diff --git a/crates/extensions/c8y_mapper_ext/src/actor.rs b/crates/extensions/c8y_mapper_ext/src/actor.rs
index abbd50628e..460acc11d1 100644
--- a/crates/extensions/c8y_mapper_ext/src/actor.rs
+++ b/crates/extensions/c8y_mapper_ext/src/actor.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use tedge_actors::Builder;
 use tedge_actors::ClientMessageBox;
 use tedge_actors::CloneSender;
 use tedge_actors::DynSender;
+use tedge_actors::LoggingReceiver;
 use tedge_actors::LoggingSender;
 use tedge_actors::MessageReceiver;
 use tedge_actors::MessageSink;
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ use tedge_uploader_ext::UploadRequest;
 use tedge_uploader_ext::UploadResult;
 use tedge_utils::file::create_directory_with_defaults;
 use tedge_utils::file::FileError;
+use tokio::select;
 
 const SYNC_WINDOW: Duration = Duration::from_secs(3);
 
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ impl From<PublishMessage> for MqttMessage {
     }
 }
 
-fan_in_message_type!(C8yMapperInput[MqttMessage, FsWatchEvent, SyncComplete, PublishMessage] : Debug);
+fan_in_message_type!(C8yMapperInput[MqttMessage, FsWatchEvent, SyncComplete] : Debug);
 
 type C8yMapperOutput = MqttMessage;
 
@@ -79,6 +81,16 @@ pub struct C8yMapperActor {
     timer_sender: LoggingSender<SyncStart>,
     bridge_status_messages: SimpleMessageBox<MqttMessage, MqttMessage>,
     message_handlers: HashMap<ChannelFilter, Vec<LoggingSender<MqttMessage>>>,
+    /// Receiver for MqttMessages sent by other actors meant to be sent to MQTT actor to be published.
+    ///
+    /// Other actors may want to send MqttMessages but we want to ensure that the entity referred to in the message
+    /// topic exists; that's why we route them to the mapper rather than to MqttActor directly.
+    ///
+    /// Needs to be a separate receiver so that we can select! and drain the message queue ASAP. Otherwise
+    /// `process_mqtt_message` may involve sending messages to other actors, and if those other actors are blocked on
+    /// sending a `PublishMessage` because we're trying to send a message to them before processing their responses,
+    /// we'll hit a deadlock.
+    publish_messages: LoggingReceiver<PublishMessage>,
 }
 
 #[async_trait]
@@ -111,20 +123,28 @@ impl Actor for C8yMapperActor {
             .send(SyncStart::new(SYNC_WINDOW, ()))
             .await?;
 
-        while let Some(event) = self.messages.recv().await {
-            match event {
-                C8yMapperInput::MqttMessage(message) => {
-                    self.process_mqtt_message(message).await?;
-                }
-                C8yMapperInput::FsWatchEvent(event) => {
-                    self.process_file_watch_event(event).await?;
-                }
-                C8yMapperInput::SyncComplete(_) => {
-                    self.process_sync_timeout().await?;
-                }
-                C8yMapperInput::PublishMessage(message) => {
+        loop {
+            select! {
+                // in some tests may not be connected to the sender, so we need to ignore `None`
+                // here, but should get picked up by the main message box anyway
+                Some(message) = self.publish_messages.recv() => {
                     self.mqtt_publisher.send(message.0).await?;
                 }
+                event = self.messages.recv() => {
+                    let Some(event) = event else { break; };
+                    match event {
+                        C8yMapperInput::MqttMessage(message) => {
+                            self.process_mqtt_message(message).await?;
+                        }
+                        C8yMapperInput::FsWatchEvent(event) => {
+                            self.process_file_watch_event(event).await?;
+                        }
+                        C8yMapperInput::SyncComplete(_) => {
+                            self.process_sync_timeout().await?;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                else => break
             }
         }
         Ok(())
@@ -139,6 +159,7 @@ impl C8yMapperActor {
         timer_sender: LoggingSender<SyncStart>,
         bridge_status_messages: SimpleMessageBox<MqttMessage, MqttMessage>,
         message_handlers: HashMap<ChannelFilter, Vec<LoggingSender<MqttMessage>>>,
+        publish_messages: LoggingReceiver<PublishMessage>,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
             converter,
@@ -147,6 +168,7 @@ impl C8yMapperActor {
             timer_sender,
             bridge_status_messages,
             message_handlers,
+            publish_messages,
         }
     }
 
@@ -334,6 +356,7 @@ pub struct C8yMapperBuilder {
     uploader: ClientMessageBox<IdUploadRequest, IdUploadResult>,
     bridge_monitor_builder: SimpleMessageBoxBuilder<MqttMessage, MqttMessage>,
     message_handlers: HashMap<ChannelFilter, Vec<LoggingSender<MqttMessage>>>,
+    publish_message_box: SimpleMessageBoxBuilder<PublishMessage, PublishMessage>,
 }
 
 impl C8yMapperBuilder {
@@ -377,6 +400,8 @@ impl C8yMapperBuilder {
 
         let message_handlers = HashMap::new();
 
+        let publish_message_box = SimpleMessageBoxBuilder::new("PublishMessage", 16);
+
         Ok(Self {
             config,
             box_builder,
@@ -387,6 +412,7 @@ impl C8yMapperBuilder {
             downloader,
             bridge_monitor_builder,
             message_handlers,
+            publish_message_box,
         })
     }
 
@@ -421,7 +447,7 @@ impl MessageSource<MqttMessage, Vec<ChannelFilter>> for C8yMapperBuilder {
 
 impl MessageSink<PublishMessage> for C8yMapperBuilder {
     fn get_sender(&self) -> DynSender<PublishMessage> {
-        self.box_builder.get_sender().sender_clone()
+        self.publish_message_box.get_sender().sender_clone()
     }
 }
 
@@ -444,6 +470,9 @@ impl Builder<C8yMapperActor> for C8yMapperBuilder {
         let message_box = self.box_builder.build();
         let bridge_monitor_box = self.bridge_monitor_builder.build();
 
+        // discard the leftover sender; it was cloned to actors that want to send `PublishMessage`s in `connect_sink`
+        let (_, publish_messages) = self.publish_message_box.build().into_split();
+
         Ok(C8yMapperActor::new(
             converter,
             message_box,
@@ -451,6 +480,7 @@ impl Builder<C8yMapperActor> for C8yMapperBuilder {
             timer_sender,
             bridge_monitor_box,
             self.message_handlers,
+            publish_messages,
         ))
     }
 }