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This arrangement follows Docker’s multi-container model described in the Docker Compose documentation and Home Assistant’s container installation guidance at Home Assistant installation.
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MQTT is a lightweight publish/subscribe protocol: devices publish messages to topics and clients subscribe to the topics they need. Home Assistant acts as an MQTT client, while Mosquitto is the broker that receives and forwards those messages. Home Assistant describes MQTT as a machine-to-machine connectivity protocol running on TCP/IP and designed for extremely lightweight publish/subscribe transport; see the MQTT integration documentation.
The two containers should share a user-defined Docker network. Docker’s internal DNS then resolves the Mosquitto service name, so Home Assistant connects to mosquitto:1883. localhost would mean the Home Assistant container itself, not the broker.
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- Home Assistant Container: the automation and dashboard application, with its persistent files mounted at
/config. - Mosquitto: the MQTT broker, with persistent configuration, message data, and logs.
- Shared network: allows service-name communication without sending internal traffic through the host.
- Port 1883: the normal MQTT listener. Publish it on the host only when clients outside the Compose network need it.
Prerequisites and project layout
Install Docker Engine and the Docker Compose plugin on the host. Choose a directory for the project and create the persistent directories before starting either service:
mkdir -p homeassistant mosquitto/config mosquitto/data mosquitto/logA simple layout is:
ha-mqtt/
compose.yaml
homeassistant/
mosquitto/
config/
data/
log/The directories are bind mounts, so replacing a container or pulling a newer image does not remove the application state stored on the host. Back up these directories before upgrades or large configuration changes.
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Configure Mosquitto with authentication
Create mosquitto/config/mosquitto.conf with a listener, password authentication, persistence, and file logging:
listener 1883
allow_anonymous false
password_file /mosquitto/config/passwordfile
persistence true
persistence_location /mosquitto/data/
log_dest file /mosquitto/log/mosquitto.logThis keeps unauthenticated clients off the broker. Port 1883 is not encrypted, so it is appropriate only on a trusted local network or an isolated Docker network. Add TLS when a broker connection crosses an untrusted network; do not expose an unauthenticated plaintext listener to the internet.
Create the password file interactively so the secret is not placed in shell history:
docker compose run --rm mosquitto mosquitto_passwd -c /mosquitto/config/passwordfile homeassistantEnter the password when prompted. The file is inside the mounted configuration directory and therefore survives container recreation. Keep it out of public repositories and protect the host directory with normal filesystem permissions.
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Create the Compose file
Save this as compose.yaml in the project directory:
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services:
mosquitto:
image: eclipse-mosquitto:2
container_name: mosquitto
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
- ./mosquitto/config:/mosquitto/config
- ./mosquitto/data:/mosquitto/data
- ./mosquitto/log:/mosquitto/log
ports:
- '1883:1883'
networks:
- ha_net
homeassistant:
image: ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable
container_name: homeassistant
restart: unless-stopped
depends_on:
- mosquitto
volumes:
- ./homeassistant:/config
- /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
ports:
- '8123:8123'
networks:
- ha_net
networks:
ha_net:
driver: bridgeThe depends_on entry starts Mosquitto before Home Assistant, but it does not prove that the broker is ready to accept connections. Home Assistant may retry while Mosquitto finishes starting.
Choose the right port exposure
The example publishes both the Home Assistant web port and MQTT port on the Docker host. If only containers need MQTT, remove the Mosquitto ports section; Home Assistant will still reach it at mosquitto:1883 over ha_net. If host-only tools need MQTT, bind the port to the host loopback interface instead:
ports:
- '127.0.0.1:1883:1883'If another process already uses host port 1883, you can publish a different host port such as 1884:1883. The internal Home Assistant setting remains port 1883; only clients connecting through the host use 1884.
Start the containers and open Home Assistant
- From the directory containing
compose.yaml, validate the rendered configuration:docker compose config - Start both services in the background:
docker compose up -d - Check service state and recent logs:
docker compose ps docker compose logs --tail=100 mosquitto docker compose logs --tail=100 homeassistant - Open
http://HOST:8123, replacingHOSTwith the Docker host name or address, and complete Home Assistant’s first-run account setup.
Do not delete the homeassistant directory when recreating containers: it contains Home Assistant’s configuration and database. Likewise, Mosquitto’s data and password file are in the mounted mosquitto directories.
Add the MQTT integration in Home Assistant
- Open Settings > Devices & services.
- Select Add Integration and search for MQTT.
- For the broker host, enter
mosquitto, notlocalhostand not the host machine’s address. - Enter port
1883, the username created inpasswordfile, and its password. - Submit the form and confirm that the MQTT integration appears as configured.
Home Assistant requires a broker that supports MQTT protocol version 5. The official Mosquitto broker supports MQTT 5. Home Assistant’s keep-alive default is 60 seconds; if a client setting is exposed, keep it at 15 seconds or higher.
For an external broker, use that broker’s DNS name or IP address, its listening port, and its authentication or TLS settings instead. The service name mosquitto works only for the Mosquitto service on the shared Compose network.
Verify publish and subscribe before adding devices
Testing first separates broker and network problems from device or discovery problems. With port 1883 published on the host and authentication enabled, run a subscriber in one terminal:
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mosquitto_sub -h 127.0.0.1 -p 1883 -u homeassistant -P 'your-password' -v -t 'homeassistant/#'In a second terminal, publish a test message:
mosquitto_pub -h 127.0.0.1 -p 1883 -u homeassistant -P 'your-password' -t 'homeassistant/switch/1/on' -m 'Switch is ON'The subscriber should print the topic and payload. Home Assistant’s documentation shows the same basic mosquitto_pub and mosquitto_sub pattern at the MQTT integration page; the username and password above are required because this configuration disables anonymous access.
To test entirely inside Docker when the host port is not published, run the clients from the Mosquitto container:
docker compose exec mosquitto mosquitto_sub -h 127.0.0.1 -p 1883 -u homeassistant -P 'your-password' -v -t 'homeassistant/#'
docker compose exec mosquitto mosquitto_pub -h 127.0.0.1 -p 1883 -u homeassistant -P 'your-password' -t 'homeassistant/test' -m 'hello'Home Assistant also exposes Configure controls for the MQTT integration. Use its publish control to send a packet and its listen control to subscribe to a topic when command-line clients are unavailable.
Use MQTT discovery to create entities
MQTT discovery is enabled by default. Its default topic prefix is homeassistant. A device first publishes a configuration payload to a discovery topic. Home Assistant then uses the state and command topics named in that payload.
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Switch topic pattern
A documented switch pattern is:
- Discovery configuration:
homeassistant/switch/irrigation/config - State:
homeassistant/switch/irrigation/state - Command:
homeassistant/switch/irrigation/set
An example configuration payload is:
{"name":"Irrigation","unique_id":"irrigation_switch_1","command_topic":"homeassistant/switch/irrigation/set","state_topic":"homeassistant/switch/irrigation/state","payload_on":"ON","payload_off":"OFF"}Publish the configuration as a retained message so Home Assistant can reconstruct the entity after a restart:
mosquitto_pub -h 127.0.0.1 -p 1883 -u homeassistant -P 'your-password' -r -t 'homeassistant/switch/irrigation/config' -m '{"name":"Irrigation","unique_id":"irrigation_switch_1","command_topic":"homeassistant/switch/irrigation/set","state_topic":"homeassistant/switch/irrigation/state","payload_on":"ON","payload_off":"OFF"}'The device should publish its state on the state topic and listen for commands on the command topic. Topic names and payload values must match the configuration exactly.
Handle Home Assistant restarts
Retained discovery configuration is the simplest recovery method. Another approach is for a device or automation to subscribe to homeassistant/status and republish its discovery configuration when Home Assistant announces online. This is useful when a device deliberately does not retain its configuration.
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To observe the birth message while diagnosing startup behavior:
mosquitto_sub -h 127.0.0.1 -p 1883 -u homeassistant -P 'your-password' -t 'homeassistant/status' -vDiscovery configuration is separate from live state. Ensure the device publishes current state after reconnecting so the entity reflects reality rather than only the last command.
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Authentication and reserved usernames
The password-file method above is the normal approach for a standalone Mosquitto container. The Home Assistant Mosquitto broker app has a different management interface: its documentation describes creating MQTT users through Settings > People > Users, and reserves the usernames homeassistant and addons in that app context. Do not assume those app controls edit the password file of an independently deployed Compose container.
Save broker credentials and app options before reinstalling or rebuilding. Home Assistant’s MQTT documentation warns that generated credentials are kept secret; losing them can require recreating the account and updating every client.
Network exposure and TLS
Port 1883 carries plaintext MQTT. Keep it on the private Compose network when possible, bind published access to loopback for local administration, and use firewall rules if other LAN clients must connect. For traffic over an untrusted network, configure Mosquitto with certificates and a TLS listener, then select the corresponding secure port and certificate options in Home Assistant. Do not treat a published Docker port as encrypted merely because the containers share a bridge network.
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- Back up
homeassistant/for Home Assistant configuration and its recorder database. - Back up
mosquitto/config/, includingpasswordfileandmosquitto.conf. - Back up
mosquitto/data/if retained MQTT messages and broker persistence matter to your deployment. - Include
mosquitto/log/when diagnosing failures, but rotate or prune logs so they do not consume the disk.
Stop or quiesce the services before a filesystem-level backup when consistency matters, and test that a backup can be restored to a separate directory.
Updates and ownership
Compose gives you a repeatable way to start, stop, and replace containers, but you still own image updates, configuration backups, credential rotation, and host security. Review logs after an image update and verify the MQTT test message before reconnecting all devices.
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Choose between a Compose broker and an external broker
| Decision axis | Mosquitto in the same Compose project | Broker on another host |
|---|---|---|
| Broker address | mosquitto on the shared Docker network |
External DNS name or IP address; exact value depends on that host |
| Network exposure | Can remain internal by omitting the MQTT ports mapping |
Requires network routing and an exposed broker listener |
| Authentication and TLS | Configured in the Mosquitto container and its mounted files | Configured and operated by whoever owns the external broker |
| Persistence and backup | Back up the Compose bind-mounted directories | Follow the external host’s storage and backup policy |
| Discovery behavior | Uses the default homeassistant prefix unless changed |
Home Assistant discovery is the same, but network reachability is an additional dependency |
| Operational ownership | You update both containers and the Docker host | You operate Home Assistant while another system may operate the broker |
There is no universal performance or cost advantage established for either arrangement. Choose the same-project option when you want a self-contained deployment and can maintain both services; choose an external broker when an existing, separately managed MQTT service is already required.
Troubleshoot the common failures
Home Assistant cannot connect to the broker
- Confirm both services are running with
docker compose ps. - Use
mosquittoas the hostname and1883as the internal port. Do not uselocalhostfrom Home Assistant. - Check that both services list
ha_netin the Compose file and recreate them after network changes withdocker compose up -d. - Read Mosquitto’s log for listener, password-file, or permission errors.
Connection refused from a host test
Verify that the MQTT ports mapping exists and that the host-side port is not already occupied. If you changed the mapping to 1884:1883, use port 1884 from the host; Home Assistant still uses 1883 internally.
Authentication fails
Check the username and password against the account in /mosquitto/config/passwordfile. Recreate or change the account with mosquitto_passwd, then restart Mosquitto:
docker compose restart mosquittoDo not add an anonymous fallback just to make a test pass; that hides the real credential problem and weakens the broker.
The integration reports an unsupported protocol
Use a broker with MQTT version 5 support. Mosquitto is the documented compatible choice for Home Assistant. Check the image and broker logs if a different broker or an old client is negotiating an incompatible protocol.
Discovery entities do not appear
- Confirm the configuration topic uses the
homeassistantprefix and ends in/config. - Validate that the payload is valid JSON and names the state and command topics correctly.
- Subscribe to
homeassistant/#to see whether the configuration message is arriving. - Retain the configuration message, or republish it when
homeassistant/statusannouncesonline. - Check that the device’s
unique_idis stable; changing it creates a different entity rather than updating the old one.
Data disappears after a rebuild
Inspect the bind mounts with docker compose config and confirm that the host directories are the ones being mounted. Recreating a container is safe only when its configuration and data live outside the container filesystem.
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Operational checklist
- Home Assistant and Mosquitto run as separate services on one shared Compose network.
- Home Assistant connects to
mosquitto:1883, never to its ownlocalhost. - Anonymous access is disabled and credentials are stored in the persistent password file.
- MQTT port 1883 is published only when a host or LAN client needs it.
- Home Assistant’s
/configand Mosquitto’s config, data, and log directories are backed up. - The MQTT integration is added through Settings > Devices & services.
- A publish/subscribe test succeeds before device troubleshooting begins.
- Discovery configuration is retained or republished after Home Assistant’s
onlinebirth message. - TLS is used whenever MQTT crosses an untrusted network.
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