diff --git a/src/mqtt.cpp b/src/mqtt.cpp
index e414daa1b..4cf6cb60e 100644
--- a/src/mqtt.cpp
+++ b/src/mqtt.cpp
@@ -461,10 +461,12 @@ void Mqtt::start() {
     mqttClient_->onConnect([this](bool sessionPresent) { on_connect(); });
 
     mqttClient_->onDisconnect([this](AsyncMqttClientDisconnectReason reason) {
-        if (!connecting_) {
+        // only show the error once, not every 2 seconds
+        if (!connecting_ && first_connect_attempted_) {
             return;
         }
-        connecting_ = false;
+        first_connect_attempted_ = true;
+        connecting_              = false;
         if (reason == AsyncMqttClientDisconnectReason::TCP_DISCONNECTED) {
             LOG_WARNING("MQTT disconnected: TCP");
         } else if (reason == AsyncMqttClientDisconnectReason::MQTT_IDENTIFIER_REJECTED) {
diff --git a/src/mqtt.h b/src/mqtt.h
index 16f607145..8de219c11 100644
--- a/src/mqtt.h
+++ b/src/mqtt.h
@@ -297,6 +297,8 @@ class Mqtt {
     uint32_t last_publish_heartbeat_  = 0;
     uint32_t last_publish_queue_      = 0;
 
+    bool first_connect_attempted_ = false;
+
     static bool     connecting_;
     static bool     initialized_;
     static uint32_t mqtt_publish_fails_;