diff --git a/Adafruit_MQTT.cpp b/Adafruit_MQTT.cpp
index c0de9c9..ef130af 100644
--- a/Adafruit_MQTT.cpp
+++ b/Adafruit_MQTT.cpp
@@ -319,9 +319,9 @@ bool Adafruit_MQTT::publish(const char *topic, const char *data, uint8_t qos) {
     return publish(topic, (uint8_t*)(data), strlen(data), qos);
 }
 
-bool Adafruit_MQTT::publish(const char *topic, uint8_t *data, uint8_t bLen, uint8_t qos) {
+bool Adafruit_MQTT::publish(const char *topic, uint8_t *data, uint16_t bLen, uint8_t qos) {
   // Construct and send publish packet.
-  uint8_t len = publishPacket(buffer, topic, data, bLen, qos);
+  uint16_t len = publishPacket(buffer, topic, data, bLen, qos);
   if (!sendPacket(buffer, len))
     return false;
 
@@ -611,14 +611,34 @@ uint8_t Adafruit_MQTT::connectPacket(uint8_t *packet) {
 
 
 // as per http://docs.oasis-open.org/mqtt/mqtt/v3.1.1/os/mqtt-v3.1.1-os.html#_Toc398718040
-uint8_t Adafruit_MQTT::publishPacket(uint8_t *packet, const char *topic,
-                                     uint8_t *data, uint8_t bLen, uint8_t qos) {
+uint16_t Adafruit_MQTT::publishPacket(uint8_t *packet, const char *topic,
+                                     uint8_t *data, uint16_t bLen, uint8_t qos) {
   uint8_t *p = packet;
-  uint16_t len;
+  uint16_t len=0;
 
+  // calc length of non-header data
+  len += 2;               // two bytes to set the topic size
+  len += strlen_P(topic); // topic length
+  if(qos > 0) { 
+    len += 2; // qos packet id
+  }
+  len += bLen; // payload length
+
+  // Now you can start generating the packet!
   p[0] = MQTT_CTRL_PUBLISH << 4 | qos << 1;
+  p++;
+
   // fill in packet[1] last
-  p+=2;
+  do {
+    uint8_t encodedByte = len % 128;
+    len /= 128;
+    // if there are more data to encode, set the top bit of this byte
+    if ( len > 0 ) {
+      encodedByte |= 0x80;
+    }
+    p[0] = encodedByte;
+    p++;
+  } while ( len > 0 );
 
   // topic comes before packet identifier
   p = stringprint_P(p, topic);
@@ -636,11 +656,9 @@ uint8_t Adafruit_MQTT::publishPacket(uint8_t *packet, const char *topic,
   memmove(p, data, bLen);
   p+= bLen;
   len = p - packet;
-  packet[1] = len-2; // don't include the 2 bytes of fixed header data
   DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("MQTT publish packet:"));
   DEBUG_PRINTBUFFER(buffer, len);
   return len;
-
 }
 
 uint8_t Adafruit_MQTT::subscribePacket(uint8_t *packet, const char *topic,
@@ -766,7 +784,7 @@ bool Adafruit_MQTT_Publish::publish(const char *payload) {
 }
 
 //publish buffer of arbitrary length
-bool Adafruit_MQTT_Publish::publish(uint8_t *payload, uint8_t bLen) {
+bool Adafruit_MQTT_Publish::publish(uint8_t *payload, uint16_t bLen) {
 
   return mqtt->publish(topic, payload, bLen, qos);
 }
diff --git a/Adafruit_MQTT.h b/Adafruit_MQTT.h
index 6df4b01..2fcf251 100644
--- a/Adafruit_MQTT.h
+++ b/Adafruit_MQTT.h
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ class Adafruit_MQTT {
   // The topic must be stored in PROGMEM. It can either be a
   // char*, or a __FlashStringHelper* (the result of the F() macro).
   bool publish(const char *topic, const char *payload, uint8_t qos = 0);
-  bool publish(const char *topic, uint8_t *payload, uint8_t bLen, uint8_t qos = 0);
+  bool publish(const char *topic, uint8_t *payload, uint16_t bLen, uint8_t qos = 0);
   bool publish(const __FlashStringHelper *topic, const char *payload, uint8_t qos = 0) {
     return publish((const char *)topic, payload, qos);
   }
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ class Adafruit_MQTT {
   virtual bool disconnectServer() = 0;  // Subclasses need to fill this in!
 
   // Send data to the server specified by the buffer and length of data.
-  virtual bool sendPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint8_t len) = 0;
+  virtual bool sendPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t len) = 0;
 
   // Read MQTT packet from the server.  Will read up to maxlen bytes and store
   // the data in the provided buffer.  Waits up to the specified timeout (in
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class Adafruit_MQTT {
   // Functions to generate MQTT packets.
   uint8_t connectPacket(uint8_t *packet);
   uint8_t disconnectPacket(uint8_t *packet);
-  uint8_t publishPacket(uint8_t *packet, const char *topic, uint8_t *payload, uint8_t bLen, uint8_t qos);
+  uint16_t publishPacket(uint8_t *packet, const char *topic, uint8_t *payload, uint16_t bLen, uint8_t qos);
   uint8_t subscribePacket(uint8_t *packet, const char *topic, uint8_t qos);
   uint8_t unsubscribePacket(uint8_t *packet, const char *topic);
   uint8_t pingPacket(uint8_t *packet);
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class Adafruit_MQTT_Publish {
                                                 // This might be ignored and a higher precision value sent.
   bool publish(int32_t i);
   bool publish(uint32_t i);
-  bool publish(uint8_t *b, uint8_t bLen);
+  bool publish(uint8_t *b, uint16_t bLen);
 
 
 private:
diff --git a/Adafruit_MQTT_Client.cpp b/Adafruit_MQTT_Client.cpp
index 1487856..d954bc8 100644
--- a/Adafruit_MQTT_Client.cpp
+++ b/Adafruit_MQTT_Client.cpp
@@ -74,17 +74,27 @@ uint16_t Adafruit_MQTT_Client::readPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t maxlen,
   return len;
 }
 
-bool Adafruit_MQTT_Client::sendPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint8_t len) {
-  if (client->connected()) {
-    uint16_t ret = client->write(buffer, len);
-    DEBUG_PRINT(F("sendPacket returned: ")); DEBUG_PRINTLN(ret);
-    if (ret != len) {
-      DEBUG_PRINTLN("Failed to send complete packet.")
+bool Adafruit_MQTT_Client::sendPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t len) {
+  uint16_t ret = 0;
+
+  while (len > 0) {
+    if (client->connected()) {
+      // send 250 bytes at most at a time, can adjust this later based on Client
+
+      uint16_t sendlen = min(len, 250);
+      Serial.print("Sending: "); Serial.println(sendlen);
+      ret = client->write(buffer, sendlen);
+      DEBUG_PRINT(F("Client sendPacket returned: ")); DEBUG_PRINTLN(ret);
+      len -= ret;
+
+      if (ret != sendlen) {
+	DEBUG_PRINTLN("Failed to send complete packet.");
+	return false;
+      }
+    } else {
+      DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Connection failed!"));
       return false;
     }
-  } else {
-    DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Connection failed!"));
-    return false;
   }
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/Adafruit_MQTT_Client.h b/Adafruit_MQTT_Client.h
index bb99e3f..f51cb29 100644
--- a/Adafruit_MQTT_Client.h
+++ b/Adafruit_MQTT_Client.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class Adafruit_MQTT_Client : public Adafruit_MQTT {
   bool disconnectServer();
   bool connected();
   uint16_t readPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t maxlen, int16_t timeout);
-  bool sendPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint8_t len);
+  bool sendPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t len);
 
  private:
   Client* client;
diff --git a/Adafruit_MQTT_FONA.h b/Adafruit_MQTT_FONA.h
index b8e3ba2..dbbdb9e 100644
--- a/Adafruit_MQTT_FONA.h
+++ b/Adafruit_MQTT_FONA.h
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class Adafruit_MQTT_FONA : public Adafruit_MQTT {
     return len;
   }
 
-  bool sendPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint8_t len) {
+  bool sendPacket(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t len) {
     DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Writing packet"));
     if (fona->TCPconnected()) {
       boolean ret = fona->TCPsend((char *)buffer, len);