diff --git a/esp-link/cgi.c b/esp-link/cgi.c
index 3a37347..bfb7028 100644
--- a/esp-link/cgi.c
+++ b/esp-link/cgi.c
@@ -18,16 +18,64 @@ Some random cgi routines.
 #include "cgi.h"
 #include "espfs.h"
 
-void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
-jsonHeader(HttpdConnData *connData, int code) {
+void noCacheHeaders(HttpdConnData *connData, int code) {
   httpdStartResponse(connData, code);
   httpdHeader(connData, "Cache-Control", "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate");
   httpdHeader(connData, "Pragma", "no-cache");
   httpdHeader(connData, "Expires", "0");
+}
+
+void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
+jsonHeader(HttpdConnData *connData, int code) {
+  noCacheHeaders(connData, code);
   httpdHeader(connData, "Content-Type", "application/json");
   httpdEndHeaders(connData);
 }
 
+void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
+errorResponse(HttpdConnData *connData, int code, char *message) {
+  noCacheHeaders(connData, code);
+  httpdEndHeaders(connData);
+  httpdSend(connData, message, -1);
+  os_printf("HTTP %d error response: \"%s\"\n", code, message);
+}
+
+// look for the HTTP arg 'name' and store it at 'config' with max length 'max_len' (incl
+// terminating zero), returns -1 on error, 0 if not found, 1 if found and OK
+int ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
+getStringArg(HttpdConnData *connData, char *name, char *config, int max_len) {
+  char buff[128];
+  int len = httpdFindArg(connData->getArgs, name, buff, sizeof(buff));
+  if (len < 0) return 0; // not found, skip
+  if (len >= max_len) {
+    os_sprintf(buff, "Value for %s too long (%d > %d allowed)", name, len, max_len-1);
+    errorResponse(connData, 400, buff);
+    return -1;
+  }
+  strcpy(config, buff);
+  return 1;
+}
+
+int ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
+getBoolArg(HttpdConnData *connData, char *name, bool*config) {
+  char buff[64];
+  int len = httpdFindArg(connData->getArgs, name, buff, sizeof(buff));
+  if (len < 0) return 0; // not found, skip
+
+  if (strcmp(buff, "1") == 0 || strcmp(buff, "true") == 0) {
+    *config = true;
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if (strcmp(buff, "0") == 0 || strcmp(buff, "false") == 0) {
+    *config = false;
+    return 1;
+  }
+  os_sprintf(buff, "Invalid value for %s", name);
+  errorResponse(connData, 400, buff);
+  return -1;
+}
+
+
 #define TOKEN(x) (os_strcmp(token, x) == 0)
 #if 0
 // Handle system information variables and print their value, returns the number of
diff --git a/esp-link/cgi.h b/esp-link/cgi.h
index b5690cf..8d61f36 100644
--- a/esp-link/cgi.h
+++ b/esp-link/cgi.h
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 #include "httpd.h"
 
 void jsonHeader(HttpdConnData *connData, int code);
+void errorResponse(HttpdConnData *connData, int code, char *message);
+int getStringArg(HttpdConnData *connData, char *name, char *config, int max_len);
+int getBoolArg(HttpdConnData *connData, char *name, bool*config);
 int cgiMenu(HttpdConnData *connData);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/esp-link/cgimqtt.c b/esp-link/cgimqtt.c
index dbfbc14..cbf4c16 100644
--- a/esp-link/cgimqtt.c
+++ b/esp-link/cgimqtt.c
@@ -38,34 +38,56 @@ int ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR cgiMqttGet(HttpdConnData *connData) {
 int ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR cgiMqttSet(HttpdConnData *connData) {
   if (connData->conn==NULL) return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
 
-#if 0
-  // Handle tcp_enable flag
-  char buff[128];
-  int len = httpdFindArg(connData->getArgs, "tcp_enable", buff, sizeof(buff));
-  if (len <= 0) {
-    jsonHeader(connData, 400);
-    return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+  // handle MQTT server settings
+  int mqtt_server = 0; // accumulator for changes/errors
+  mqtt_server |= getStringArg(connData, "mqtt-host",
+      flashConfig.mqtt_hostname, sizeof(flashConfig.mqtt_hostname));
+  if (mqtt_server < 0) return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+  mqtt_server |= getStringArg(connData, "mqtt-client-id",
+      flashConfig.mqtt_client, sizeof(flashConfig.mqtt_client));
+  if (mqtt_server < 0) return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+  mqtt_server |= getStringArg(connData, "mqtt-username",
+      flashConfig.mqtt_username, sizeof(flashConfig.mqtt_username));
+  if (mqtt_server < 0) return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+  mqtt_server |= getStringArg(connData, "mqtt-password",
+      flashConfig.mqtt_password, sizeof(flashConfig.mqtt_password));
+  if (mqtt_server < 0) return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+  mqtt_server |= getBoolArg(connData, "mqtt-enable",
+      &flashConfig.mqtt_enable);
+
+  // handle mqtt port
+  char buff[16];
+  if (httpdFindArg(connData->getArgs, "mqtt-port", buff, sizeof(buff)) > 0) {
+    int32_t port = atoi(buff);
+    if (port > 0 && port < 65536) {
+      flashConfig.mqtt_port = port;
+      mqtt_server |= 1;
+    } else {
+      errorResponse(connData, 400, "Invalid MQTT port");
+      return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+    }
   }
-  flashConfig.tcp_enable = os_strcmp(buff, "true") == 0;
 
-  // Handle rssi_enable flag
-  len = httpdFindArg(connData->getArgs, "rssi_enable", buff, sizeof(buff));
-  if (len <= 0) {
-    jsonHeader(connData, 400);
-    return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+  // if server setting changed, we need to "make it so"
+  if (mqtt_server) {
+    os_printf("MQTT server settings changed, enable=%d\n", flashConfig.mqtt_enable);
+    // TODO
   }
-  flashConfig.rssi_enable = os_strcmp(buff, "true") == 0;
 
-  // Handle api_key flag
-  len = httpdFindArg(connData->getArgs, "api_key", buff, sizeof(buff));
-  if (len < 0) {
-    jsonHeader(connData, 400);
+  // no action required if mqtt status settings change, they just get picked up at the
+  // next status tick
+  if (getBoolArg(connData, "mqtt-status-enable", &flashConfig.mqtt_status_enable) < 0)
     return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
-  }
-  buff[sizeof(flashConfig.api_key)-1] = 0; // ensure we don't get an overrun
-  os_strcpy(flashConfig.api_key, buff);
-#endif
+  if (getStringArg(connData, "mqtt-status-topic",
+        flashConfig.mqtt_status_topic, sizeof(flashConfig.mqtt_status_topic)) < 0)
+    return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+
+  // if SLIP-enable is toggled it gets picked-up immediately by the parser
+  int slip_update = getBoolArg(connData, "slip-enable", &flashConfig.slip_enable);
+  if (slip_update < 0) return HTTPD_CGI_DONE;
+  if (slip_update > 0) os_printf("SLIP-enable changed: %d\n", flashConfig.slip_enable);
 
+  os_printf("Saving config\n");
   if (configSave()) {
     httpdStartResponse(connData, 200);
     httpdEndHeaders(connData);
diff --git a/html/mqtt.html b/html/mqtt.html
index dd9653c..257c137 100644
--- a/html/mqtt.html
+++ b/html/mqtt.html
@@ -71,18 +71,17 @@
               <div class="pure-form-stacked">
                 <label>Topic prefix</label>
                 <input type="text" name="mqtt-status-topic"/>
+                Suffixes: rssi, heap-free, ...
               </div>
+              <button id="mqtt-status-button" type="submit" class="pure-button button-primary">
+                Update status settings!
+              </button>
             </form>
           </div>
           <div class="card">
             <h1>REST</h1>
             <p>REST requests are enabled as soon as SLIP is enabled.
             There are no REST-specific settings.</p>
-            <!-- div id="rest-spinner" class="spinner spinner-small"></div>
-            <div class="form-horizontal">
-              <input type="checkbox" name="tcp-enable"/>
-              <label>Enable REST client</label>
-            </div -->
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>
@@ -94,6 +93,7 @@
 onLoad(function() {
   fetchMqtt();
   bnd($("#mqtt-form"), "submit", changeMqtt);
+  bnd($("#mqtt-status-form"), "submit", changeMqttStatus);
 });
 </script>
 </body></html>
diff --git a/html/ui.js b/html/ui.js
index 2a4e20e..1d4c365 100644
--- a/html/ui.js
+++ b/html/ui.js
@@ -316,44 +316,44 @@ function createInputForPin(pin) {
   input.type = "radio";
   input.name = "pins";
   input.data = pin.name;
-	input.className = "pin-input";
+  input.className = "pin-input";
   input.value= pin.value;
   input.id   = "opt-" + pin.value;
   if (currPin == pin.name) input.checked = "1";
 
-	var descr = m('<label for="opt-'+pin.value+'"><b>'+pin.name+":</b>"+pin.descr+"</label>");
-	var div = document.createElement("div");
-	div.appendChild(input);
-	div.appendChild(descr);
-	return div;
+  var descr = m('<label for="opt-'+pin.value+'"><b>'+pin.name+":</b>"+pin.descr+"</label>");
+  var div = document.createElement("div");
+  div.appendChild(input);
+  div.appendChild(descr);
+  return div;
 }
 
 function displayPins(resp) {
-	var po = $("#pin-mux");
-	po.innerHTML = "";
-	currPin = resp.curr;
-	resp.map.forEach(function(v) {
-		po.appendChild(createInputForPin(v));
-	});
-	var i, inputs = $(".pin-input");
-	for (i=0; i<inputs.length; i++) {
-		inputs[i].onclick = function() { setPins(this.value, this.data) };
-	};
+  var po = $("#pin-mux");
+  po.innerHTML = "";
+  currPin = resp.curr;
+  resp.map.forEach(function(v) {
+    po.appendChild(createInputForPin(v));
+  });
+  var i, inputs = $(".pin-input");
+  for (i=0; i<inputs.length; i++) {
+    inputs[i].onclick = function() { setPins(this.value, this.data) };
+  };
 }
 
 function fetchPins() {
   ajaxJson("GET", "/pins", displayPins, function() {
-		window.setTimeout(fetchPins, 1000);
-	});
+    window.setTimeout(fetchPins, 1000);
+  });
 }
 
 function setPins(v, name) {
   ajaxSpin("POST", "/pins?map="+v, function() {
-		showNotification("Pin assignment changed to " + name);
-	}, function() {
-		showNotification("Pin assignment change failed");
-		window.setTimeout(fetchPins, 100);
-	});
+    showNotification("Pin assignment changed to " + name);
+  }, function() {
+    showNotification("Pin assignment change failed");
+    window.setTimeout(fetchPins, 100);
+  });
 }
 
 //===== TCP client card
@@ -390,8 +390,8 @@ function displayTcpClient(resp) {
 
 function fetchTcpClient() {
   ajaxJson("GET", "/tcpclient", displayTcpClient, function() {
-		window.setTimeout(fetchTcpClient, 1000);
-	});
+    window.setTimeout(fetchTcpClient, 1000);
+  });
 }
 
 //===== MQTT cards
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ function fetchTcpClient() {
 function changeMqtt(e) {
   e.preventDefault();
   var url = "mqtt?1=1";
-  var i, inputs = $("input");
+  var i, inputs = document.querySelectorAll('#mqtt-form input');
   for (i=0; i<inputs.length; i++) {
     if (inputs[i].type != "checkbox")
       url += "&" + inputs[i].name + "=" + inputs[i].value;
@@ -409,12 +409,12 @@ function changeMqtt(e) {
   var cb = $("#mqtt-button");
   addClass(cb, 'pure-button-disabled');
   ajaxSpin("POST", url, function(resp) {
+      showNotification("MQTT updated");
       removeClass(cb, 'pure-button-disabled');
-      fetchMqtt();
     }, function(s, st) {
       showWarning("Error: "+st);
       removeClass(cb, 'pure-button-disabled');
-      fetchMqtt();
+      window.setTimeout(fetchMqtt, 100);
     });
 }
 
@@ -446,17 +446,28 @@ function displayMqtt(data) {
 
 function fetchMqtt() {
   ajaxJson("GET", "/mqtt", displayMqtt, function() {
-		window.setTimeout(fetchMqtt, 1000);
-	});
+    window.setTimeout(fetchMqtt, 1000);
+  });
+}
+
+function changeMqttStatus(e) {
+  e.preventDefault();
+  var v = document.querySelector('input[name="mqtt-status-topic"]').value;
+  ajaxSpin("POST", "/mqtt?mqtt-status-topic=" + v, function() {
+    showNotification("MQTT status settings updated");
+    }, function(s, st) {
+      showWarning("Error: "+st);
+      window.setTimeout(fetchMqtt, 100);
+    });
 }
 
 function setMqtt(name, v) {
   ajaxSpin("POST", "/mqtt?" + name + "=" + (v ? 1 : 0), function() {
-		showNotification(name + " is now " + (v ? "enabled" : "disabled"));
-	}, function() {
-		showNotification("Enable/disable failed");
-		window.setTimeout(fetchMqtt, 100);
-	});
+    var n = name.replace("-enable", "");
+    showNotification(n + " is now " + (v ? "enabled" : "disabled"));
+    }, function() {
+      showWarning("Enable/disable failed");
+      window.setTimeout(fetchMqtt, 100);
+    });
 }
 
-
diff --git a/httpd/httpd.c b/httpd/httpd.c
index b98bd9a..bccbbb0 100644
--- a/httpd/httpd.c
+++ b/httpd/httpd.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ int ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR httpdFindArg(char *line, char *arg, char *buff, int buffLe
 		p=(char*)os_strstr(p, "&");
 		if (p!=NULL) p+=1;
 	}
-	os_printf("Finding %s in %s: Not found :/\n", arg, line);
+	//os_printf("Finding %s in %s: Not found :/\n", arg, line);
 	return -1; //not found
 }
 
diff --git a/serial/serbridge.c b/serial/serbridge.c
index 1022136..b91dbbc 100644
--- a/serial/serbridge.c
+++ b/serial/serbridge.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "serled.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "console.h"
+#include "slip.h"
 #include "cmd.h"
 
 static struct espconn serbridgeConn;
@@ -258,6 +259,19 @@ console_process(char *buf, short len) {
   }
 }
 
+// callback with a buffer of characters that have arrived on the uart
+void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
+serbridgeUartCb(char *buf, short length) {
+  if (!flashConfig.slip_enable || slip_disabled > 0) {
+    //os_printf("SLIP: disabled got %d\n", length);
+    console_process(buf, length);
+  } else {
+    slip_parse_buf(buf, length);
+  }
+
+  serledFlash(50); // short blink on serial LED
+}
+
 //callback after the data are sent
 static void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
 serbridgeSentCb(void *arg) {
diff --git a/serial/slip.c b/serial/slip.c
index 0e067a1..76948d5 100644
--- a/serial/slip.c
+++ b/serial/slip.c
@@ -4,11 +4,10 @@
 #include "uart.h"
 #include "crc16.h"
 #include "serbridge.h"
-#include "serled.h"
 #include "console.h"
 #include "cmd.h"
 
-uint8_t slip_disabled;   // disable slip to allow flashing of attached MCU
+uint8_t slip_disabled;   // temporarily disable slip to allow flashing of attached MCU
 
 extern void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR console_process(char *buf, short len);
 
@@ -115,18 +114,7 @@ slip_parse_char(char c) {
 
 // callback with a buffer of characters that have arrived on the uart
 void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
-serbridgeUartCb(char *buf, short length) {
-  if (slip_disabled > 0) {
-    //os_printf("SLIP: disabled got %d\n", length);
-    console_process(buf, length);
-    for (short i=0; i<length; i++)
-      if (buf[i] == SLIP_START) {
-        os_printf("SLIP: START while disabled=%d\n", slip_disabled);
-        break;
-      }
-    return;
-  }
-
+slip_parse_buf(char *buf, short length) {
   // do SLIP parsing
   for (short i=0; i<length; i++)
     slip_parse_char(buf[i]);
@@ -136,6 +124,5 @@ serbridgeUartCb(char *buf, short length) {
     slip_process();
     slip_reset();
   }
-
-  serledFlash(50); // short blink on serial LED
 }
+
diff --git a/serial/slip.h b/serial/slip.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a78011e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/serial/slip.h
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#ifndef SLIP_H
+#define SLIP_H
+
+void slip_parse_buf(char *buf, short length);
+
+#endif