (removed != null) {
         try {
           if (removed.isConnected()) {
-            removed.disconnect();
+            removed.disconnectForcibly();
           }
           removed.close();
         } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -298,7 +310,7 @@ public void close() {
   @Override
   public void shutdown() {
     if (isActive()) {
-      publisherExecutor.shutdown();
+      publisherExecutor.shutdownNow();
     }
   }
 
@@ -532,7 +544,7 @@ private String getDeviceId(String topic) {
     return topic.split("/")[splitIndex];
   }
 
-  public void connect(String targetId, boolean clean) {
+  public synchronized void connect(String targetId, boolean clean) {
     ifTrueThen(clean, () -> closeMqttClient(targetId));
     getConnectedClient(targetId);
   }
@@ -569,8 +581,10 @@ private boolean sendMessage(String deviceId, String mqttTopic,
     return true;
   }
 
-  private MqttClient getActiveClient(String targetId) {
-    checkAuthentication(targetId);
+  private synchronized MqttClient getActiveClient(String targetId) {
+    if (!checkAuthentication(targetId)) {
+      return null;
+    }
     MqttClient client = getConnectedClient(targetId);
     if (client.isConnected()) {
       return client;
@@ -586,24 +600,16 @@ private void safeSleep(long timeoutMs) {
     }
   }
 
-  private void checkAuthentication(String targetId) {
+  private boolean checkAuthentication(String targetId) {
     String authId = ofNullable(getGatewayId()).orElse(targetId);
     Instant reAuthTime = reauthTimes.get(authId);
     if (reAuthTime == null || Instant.now().isBefore(reAuthTime)) {
-      return;
+      return true;
     }
     warn("Authentication retry time reached for " + authId);
     reauthTimes.remove(authId);
-    synchronized (mqttClients) {
-      try {
-        close();
-        shutdown();
-        // Force reconnect to address potential bad states
-        onError.accept(new ConnectionClosedException());
-      } catch (Exception e) {
-        throw new RuntimeException("While trying to reconnect mqtt client", e);
-      }
-    }
+    reconnect();
+    return false;
   }
 
   private MqttClient getConnectedClient(String deviceId) {
@@ -721,12 +727,11 @@ private class MqttCallbackHandler implements MqttCallback {
 
     @Override
     public void connectionLost(Throwable cause) {
-      boolean connected = cleanClients(deviceId).isConnected();
-      warn("MQTT Connection Lost: " + connected + cause);
-      close();
-      shutdown();
-      // Force reconnect to address potential bad states
-      onError.accept(new ConnectionClosedException());
+      if (isActive()) {
+        boolean connected = cleanClients(deviceId).isConnected();
+        warn(format("MQTT Connection Lost: %s %s", connected, cause));
+        reconnect();
+      }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -734,13 +739,11 @@ public void deliveryComplete(IMqttDeliveryToken token) {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void messageArrived(String topic, MqttMessage message) {
-      synchronized (MqttPublisher.this) {
-        try {
-          messageArrivedCore(topic, message);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-          error("While processing message", deviceId, null, "handle", e);
-        }
+    public synchronized void messageArrived(String topic, MqttMessage message) {
+      try {
+        messageArrivedCore(topic, message);
+      } catch (Exception e) {
+        error("While processing message", deviceId, null, "handle", e);
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/pubber/src/main/java/udmi/lib/client/DiscoveryManager.java b/pubber/src/main/java/udmi/lib/client/DiscoveryManager.java
index 35cb427588..36b955c2cf 100644
--- a/pubber/src/main/java/udmi/lib/client/DiscoveryManager.java
+++ b/pubber/src/main/java/udmi/lib/client/DiscoveryManager.java
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ default void scheduleDiscoveryScan(String family) {
     int interval = getScanInterval(family);
     if (rawGeneration == null && interval == 0) {
       cancelDiscoveryScan(family, null);
+      removeDiscoveryScan(family);
       return;
     }