diff --git a/src/MQTTProtocolClient.c b/src/MQTTProtocolClient.c
index 78f4d7f21e7bbffbb68d2827a98593bbb3aa308a..8ed220ed3563784e7c2a134482268582df772d37 100644
--- a/src/MQTTProtocolClient.c
+++ b/src/MQTTProtocolClient.c
@@ -325,10 +325,8 @@ int MQTTProtocol_handlePublishes(void* pack, int sock)
 		rc = SOCKET_ERROR; /* queue acks? */
 	else if (publish->header.bits.qos == 1)
 	{
-	  /* send puback before processing the publications because a lot of return publications could fill up the socket buffer */
-	  rc = MQTTPacket_send_puback(publish->MQTTVersion, publish->msgId, &client->net, client->clientID);
-	  /* if we get a socket error from sending the puback, should we ignore the publication? */
 	  Protocol_processPublication(publish, client, 1);
+	  rc = MQTTPacket_send_puback(publish->MQTTVersion, publish->msgId, &client->net, client->clientID);
 	}
 	else if (publish->header.bits.qos == 2)
 	{
@@ -364,7 +362,6 @@ int MQTTProtocol_handlePublishes(void* pack, int sock)
 			already_received = 1;
 		} else
 			ListAppend(client->inboundMsgs, m, sizeof(Messages) + len);
-		rc = MQTTPacket_send_pubrec(publish->MQTTVersion, publish->msgId, &client->net, client->clientID);
 		if (m->MQTTVersion >= MQTTVERSION_5 && already_received == 0)
 		{
 			Publish publish1;
@@ -394,6 +391,7 @@ int MQTTProtocol_handlePublishes(void* pack, int sock)
 			}
 			memcpy(m->publish->payload, temp, m->publish->payloadlen);
 		}
+		rc = MQTTPacket_send_pubrec(publish->MQTTVersion, publish->msgId, &client->net, client->clientID);
 		publish->topic = NULL;
 	}
 exit:
@@ -558,8 +556,6 @@ int MQTTProtocol_handlePubrels(void* pack, int sock)
 			Publish publish;
 
 			memset(&publish, '\0', sizeof(publish));
-			/* send pubcomp before processing the publications because a lot of return publications could fill up the socket buffer */
-			rc = MQTTPacket_send_pubcomp(pubrel->MQTTVersion, pubrel->msgId, &client->net, client->clientID);
 			publish.header.bits.qos = m->qos;
 			publish.header.bits.retain = m->retain;
 			publish.msgId = m->msgid;
@@ -586,6 +582,7 @@ int MQTTProtocol_handlePubrels(void* pack, int sock)
 				ListRemove(&(state.publications), m->publish);
 			ListRemove(client->inboundMsgs, m);
 			++(state.msgs_received);
+			rc = MQTTPacket_send_pubcomp(pubrel->MQTTVersion, pubrel->msgId, &client->net, client->clientID);
 		}
 	}
 	if (pubrel->MQTTVersion >= MQTTVERSION_5)