diff --git a/Adafruit_MQTT.cpp b/Adafruit_MQTT.cpp
index 2e5b669..8f6d48c 100644
--- a/Adafruit_MQTT.cpp
+++ b/Adafruit_MQTT.cpp
@@ -562,111 +562,31 @@ Adafruit_MQTT_Subscribe *Adafruit_MQTT::handleSubscriptionPacket(uint16_t len) {
     return NULL;
   }
 
-  // Parse out length of packet.
-  // NOTE: This includes data in the variable header and the payload.
-  Serial.print("Remaining len (len -4 header bytes): ");
-  uint16_t remainingLen = len - 4; // subtract the 4 header bytes
-  Serial.println(remainingLen);
-  uint16_t topicoffset = packetAdditionalLen(remainingLen);
-  Serial.print("Topic offset (packetAdditionalLen): ");
-  Serial.println(topicoffset);
-  uint16_t topicstart = topicoffset + 4;
-  Serial.print("Topic start (offset + 4): ");
-  Serial.println(topicstart);
-
-
-  Serial.print("buf[2 + topicoffset]: '");
-  Serial.print(buffer[2 + topicoffset]);
-  Serial.print("' (");
-  Serial.print(buffer[2 + topicoffset], HEX);
-  Serial.println(")");
-  uint16_t msb = buffer[2 + topicoffset] << 8;
-  Serial.print("MSB (buf[2 + topicoffset] << 8): ");
-  Serial.println(msb);
-  uint16_t lsb = buffer[3 + topicoffset];
-  Serial.print("LSB (buf[3 + topicoffset]): ");
-  Serial.print(lsb);
-  Serial.print(" ('");
-  Serial.print(buffer[3 + topicoffset]);
-  Serial.print("' = 0x");
-  Serial.print(buffer[3 + topicoffset], HEX);
-  Serial.println(")");
-  uint16_t topiclen_sb = int(msb | lsb);
-  Serial.print("Topic length (msb | lsb): ");
-  Serial.println(topiclen_sb);
-
-  topiclen = int((buffer[2 + topicoffset]) << 8 | buffer[3 + topicoffset]);
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("Looking for subscription len "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(topiclen);
-
-
-  // NEW WORKING CODE:
-
-  // Parse variable length encoding
+  // Parse MQTT Remaining Length field (variable length encoding).
+  // This field can be 1-4 bytes, so we must parse it byte-by-byte.
+  // Each byte uses the lower 7 bits for data, and the MSB as a continuation flag.
+  // This loop advances 'offset' to the first byte after the remaining length field.
   uint32_t multiplier = 1;
-  DEBUG_PRINT("new technique - multiplier: 1");
   uint32_t value = 0;
   uint8_t encodedByte;
-  uint8_t offset = 1; // start after first header byte
+  uint8_t offset = 1; // Start after the fixed header byte
   do {
       encodedByte = buffer[offset++];
       value += (encodedByte & 127) * multiplier;
       multiplier *= 128;
+      // Infinite loop protection: MQTT spec allows max 4 bytes for this field
+      if (offset > 5) { // 1 (header) + 4 (max length bytes)
+          DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Bad MQTT packet: Remaining Length field too long / malformed"));
+          return NULL;
+      }
   } while ((encodedByte & 128) != 0);
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("new technique - value: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(value);
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("new technique - offset: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(offset);
 
-  // Now offset points to the first byte of topic length
+  // Now 'offset' points to the first byte of the topic length field.
+  // The topic length is always 2 bytes, big-endian.
   uint16_t new_msb = buffer[offset] << 8;
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("new technique - new_msb: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(new_msb);
   uint16_t new_lsb = buffer[offset + 1];
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("new technique - new_lsb: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(new_lsb);
-  uint16_t new_topiclen = new_msb | new_lsb;
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("new technique - new_topiclen: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(new_topiclen);
-  uint16_t new_topicstart = offset + 2;
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("new technique - new_topicstart: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(new_topicstart);
-  
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("Old topic offset (2 less) vs new topic offset: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINT(topicoffset);
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F(" vs "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(new_topicstart);
-  
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("Old topic start vs new topic start: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINT(topicstart);
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F(" vs "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(new_topicstart);
-  
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("Old topic len vs new topic len: "));
-  DEBUG_PRINT(topiclen);
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F(" vs "));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(new_topiclen);
-
-  topiclen = new_topiclen;
-  topicstart = new_topicstart;
-  /*
-  // Parse MQTT Remaining Length field (variable length encoding)
-uint8_t headerLen = 1;
-uint32_t remainingLen = 0;
-uint8_t multiplier = 1;
-uint8_t encodedByte;
-do {
-    encodedByte = buffer[headerLen++];
-    remainingLen += (encodedByte & 127) * multiplier;
-    multiplier *= 128;
-} while ((encodedByte & 128) != 0);
-
-// Now headerLen is the offset to the variable header
-uint16_t topiclen = (buffer[headerLen] << 8) | buffer[headerLen + 1];
-const char* topic = (const char*)&buffer[headerLen + 2];
-const uint8_t* payload = (const uint8_t*)&buffer[headerLen + 2 + topiclen];
-// payload length = remainingLen - (2 + topiclen [+2 for packet id if QoS > 0])
-  */
+  topiclen = new_msb | new_lsb;
+  uint16_t topicstart = offset + 2;
 
   // Find subscription associated with this packet.
   for (i = 0; i < MAXSUBSCRIPTIONS; i++) {