diff --git a/src/mqtt_server.c b/src/mqtt_server.c
index f73da64..f2ea3b7 100644
--- a/src/mqtt_server.c
+++ b/src/mqtt_server.c
@@ -455,6 +455,11 @@ static void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR MQTT_ClientCon_recv_cb(void *arg, char *pdata, uns
 			MQTT_server_disconnectClientCon(clientcon);
 			return;
 		    }
+		    if (clientcon->connect_info.will_topic[0] == '$') {
+			MQTT_WARNING("MQTT: Last Will topic starts with '$'\r\n");
+			MQTT_server_disconnectClientCon(clientcon);
+			return;
+		    }
 		    MQTT_INFO("MQTT: LWT topic %s\r\n", clientcon->connect_info.will_topic);
 		} else {
 		    MQTT_ERROR("MQTT: Out of mem\r\n");
@@ -699,6 +704,11 @@ static void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR MQTT_ClientCon_recv_cb(void *arg, char *pdata, uns
 	    data_len = clientcon->mqtt_state.in_buffer_length;
 	    data = (uint8_t *) mqtt_get_publish_data(clientcon->mqtt_state.in_buffer, &data_len);
 
+	    if (topic_buffer[0] == '$') {
+		MQTT_WARNING("MQTT: Topic starts with '$'\r\n");
+		break;
+	    }
+
 	    MQTT_INFO("MQTT: Published topic \"%s\"\r\n", topic_buffer);
 	    MQTT_INFO("MQTT: Matches to:\r\n");
 
diff --git a/src/mqtt_topics.c b/src/mqtt_topics.c
index 0ac3358..58ecba1 100644
--- a/src/mqtt_topics.c
+++ b/src/mqtt_topics.c
@@ -146,12 +146,16 @@ int ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR Topics_matches(char *wildTopic, int wildcards, char *topic
 	goto exit;
     }
 
-    if (strcmp(wildTopic, MULTI_LEVEL_WILDCARD) == 0 ||	/* Hash matches anything... */
-	strcmp(wildTopic, topic) == 0) {
+    if (strcmp(wildTopic, topic) == 0) {
 	rc = true;
 	goto exit;
     }
 
+    if (strcmp(wildTopic, MULTI_LEVEL_WILDCARD) == 0) { /* Hash matches anything, but starting with '$'... */
+	rc = (topic[0] == '$') ? false : true;
+	goto exit;
+    }
+
     if (strcmp(wildTopic, "/#") == 0) {	/* Special case for /# matches anything starting with / */
 	rc = (topic[0] == '/') ? true : false;
 	goto exit;