diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 5ed9531..c04c92c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -621,6 +621,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "color-eyre",
  "edid-rs",
  "eyre",
+ "parking_lot",
  "rumqttc",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
diff --git a/Cargo.nix b/Cargo.nix
index 3a624ce..0eab298 100644
--- a/Cargo.nix
+++ b/Cargo.nix
@@ -1760,6 +1760,10 @@ rec {
             name = "eyre";
             packageId = "eyre";
           }
+          {
+            name = "parking_lot";
+            packageId = "parking_lot";
+          }
           {
             name = "rumqttc";
             packageId = "rumqttc";
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 9521850..abde778 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ clap = { version = "4.5.9", features = ["derive"] }
 color-eyre = "0.6.3"
 edid-rs = "0.1.0"
 eyre = "0.6.12"
+parking_lot = "0.12.3"
 rumqttc = "0.24.0"
 serde = { version = "1.0.204", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1.0.120"
diff --git a/src/browser.rs b/src/browser.rs
index b87f17c..794b6f2 100644
--- a/src/browser.rs
+++ b/src/browser.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use tracing::{debug, warn};
 use wry::WebViewBuilder;
 
 /// Commands to control the browser instance.
-#[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Serialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, Serialize)]
 #[serde(tag = "kind")]
 pub enum Command {
     LoadUrl { url: String },
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 67bd485..f2c4f34 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ struct Cli {
 
     #[arg(long = "default-config")]
     default_config_path: Option<String>,
+
+    #[arg(long)]
+    mqtt_topic_prefix: Option<String>,
 }
 
 fn main() -> color_eyre::eyre::Result<()> {
@@ -121,14 +124,20 @@ fn main() -> color_eyre::eyre::Result<()> {
 
     let (tx, rx) = channel();
 
-    let listener = mqtt::Listener {
-        id: config.id.unwrap_or(display_info.serial),
-        host: config.host,
-        port: config.port,
-        sender: tx,
-    };
+    let listener = mqtt::Listener::new(
+        config.id.unwrap_or_else(|| display_info.serial.clone()),
+        config.host,
+        config.port,
+        cli.mqtt_topic_prefix
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "screens".to_string()),
+    )?;
+
+    // register our display
+    // FUTURWORK: multiple display support
+    listener
+        .add_display(&display_info, tx)
+        .context("adding display")?;
 
-    listener.start().context("starting the mqtt listener")?;
     fossbeamer::spawn_browser(cli.url, rx)?;
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/src/mqtt.rs b/src/mqtt.rs
index 0fd319a..8f2689c 100644
--- a/src/mqtt.rs
+++ b/src/mqtt.rs
@@ -1,61 +1,139 @@
 use bstr::BStr;
-use fossbeamer::Command;
-use rumqttc::{Client, ClientError, MqttOptions, Packet, Publish};
-use std::{sync::mpsc::Sender, thread, time::Duration};
+use eyre::Context;
+use fossbeamer::{Command, Info};
+use parking_lot::RwLock;
+use rumqttc::{Client, MqttOptions, Packet, Publish};
+use std::{
+    collections::HashMap,
+    sync::{mpsc::Sender, Arc},
+    thread,
+    time::Duration,
+};
 use tracing::{debug, info, warn, Span};
 
+/// Maintains a connection to an MQTT broker.
 pub(crate) struct Listener {
-    pub id: String,
-    pub host: String,
-    pub port: u16,
-    pub sender: Sender<fossbeamer::Command>,
+    /// The MQTT client
+    client: rumqttc::Client,
+
+    /// The topic that's prepended before IDs in the topic
+    topic_prefix: String,
+
+    /// Senders expecting commands to be sent to, keyed by their topic.
+    senders: Arc<RwLock<HashMap<String, Sender<fossbeamer::Command>>>>,
 }
 
 impl Listener {
-    pub(crate) fn start(self) -> Result<(), ClientError> {
-        let (client, mut connection) =
-            Client::new(MqttOptions::new(&self.id, self.host, self.port), 64);
-
-        client.subscribe("screens", rumqttc::QoS::AtLeastOnce)?;
-        client.subscribe(format!("screens/{}", self.id), rumqttc::QoS::AtLeastOnce)?;
-
-        thread::spawn(move || {
-            for event in connection.iter() {
-                match event {
-                    Ok(event) => match event {
-                        rumqttc::Event::Incoming(Packet::Publish(Publish {
-                            topic,
-                            payload,
-                            ..
-                        })) => {
-                            Span::current().record("topic", &topic);
-                            match serde_json::from_slice::<Command>(&payload) {
-                                Ok(command) => {
-                                    info!(?command, "received command");
-
-                                    self.sender.send(command).unwrap();
-                                }
-                                Err(e) => {
-                                    warn!(err=%e, payload=%BStr::new(&payload), "received payload that couldn't be parsed");
+    /// Prepares a connection to the broker, and spawns off a thread dealing
+    /// with received messages.
+    /// It spawns off a thread relaying messages to the Senders added in a
+    /// [add_display] call.
+    pub fn new(
+        id: impl Into<String>,
+        host: impl Into<String>,
+        port: u16,
+        topic_prefix: impl Into<String> + Clone,
+    ) -> eyre::Result<Self> {
+        let (client, mut connection) = Client::new(MqttOptions::new(id, host, port), 64);
+
+        let senders = Arc::new(RwLock::new(
+            HashMap::<String, Sender<fossbeamer::Command>>::new(),
+        ));
+
+        let topic_prefix: String = topic_prefix.into();
+        let catchall_topic = topic_prefix.clone();
+
+        thread::spawn({
+            let senders = senders.clone();
+            let catchall_topic = catchall_topic.clone();
+            move || {
+                for event in connection.iter() {
+                    match event {
+                        Ok(event) => match event {
+                            rumqttc::Event::Incoming(Packet::Publish(Publish {
+                                topic,
+                                payload,
+                                ..
+                            })) => {
+                                Span::current().record("topic", &topic);
+
+                                // parse the command
+                                let command = match serde_json::from_slice::<Command>(&payload) {
+                                    Ok(command) => {
+                                        info!(?command, "received command");
+                                        command
+                                    }
+                                    Err(e) => {
+                                        warn!(err=%e, payload=%BStr::new(&payload), "received payload that couldn't be parsed");
+                                        continue;
+                                    }
+                                };
+
+                                if topic == catchall_topic {
+                                    for (_topic, sender) in senders.read().iter() {
+                                        if let Err(e) = sender.send(command.clone()) {
+                                            warn!(err=%e, "unable to send command to tx");
+                                        }
+                                    }
+                                } else {
+                                    match senders.read().get(&topic) {
+                                        None => {
+                                            warn!("couldn't find topic");
+                                            continue;
+                                        }
+                                        Some(tx) => {
+                                            if let Err(e) = tx.send(command) {
+                                                warn!(err=%e, "unable to send command to tx");
+                                            }
+                                        }
+                                    }
                                 }
                             }
+                            rumqttc::Event::Incoming(incoming) => {
+                                debug!(?incoming, "other incoming event");
+                            }
+                            rumqttc::Event::Outgoing(out) => {
+                                debug!(?out, "outgoing event");
+                            }
+                        },
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            warn!(err=%e, "connection error");
+                            // sleep a bit
+                            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(5));
                         }
-                        rumqttc::Event::Incoming(incoming) => {
-                            debug!(?incoming, "other incoming event");
-                        }
-                        rumqttc::Event::Outgoing(out) => {
-                            debug!(?out, "outgoing event");
-                        }
-                    },
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        warn!(err=%e, "connection error");
-                        // sleep a bit
-                        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(5));
                     }
                 }
             }
         });
 
+        // subscribe to the catchall
+        client
+            .subscribe(catchall_topic, rumqttc::QoS::AtLeastOnce)
+            .context("subscribing to catchall topic")?;
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            client,
+            senders,
+            topic_prefix,
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Register a new display, using the passed display_info.
+    /// `set` requests received are sent to the passed channel.
+    pub fn add_display(
+        &self,
+        display_info: &Info,
+        tx: Sender<fossbeamer::Command>,
+    ) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+        let k = &display_info.serial;
+        let topic_str = format!("{}/{}", self.topic_prefix, k);
+
+        self.client
+            .subscribe(&topic_str, rumqttc::QoS::AtLeastOnce)
+            .context("subscribing to topic")?;
+
+        self.senders.write().insert(topic_str, tx);
+
         Ok(())
     }
 }