diff --git a/src/interface.jl b/src/interface.jl
index bb06717..d25ebb5 100644
--- a/src/interface.jl
+++ b/src/interface.jl
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ module interface
     
 export addNewMessage, conversation
 
-using JSON3, DataStructures, Dates, UUIDs, HTTP, Random
+using JSON3, DataStructures, Dates, UUIDs, HTTP, Random, MQTTClient
 using GeneralUtils
 using ..type, ..util, ..llmfunction
 
@@ -89,18 +89,45 @@ function conversation(a::T) where {T<:agent}
   while true
     println("---> conversation loop")
     println("---> a.receiveUserMsgChannel ready = $(isready(a.receiveUserMsgChannel))")
-    #TODO add "newtopic" command to delete history
     # check for incoming user message
     if isready(a.receiveUserMsgChannel)
-      println("---> success 1")
       incomingMsg = take!(a.receiveUserMsgChannel)
-      println("---> success 2")
-      @show incomingMsg
+      incomingPayload = incomingMsg[:payload]
+      if incomingPayload[:text] == "newtopic"
+        clearhistory(a)
+        @show incomingMsg
+        msgMeta = deepcopy(a.msgMeta)
+        msgMeta[:sendTopic] = incomingMsg[:msgMeta][:replyTopic]
+        msgMeta[:senderName] = "agent-backend"
+        msgMeta[:senderId] = a.id
+        msgMeta[:receiverName] = "agent-frontend"
+        msgMeta[:receiverId] = incomingMsg[:msgMeta][:senderId]
+        msgMeta[:replyTopic] = a.config[:receivemsg][:prompt]
+        msgMeta[:msgId] = string(uuid4())
+        msgMeta[:replyToMsgId] = incomingMsg[:msgMeta][:msgId]
+
+        outgoingMsg = Dict(
+          :msgMeta=> msgMeta,
+          :payload=> Dict(
+            :name=> a.name,       # will be shown in frontend as agent name
+            :text => "Okay. What shall we talk about?",
+          )
+        )
+        client, connection = MakeConnection(a.config[:mqttinfo][:broker], 
+                              a.config[:mqttinfo][:port])
+        connect(client, connection)
+
+        @show outgoingMsg
+        publish(client, outgoingMsg[:msgMeta][:sendTopic], 
+                JSON3.write(outgoingMsg))
+        disconnect(client)
+        println("published")
+      else
+
+      end
     end
 
 
-    # # if new user message available
-
     #   # if new message == "newtopic"
     #     #TODO add "newtopic" command to delete history
 
diff --git a/src/type.jl b/src/type.jl
index b24b0d2..f296d17 100644
--- a/src/type.jl
+++ b/src/type.jl
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ abstract type agent end
   )
   
   # communication
-  mqttClient::Any= nothing # store mqtt client for use in various internal functions
   msgMeta::Dict{Symbol, Any} # a template for msgMeta
 
   # put incoming message here. waiting for further processing
@@ -120,7 +119,6 @@ end
 function sommelier(
     receiveUserMsgChannel::Channel,
     receiveInternalMsgChannel::Channel,
-    mqttClient,
     msgMeta::Dict= GeneralUtils.generate_msgMeta("N/A"),
     config::Dict = Dict(
       :frontend=> Dict(
@@ -160,7 +158,6 @@ function sommelier(
     name= name,
     id= id,
     config= config,
-    mqttClient= mqttClient,
     msgMeta= msgMeta,
     maxHistoryMsg= maxHistoryMsg,
     tools= tools,