diff --git a/mqtt-exec.js b/mqtt-exec.js
index 0b636e3..703e12b 100755
--- a/mqtt-exec.js
+++ b/mqtt-exec.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ var mqtt = require('mqtt')
   , optimist = require('optimist')
   , util = require('util')
   , exec = require('child_process').exec
-  , sleep = require('sleep')
   , url = require('url')
   , fs = require('fs')
   , log4js = require('log4js')
@@ -46,39 +45,58 @@ for(var key in configuration){
 
 //Creating the MQTT Client
 logger.info("Creating client for: " + mqtt_url.hostname);
-var options = {
-  port: mqtt_url.port,
-  host: mqtt_url.hostname,
+var c = mqtt.connect(mqtt_url.href, {
   username: auth[0],
   password: auth[1]
-}
-var c = mqtt.connect(options);
-
+});
 
 c.on('connect', function() {
-  logger.info("Subscribe to topics...: " + topics);
+  logger.info("Subscribe to topics: " + topics);
   c.subscribe(topics);
-  c.on('message', function(topic, message) {
-    topic = topic.toString().replace(/"/g, "\\\"");
-    var message = message.toString().replace(/"/g, "\\\"");   
-    console.log(topic);
-    console.log(message);
-    executeShellCommand(topic,message);
-    var topic_outgoing = topic.replace(/\/set/g,'/get');
-    console.log("Reportig value back to topic: " + topic_outgoing);
-    c.publish(topic_outgoing,message,{retain: true});
-  });
 });
 
-function executeShellCommand(topic,payload){
+c.on('message', function(topic, message) {
+  // Fix: message is a Buffer, convert to string first
+  var messageStr = message.toString().replace(/"/g, "\\\"");
+  var topicStr = topic.replace(/"/g, "\\\"");
+  executeShellCommand(topicStr, messageStr);
+
+  var topic_outgoing = topic.replace(/\/set/g, '');
+  console.log("Reporting value back to topic: " + topic_outgoing);
+  c.publish(topic_outgoing, message, {retain: true});
+});
+
+c.on('error', function(err) {
+  logger.error("MQTT connection error: " + err.message);
+});
+
+function executeShellCommand(topic, payload) {
+    // Fix: add null check
     var commands = configuration[topic];
+    if (!commands) {
+        logger.warn("No configuration found for topic: " + topic);
+        return;
+    }
     var command = commands[payload];
+    if (!command) {
+        logger.warn("No command found for payload: " + payload + " on topic: " + topic);
+        return;
+    }
     logger.info("Executing command: " + command + " for topic: " + topic + " and payload: " + payload);
     exec(command, puts);
-    sleep.sleep(1);//sleep for 1 seconds
 }
 
-function puts(error, stdout, stderr) { 
-        util.puts(stdout); 
-        logger.info("Executing Done");
+function puts(error, stdout, stderr) {
+    // Fix: util.puts is deprecated, use console.log
+    if (error) {
+        logger.error("Exec error: " + error.message);
+        return;
+    }
+    if (stdout) {
+        console.log(stdout);
+    }
+    if (stderr) {
+        logger.error("stderr: " + stderr);
+    }
+    logger.info("Executing done");
 }