diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 202a7da1..65125308 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ set (MOSQ_SRCS
 	conf.c
 	conf_includedir.c
 	context.c
+	control.c
 	database.c
 	handle_auth.c
 	handle_connack.c
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index f5433ac7..393b1dc5 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ OBJS=	mosquitto.o \
 		conf.o \
 		conf_includedir.o \
 		context.o \
+		control.o \
 		database.o \
 		handle_auth.o \
 		handle_connack.o \
@@ -102,6 +103,9 @@ conf_includedir.o : conf_includedir.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 context.o : context.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CPPFLAGS) $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
+control.o : control.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
+	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CPPFLAGS) $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+
 database.o : database.c mosquitto_broker_internal.h
 	${CROSS_COMPILE}${CC} $(BROKER_CPPFLAGS) $(BROKER_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
diff --git a/src/control.c b/src/control.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..069ad653
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/control.c
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2020 Roger Light <roger@atchoo.org>
+
+All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
+are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
+and Eclipse Distribution License v1.0 which accompany this distribution.
+ 
+The Eclipse Public License is available at
+   http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+and the Eclipse Distribution License is available at
+  http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php.
+ 
+Contributors:
+   Roger Light - initial implementation and documentation.
+*/
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include "mqtt_protocol.h"
+#include "mosquitto_broker_internal.h"
+
+/* Process messages coming in on $CONTROL/<feature>. These messages aren't
+ * passed on to other clients. */
+int control__process(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context, struct mosquitto_msg_store *stored)
+{
+	return MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS;
+}
diff --git a/src/handle_publish.c b/src/handle_publish.c
index ec7b3ead..f5d98df3 100644
--- a/src/handle_publish.c
+++ b/src/handle_publish.c
@@ -248,6 +248,13 @@ int handle__publish(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context)
 	}
 
 	log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_DEBUG, "Received PUBLISH from %s (d%d, q%d, r%d, m%d, '%s', ... (%ld bytes))", context->id, dup, msg->qos, msg->retain, msg->source_mid, msg->topic, (long)msg->payloadlen);
+
+	if(!strncmp(msg->topic, "$CONTROL/", 9)){
+		rc = control__process(db, context, msg);
+		db__msg_store_free(msg);
+		return rc;
+	}
+
 	if(msg->qos > 0){
 		db__message_store_find(context, msg->source_mid, &stored);
 	}
diff --git a/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h b/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
index d8950b29..a6344a51 100644
--- a/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
+++ b/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
@@ -697,6 +697,13 @@ void context__remove_from_by_id(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *conte
 
 int connect__on_authorised(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context, void *auth_data_out, uint16_t auth_data_out_len);
 
+
+/* ============================================================
+ * Control functions
+ * ============================================================ */
+int control__process(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context, struct mosquitto_msg_store *stored);
+
+
 /* ============================================================
  * Logging functions
  * ============================================================ */