Message brokering in a consuming broker device of a publish-subscribe system having at least one processor includes: designating in the consuming broker device a first producing broker device as a sole provider of messages having a topic to which the consuming broker device has subscribed; and in response to a determination that a measured livelihood of the first producing broker device is less than a defined threshold, designating with the consuming broker device a second producing broker device as the sole provider of the messages having the topic to the consuming broker device. The second producing broker device has a measured livelihood that is greater than the measured livelihood of the first producing broker device.