diff --git a/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.cpp b/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.cpp
index 60d81be..d089742 100755
--- a/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.cpp
+++ b/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.cpp
@@ -421,10 +421,25 @@ boolean PubSubClient::write(uint8_t header, uint8_t* buf, uint16_t length) {
     for (int i=0;i<llen;i++) {
         buf[5-llen+i] = lenBuf[i];
     }
-    rc = _client->write(buf+(4-llen),length+1+llen);
 
+#ifdef MQTT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE
+    uint8_t* writeBuf = buf+(4-llen);
+    uint8_t bytesRemaining = length+1+llen;
+    uint8_t bytesToWrite;
+    boolean result = true;
+    while((bytesRemaining > 0) && result) {
+        bytesToWrite = (bytesRemaining > MQTT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE)?MQTT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE:bytesRemaining;
+        rc = _client->write(writeBuf,bytesToWrite);
+        result = (rc == bytesToWrite);
+        bytesRemaining -= rc;
+        writeBuf += rc;
+    }
+    return result;
+#else
+    rc = _client->write(buf+(4-llen),length+1+llen);
     lastOutActivity = millis();
     return (rc == 1+llen+length);
+#endif
 }
 
 boolean PubSubClient::subscribe(const char* topic) {
@@ -506,8 +521,9 @@ boolean PubSubClient::connected() {
         if (!rc) {
             if (this->_state == MQTT_CONNECTED) {
                 this->_state = MQTT_CONNECTION_LOST;
+                _client->flush();
+                _client->stop();
             }
-            _client->stop();
         }
     }
     return rc;
diff --git a/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.h b/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.h
index 5c2e5b6..6a967c7 100755
--- a/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.h
+++ b/PubSubClient/src/PubSubClient.h
@@ -19,13 +19,17 @@
 //#define MQTT_VERSION MQTT_VERSION_3_1
 #define MQTT_VERSION MQTT_VERSION_3_1_1
 
-
 // MQTT_MAX_PACKET_SIZE : Maximum packet size
 #define MQTT_MAX_PACKET_SIZE 128
 
 // MQTT_KEEPALIVE : keepAlive interval in Seconds
 #define MQTT_KEEPALIVE 15
 
+// MQTT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE : limit how much data is passed to the network client
+//  in each write call. Needed for the Arduino Wifi Shield. Leave undefined to
+//  pass the entire MQTT packet in each write call.
+//#define MQTT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE 80
+
 // Possible values for client.state()
 #define MQTT_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT     -4
 #define MQTT_CONNECTION_LOST        -3