diff --git a/include/net/mqtt.h b/include/net/mqtt.h
index 3fb4c2ae424..28603edc11c 100644
--- a/include/net/mqtt.h
+++ b/include/net/mqtt.h
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ int mqtt_rx_connack(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx,
 /**
  * @brief mqtt_rx_puback	Parses and validates the MQTT PUBACK message
  * @param [in] ctx		MQTT context structure
- * @param [in] rx		RX buffer from the IP stack
+ * @param [in] rx		Data buffer
  * @return			0 on success
  * @return			-EINVAL on error
  */
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ int mqtt_rx_puback(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx);
 /**
  * @brief mqtt_rx_pubcomp	Parses and validates the MQTT PUBCOMP message
  * @param [in] ctx		MQTT context structure
- * @param [in] rx		RX buffer from the IP stack
+ * @param [in] rx		Data buffer
  * @return			0 on success
  * @return			-EINVAL on error
  */
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ int mqtt_rx_pubcomp(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx);
 /**
  * @brief mqtt_rx_pubrec	Parses and validates the MQTT PUBREC message
  * @param [in] ctx		MQTT context structure
- * @param [in] rx		RX buffer from the IP stack
+ * @param [in] rx		Data buffer
  * @return			0 on success
  * @return			-EINVAL on error
  */
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ int mqtt_rx_pubrec(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx);
  * @brief mqtt_rx_pubrel	Parses and validates the MQTT PUBREL message
  * @details			rx is an RX buffer from the IP stack
  * @param [in] ctx		MQTT context structure
- * @param [in] rx		RX buffer from the IP stack
+ * @param [in] rx		Data buffer
  * @return			0 on success
  * @return			-EINVAL on error
  */
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ int mqtt_rx_pubrel(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx);
 /**
  * @brief mqtt_rx_pingresp	Parses the MQTT PINGRESP message
  * @param [in] ctx		MQTT context structure
- * @param [in] rx		RX buffer from the IP stack
+ * @param [in] rx		Data buffer
  * @return			0 on success
  * @return			-EINVAL on error
  */
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ int mqtt_rx_pingresp(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx);
 /**
  * @brief mqtt_rx_suback	Parses the MQTT SUBACK message
  * @param [in] ctx		MQTT context structure
- * @param [in] rx		RX buffer from the IP stack
+ * @param [in] rx		Data buffer
  * @return			0 on success
  * @return			-EINVAL on error
  */
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ int mqtt_rx_suback(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx);
 /**
  * @brief mqtt_rx_unsuback	Parses the MQTT UNSUBACK message
  * @param [in] ctx		MQTT context structure
- * @param [in] rx		RX buffer from the IP stack
+ * @param [in] rx		Data buffer
  * @return			0 on success
  * @return			-EINVAL on error
  */
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ int mqtt_rx_unsuback(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx);
 /**
  * @brief mqtt_rx_publish	Parses the MQTT PUBLISH message
  * @param [in] ctx		MQTT context structure
- * @param [in] rx		RX buffer from the IP stack
+ * @param [in] rx		Data buffer
  * @return			0 on success
  * @return			-EINVAL on error
  * @return			-ENOMEM if no data buffer is available
diff --git a/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt.c b/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt.c
index 6ac7d2366a4..e4dabecb309 100644
--- a/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt.c
+++ b/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt.c
@@ -31,15 +31,7 @@
  */
 NET_BUF_POOL_DEFINE(mqtt_msg_pool, MQTT_BUF_CTR, MSG_SIZE, 0, NULL);
 
-int mqtt_init(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, enum mqtt_app app_type)
-{
-	ctx->app_type = app_type;
-
-	/* So far, only clean session = 1 is supported */
-	ctx->clean_session = 1;
-
-	return 0;
-}
+#define MQTT_PUBLISHER_MIN_MSG_SIZE	2
 
 int mqtt_tx_connect(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct mqtt_connect_msg *msg)
 {
@@ -393,12 +385,10 @@ int mqtt_rx_connack(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx, int clean_session)
 	uint8_t *data;
 	int rc;
 
-	data = net_nbuf_appdata(rx);
-	len = net_nbuf_appdatalen(rx);
+	data = rx->data;
+	len = rx->len;
 
-	/* CONNACK is only 4 bytes len, so it is assumed
-	 * that net buf traversing is not required here
-	 */
+	/* CONNACK is 4 bytes len */
 	rc = mqtt_unpack_connack(data, len, &session, &connect_rc);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		rc = -EINVAL;
@@ -479,8 +469,8 @@ int mqtt_rx_pub_msgs(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	data = net_nbuf_appdata(rx);
-	len = net_nbuf_appdatalen(rx);
+	data = rx->data;
+	len = rx->len;
 
 	/* 4 bytes message */
 	rc = unpack(data, len, &pkt_id);
@@ -540,17 +530,12 @@ int mqtt_rx_pubrel(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx)
 
 int mqtt_rx_pingresp(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx)
 {
-	uint8_t *data;
-	uint16_t len;
 	int rc;
 
 	ARG_UNUSED(ctx);
 
-	data = net_nbuf_appdata(rx);
-	len = net_nbuf_appdatalen(rx);
-
 	/* 2 bytes message */
-	rc = mqtt_unpack_pingresp(data, len);
+	rc = mqtt_unpack_pingresp(rx->data, rx->len);
 
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -568,8 +553,8 @@ int mqtt_rx_suback(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx)
 	uint8_t *data;
 	int rc;
 
-	data = net_nbuf_appdata(rx);
-	len = net_nbuf_appdatalen(rx);
+	data = rx->data;
+	len = rx->len;
 
 	rc = mqtt_unpack_suback(data, len, &pkt_id, &items,
 				CONFIG_MQTT_SUBSCRIBE_MAX_TOPICS, suback_qos);
@@ -596,8 +581,8 @@ int mqtt_rx_unsuback(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx)
 	uint8_t *data;
 	int rc;
 
-	data = net_nbuf_appdata(rx);
-	len = net_nbuf_appdatalen(rx);
+	data = rx->data;
+	len = rx->len;
 
 	/* 4 bytes message */
 	rc = mqtt_unpack_unsuback(data, len, &pkt_id);
@@ -644,9 +629,158 @@ int mqtt_rx_publish(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx)
 		break;
 	default:
 		rc = -EINVAL;
-		break;
 	}
 
 	return rc;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief mqtt_linearize_buffer		Linearize an IP fragmented buffer
+ * @param [in] ctx			MQTT context structure
+ * @param [in] rx			RX IP stack buffer
+ * @param [in] min_size			Min message size allowed. This allows us
+ *					to exit if the rx buffer is shorter
+ *					than the expected msg size
+ * @return				Data buffer
+ * @return				NULL on error
+ */
+static
+struct net_buf *mqtt_linearize_buffer(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx,
+				      uint16_t min_size)
+{
+	struct net_buf *data = NULL;
+	uint16_t data_len;
+	uint16_t offset;
+	int rc;
+
+	data = net_buf_alloc(&mqtt_msg_pool, ctx->net_timeout);
+	if (data == NULL) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	/* CONFIG_MQTT_MSG_MAX_SIZE is defined via Kconfig. So here it's
+	 * determined if the input buffer could fit our data buffer or if
+	 * it has the expected size.
+	 */
+	data_len = net_nbuf_appdatalen(rx);
+	if (data_len < min_size || data_len > CONFIG_MQTT_MSG_MAX_SIZE) {
+		goto exit_error;
+	}
+
+	offset = net_buf_frags_len(rx) - data_len;
+	rc = net_nbuf_linear_copy(data, rx, offset, data_len);
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		goto exit_error;
+	}
+
+	return data;
+
+exit_error:
+	net_nbuf_unref(data);
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief mqtt_publisher_parser	Calls the appropriate rx routine for the MQTT
+ *				message contained in rx
+ * @param ctx			MQTT context
+ * @param rx			RX buffer
+ * @return			0 on success
+ * @return			-EINVAL if an unknown message is received
+ * @return			-ENOMEM if no data buffer is available
+ * @return			mqtt_rx_connack, mqtt_rx_puback, mqtt_rx_pubrec,
+ *				mqtt_rx_pubcomp, and mqtt_rx_pingresp
+ *				return codes
+ */
+static
+int mqtt_publisher_parser(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, struct net_buf *rx)
+{
+	uint16_t pkt_type = MQTT_INVALID;
+	struct net_buf *data = NULL;
+	int rc = -EINVAL;
+
+	data = mqtt_linearize_buffer(ctx, rx, MQTT_PUBLISHER_MIN_MSG_SIZE);
+	if (!data) {
+		rc = -ENOMEM;
+		goto exit_parser;
+	}
+
+	pkt_type = MQTT_PACKET_TYPE(data->data[0]);
+
+	switch (pkt_type) {
+	case MQTT_CONNACK:
+		if (!ctx->connected) {
+			rc = mqtt_rx_connack(ctx, data, ctx->clean_session);
+		} else {
+			rc = -EINVAL;
+		}
+		break;
+	case MQTT_PUBACK:
+		rc = mqtt_rx_puback(ctx, data);
+		break;
+	case MQTT_PUBREC:
+		rc = mqtt_rx_pubrec(ctx, data);
+		break;
+	case MQTT_PUBCOMP:
+		rc = mqtt_rx_pubcomp(ctx, data);
+		break;
+	case MQTT_PINGRESP:
+		rc = mqtt_rx_pingresp(ctx, data);
+		break;
+	default:
+		rc = -EINVAL;
+		break;
+	}
+
+exit_parser:
+	/* TODO: add error handling via a user provided callback */
+
+	net_nbuf_unref(data);
+
+	return rc;
+}
+
+static
+void mqtt_recv(struct net_context *net_ctx, struct net_buf *buf, int status,
+	       void *data)
+{
+	struct mqtt_ctx *mqtt = (struct mqtt_ctx *)data;
+
+	/* net_ctx is already referenced to by the mqtt_ctx struct */
+	ARG_UNUSED(net_ctx);
+
+	if (status != 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	mqtt->rcv(mqtt, buf);
+	net_nbuf_unref(buf);
+}
+
+int mqtt_init(struct mqtt_ctx *ctx, enum mqtt_app app_type)
+{
+	/* So far, only clean session = 1 is supported */
+	ctx->clean_session = 1;
+	ctx->connected = 0;
+
+	/* Install the receiver callback, timeout is set to K_NO_WAIT.
+	 * In this case, no return code is evaluated.
+	 */
+	(void)net_context_recv(ctx->net_ctx, mqtt_recv, K_NO_WAIT, ctx);
+
+	ctx->app_type = app_type;
+
+	switch (ctx->app_type) {
+	case MQTT_APP_PUBLISHER:
+		ctx->rcv = mqtt_publisher_parser;
+		break;
+	case MQTT_APP_SUBSCRIBER:
+		ctx->rcv = NULL;
+		break;
+	default:
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt_pkt.h b/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt_pkt.h
index d431c0aff14..5fe5b202825 100644
--- a/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt_pkt.h
+++ b/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt_pkt.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 
 #include <net/mqtt_types.h>
 
+#define MQTT_PACKET_TYPE(first_byte)	(((first_byte) & 0xF0) >> 4)
+
 /**
  * @brief mqtt_pack_connack	Packs the MQTT CONNACK message
  * @details			See MQTT 3.2 CONNACK - Acknowledge connection