diff --git a/crates/extensions/tedge_mqtt_bridge/src/health.rs b/crates/extensions/tedge_mqtt_bridge/src/health.rs
index 6b4134bf3f..456cc6f4b4 100644
--- a/crates/extensions/tedge_mqtt_bridge/src/health.rs
+++ b/crates/extensions/tedge_mqtt_bridge/src/health.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::overall_status;
 use crate::BridgeAsyncClient;
-use crate::BridgeMessage;
+use crate::BridgeMessageSender;
 use crate::Status;
 use futures::channel::mpsc;
 use futures::SinkExt;
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use tracing::log::info;
 pub struct BridgeHealthMonitor {
     topic: String,
     rx_status: mpsc::Receiver<(&'static str, Status)>,
-    companion_bridge_half: mpsc::UnboundedSender<BridgeMessage>,
+    companion_bridge_half: BridgeMessageSender,
 }
 
 impl BridgeHealthMonitor {
@@ -55,14 +55,11 @@ impl BridgeHealthMonitor {
                     Publish::new(&self.topic, QoS::AtLeastOnce, status.unwrap().json());
                 health_msg.retain = true;
 
-                // Publish the health message over MQTT, but with no duplicate
-                // in order to maintain synchronisation between the two bridge halves
+                // Publish the health message over MQTT, but with no duplicate for the companion
+                // as this message doesn't have to be acknowledged
                 self.companion_bridge_half
-                    .send(BridgeMessage::Pub {
-                        publish: health_msg,
-                    })
-                    .await
-                    .unwrap();
+                    .internal_publish(health_msg)
+                    .await;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/extensions/tedge_mqtt_bridge/src/lib.rs b/crates/extensions/tedge_mqtt_bridge/src/lib.rs
index c8661852b1..0e1ed945bc 100644
--- a/crates/extensions/tedge_mqtt_bridge/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/extensions/tedge_mqtt_bridge/src/lib.rs
@@ -213,18 +213,8 @@ struct BridgeAsyncClient {
     /// Receives messages from the companion half bridge
     rx: mpsc::Receiver<Option<(String, Publish)>>,
 
-    /// Sends to a background task that forwards the messages to the target and companion
-    ///
-    /// (None, message) => {
-    ///     - the message is published unchanged to the target
-    ///     - a None sentinel value is sent to the companion
-    /// }
-    /// (Some(topic), message) => {
-    ///     - the message is published to the target on the given topic
-    ///     - Some(topic, message.clone()) is sent to the companion
-    /// }
-    ///
-    unbounded_tx: mpsc::UnboundedSender<BridgeMessage>,
+    /// Sends messages to a background task that forwards the messages to the target and companion
+    sender: BridgeMessageSender,
 }
 
 impl BridgeAsyncClient {
@@ -232,8 +222,8 @@ impl BridgeAsyncClient {
         self.rx.next()
     }
 
-    pub fn clone_sender(&self) -> mpsc::UnboundedSender<BridgeMessage> {
-        self.unbounded_tx.clone()
+    pub fn clone_sender(&self) -> BridgeMessageSender {
+        self.sender.clone()
     }
 
     fn new(
@@ -245,27 +235,18 @@ impl BridgeAsyncClient {
         let companion_bridge_half = BridgeAsyncClient {
             target,
             rx,
-            unbounded_tx,
+            sender: BridgeMessageSender { unbounded_tx },
         };
         companion_bridge_half.spawn_publisher(tx, unbounded_rx);
         companion_bridge_half
     }
 
     async fn publish(&mut self, target_topic: String, publish: Publish) {
-        self.unbounded_tx
-            .send(BridgeMessage::BridgePub {
-                target_topic,
-                publish,
-            })
-            .await
-            .unwrap()
+        self.sender.publish(target_topic, publish).await
     }
 
     async fn ack(&mut self, publish: Publish) {
-        self.unbounded_tx
-            .send(BridgeMessage::BridgeAck { publish })
-            .await
-            .unwrap()
+        self.sender.ack(publish).await
     }
 
     fn spawn_publisher(
@@ -304,6 +285,37 @@ impl BridgeAsyncClient {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone)]
+struct BridgeMessageSender {
+    unbounded_tx: mpsc::UnboundedSender<BridgeMessage>,
+}
+
+impl BridgeMessageSender {
+    async fn internal_publish(&mut self, publish: Publish) {
+        self.unbounded_tx
+            .send(BridgeMessage::Pub { publish })
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+    }
+
+    async fn publish(&mut self, target_topic: String, publish: Publish) {
+        self.unbounded_tx
+            .send(BridgeMessage::BridgePub {
+                target_topic,
+                publish,
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+    }
+
+    async fn ack(&mut self, publish: Publish) {
+        self.unbounded_tx
+            .send(BridgeMessage::BridgeAck { publish })
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+    }
+}
+
 /// Forward messages received from `recv_event_loop` to `target`
 ///
 /// The result of running this function constitutes half the MQTT bridge, hence the name.