diff --git a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/TapasAuctionHouseApplication.java b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/TapasAuctionHouseApplication.java
index 18c7631..9fe963e 100644
--- a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/TapasAuctionHouseApplication.java
+++ b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/TapasAuctionHouseApplication.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
+import org.springframework.core.env.ConfigurableEnvironment;
 
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -23,20 +24,19 @@ import java.util.List;
 public class TapasAuctionHouseApplication {
     private static final Logger LOGGER = LogManager.getLogger(TapasAuctionHouseApplication.class);
 
-    @Autowired
-    private ConfigProperties config;
-
     public static String RESOURCE_DIRECTORY = "https://api.interactions.ics.unisg.ch/auction-houses/";
-    public static String MQTT_BROKER = "tcp://broker.hivemq.com:1883";
+    public static String DEFAULT_MQTT_BROKER = "tcp://broker.hivemq.com:1883";
+
+    private static ConfigurableEnvironment ENVIRONMENT;
 
     public static void main(String[] args) {
 		SpringApplication tapasAuctioneerApp = new SpringApplication(TapasAuctionHouseApplication.class);
+        ENVIRONMENT = tapasAuctioneerApp.run(args).getEnvironment();
 
+        // TODO Set start up of message services with config
 		// We will use these bootstrap methods in Week 6:
-        bootstrapMarketplaceWithWebSub();
+        // bootstrapMarketplaceWithWebSub();
         bootstrapMarketplaceWithMqtt();
-
-        tapasAuctioneerApp.run(args);
 	}
     /**
      * Discovers auction houses and subscribes to WebSub notifications
@@ -57,8 +57,16 @@ public class TapasAuctionHouseApplication {
      */
     private static void bootstrapMarketplaceWithMqtt() {
         try {
+            String broker = ENVIRONMENT.getProperty("mqtt.broker.uri");
+
+            if (broker == null) {
+                broker = DEFAULT_MQTT_BROKER;
+                LOGGER.info("No MQTT broker was set in application.propreties, going with default: "
+                    + DEFAULT_MQTT_BROKER);
+            }
+
             AuctionEventsMqttDispatcher dispatcher = new AuctionEventsMqttDispatcher();
-            TapasMqttClient client = TapasMqttClient.getInstance(MQTT_BROKER, dispatcher);
+            TapasMqttClient client = TapasMqttClient.getInstance(broker, dispatcher);
             client.startReceivingMessages();
         } catch (MqttException e) {
             LOGGER.error(e.getMessage(), e);
diff --git a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/adapter/in/messaging/mqtt/ExternalAuctionStartedEventListenerMqttAdapter.java b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/adapter/in/messaging/mqtt/ExternalAuctionStartedEventListenerMqttAdapter.java
index 13374cc..c47acad 100644
--- a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/adapter/in/messaging/mqtt/ExternalAuctionStartedEventListenerMqttAdapter.java
+++ b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/adapter/in/messaging/mqtt/ExternalAuctionStartedEventListenerMqttAdapter.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ public class ExternalAuctionStartedEventListenerMqttAdapter extends AuctionEvent
             // representation that makes sense in the context of your application.
             JsonNode data = new ObjectMapper().readTree(payload);
 
+            // TODO Sanitize URIs
             String auctionId = data.get("auctionId").asText();
             String auctionHouseUri = data.get("auctionHouseUri").asText();
             String taskUri = data.get("taskUri").asText();
@@ -72,8 +73,12 @@ public class ExternalAuctionStartedEventListenerMqttAdapter extends AuctionEvent
             LOGGER.error(e.getMessage(), e);
             return false;
         } catch (IOException e) {
+
+            LOGGER.error(e.getMessage(), e);
             e.printStackTrace();
         } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+
+            LOGGER.error(e.getMessage(), e);
             e.printStackTrace();
         } catch (Exception e){
             LOGGER.error(e.getMessage(), e);
diff --git a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/resources/application.properties b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/resources/application.properties
index 7f8ca02..e3900bd 100644
--- a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/resources/application.properties
+++ b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/resources/application.properties
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ tasks.list.uri=http://localhost:8081
 application.environment=development
 auctionhouse.uri=http://localhost:8086
 websub.hub.uri=http://localhost:3000
-mqtt.broker.uri=tcp://localhost:1883
+mqtt.broker.uri=tcp://broker.hivemq.com:1883