diff --git a/application/src/integrationTest/resources/application.yaml b/application/src/integrationTest/resources/application.yaml
index 6865a9b..c46fea9 100644
--- a/application/src/integrationTest/resources/application.yaml
+++ b/application/src/integrationTest/resources/application.yaml
@@ -31,14 +31,20 @@ security:
     provider: SunRsaSign
     signature: SHA256withRSA
 
-topics:
-#  short circuit configuration: topics are linked back to the same proxy instance
+kafka:
+  #  short circuit configuration: topics are linked back to the same proxy instance
   outgoing:
-    requests: requests
-    responses: responses
+    requests:
+      topic: requests
+    responses:
+      topic: responses
   incoming:
-    requests: requests
-    responses: responses
+    requests:
+      topic: requests
+      concurrency: 1
+    responses:
+      topic: responses
+      concurrency: 1
 
 soap:
   call-endpoint:
diff --git a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/listeners/ProxyRequestKafkaListener.kt b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/listeners/ProxyRequestKafkaListener.kt
index 2ad3a92..a5aafa7 100644
--- a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/listeners/ProxyRequestKafkaListener.kt
+++ b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/listeners/ProxyRequestKafkaListener.kt
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ import org.springframework.stereotype.Component
 class ProxyRequestKafkaListener(private val platformCommunicationService: PlatformCommunicationService) {
     private val logger = KotlinLogging.logger { }
 
-    @KafkaListener(topics = ["\${topics.incoming.requests}"], id = "gxf-request-consumer")
+    @KafkaListener(
+        id = "gxf-request-consumer",
+        topics = ["\${kafka.incoming.requests.topic}"],
+        concurrency = "\${kafka.incoming.requests.concurrency}"
+    )
     fun consume(record: ConsumerRecord<String, String>) {
         logger.debug { "Received request: ${record.key()}, ${record.value()}" }
         val requestMessage = ProxyServerRequestMessage.createInstanceFromString(record.value())
diff --git a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/listeners/ProxyResponseKafkaListener.kt b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/listeners/ProxyResponseKafkaListener.kt
index 95191bb..fe2d3e7 100644
--- a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/listeners/ProxyResponseKafkaListener.kt
+++ b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/listeners/ProxyResponseKafkaListener.kt
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ import org.springframework.stereotype.Component
 class ProxyResponseKafkaListener(private val clientCommunicationService: ClientCommunicationService) {
     private val logger = KotlinLogging.logger { }
 
-    @KafkaListener(topics = ["\${topics.incoming.responses}"], id = "gxf-response-consumer")
+    @KafkaListener(
+        id = "gxf-response-consumer",
+        topics = ["\${kafka.incoming.responses.topic}"],
+        concurrency = "\${kafka.incoming.responses.concurrency}"
+    )
     fun consume(record: ConsumerRecord<String, String>) {
         logger.debug { "Received response: ${record.key()}, ${record.value()}" }
         val responseMessage = ProxyServerResponseMessage.createInstanceFromString(record.value())
diff --git a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/properties/TopicsConfigurationProperties.kt b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/properties/TopicsConfigurationProperties.kt
index 2eb613f..1561a83 100644
--- a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/properties/TopicsConfigurationProperties.kt
+++ b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/properties/TopicsConfigurationProperties.kt
@@ -6,13 +6,16 @@ package org.gxf.soapbridge.kafka.properties
 
 import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.ConfigurationProperties
 
-@ConfigurationProperties("topics")
+@ConfigurationProperties("kafka")
 class TopicsConfigurationProperties(
-    val outgoing: RequestResponseTopics,
-    val incoming: RequestResponseTopics
+    val outgoing: OutgoingTopicsConfiguration,
 )
 
-class RequestResponseTopics(
-    val requests: String,
-    val responses: String
+class OutgoingTopicsConfiguration(
+    val requests: OutgoingTopic,
+    val responses: OutgoingTopic
 )
+
+class OutgoingTopic(
+    val topic: String
+)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/senders/ProxyRequestKafkaSender.kt b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/senders/ProxyRequestKafkaSender.kt
index 9c620a1..96fc475 100644
--- a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/senders/ProxyRequestKafkaSender.kt
+++ b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/senders/ProxyRequestKafkaSender.kt
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class ProxyRequestKafkaSender(
 ) {
     private val logger = KotlinLogging.logger {}
 
-    private val topic = topicConfiguration.outgoing.requests
+    private val topic = topicConfiguration.outgoing.requests.topic
 
     fun send(requestMessage: ProxyServerRequestMessage) {
         logger.debug { "SOAP payload: ${requestMessage.soapPayload} to $topic" }
diff --git a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/senders/ProxyResponseKafkaSender.kt b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/senders/ProxyResponseKafkaSender.kt
index d97a38e..0841fd2 100644
--- a/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/senders/ProxyResponseKafkaSender.kt
+++ b/application/src/main/kotlin/org/gxf/soapbridge/kafka/senders/ProxyResponseKafkaSender.kt
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class ProxyResponseKafkaSender(
 ) {
     private val logger = KotlinLogging.logger {}
 
-    private val topic = topicConfiguration.outgoing.responses
+    private val topic = topicConfiguration.outgoing.responses.topic
 
     fun send(responseMessage: ProxyServerResponseMessage) {
         logger.debug { "SOAP payload: ${responseMessage.soapResponse} to $topic" }
diff --git a/application/src/main/resources/application-dev.yml b/application/src/main/resources/application-dev.yml
index 99ecf0c..427a305 100644
--- a/application/src/main/resources/application-dev.yml
+++ b/application/src/main/resources/application-dev.yml
@@ -26,20 +26,22 @@ security:
     provider: SunRsaSign
     signature: SHA256withRSA
 
-topics:
-  calls:
-    requests: proxy-server-calls-requests
-    responses: proxy-server-calls-responses
-  notifications:
-    requests: proxy-server-notification-requests
-    responses: proxy-server-notification-responses
+kafka:
+  outgoing:
+    requests:
+      topic: proxy-server-calls-requests
+    responses:
+      topic: proxy-server-calls-responses
+  incoming:
+    requests:
+      topic: proxy-server-notification-requests
+      concurrency: 1
+    responses:
+      topic: proxy-server-notification-responses
+      concurrency: 1
 
 soap:
-  notification:
-    host: localhost
-    port: 443
-    protocol: https
-  platform:
+  call-endpoint:
     host: localhost
     port: 443
     protocol: https
diff --git a/application/src/test/java/org/gxf/soapbridge/soap/clients/SoapClientTest.java b/application/src/test/java/org/gxf/soapbridge/soap/clients/SoapClientTest.java
index 268a00a..20d4b89 100644
--- a/application/src/test/java/org/gxf/soapbridge/soap/clients/SoapClientTest.java
+++ b/application/src/test/java/org/gxf/soapbridge/soap/clients/SoapClientTest.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import java.net.ConnectException;
 import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import javax.net.ssl.HttpsURLConnection;
 import org.gxf.soapbridge.application.factories.HttpsUrlConnectionFactory;
 import org.gxf.soapbridge.application.services.SigningService;
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ class SoapClientTest {
       new SoapConfigurationProperties(
           HostnameVerificationStrategy.BROWSER_COMPATIBLE_HOSTNAMES,
           45,
-          "",
+          new HashMap<>(),
           new SoapEndpointConfiguration("localhost", 443, "https"));
 
   @InjectMocks SoapClient soapClient;