Discovery readded for every boot with different strategy

gaugemqttcontinuous.py

@@ -211,7 +211,6 @@ T_SET = f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/set"
 T_STATE = f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/state"
 T_STATUS = f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/status"
 T_ZERO = f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/zero"
-T_RESET_DISCOVERY = f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/resetdiscovery"
 
 T_DISC_GAUGE = f"homeassistant/number/{MQTT_CLIENT_ID}/config"
 T_DISC_RED = f"homeassistant/switch/{MQTT_CLIENT_ID}_red/config"
@@ -564,16 +563,7 @@ def on_message(topic, payload):
                 warn(f"Invalid set value: '{payload}'")
         return
 
-    if topic == T_RESET_DISCOVERY:
+
-        info("Reset discovery triggered")
-        try:
-            import uos
-            uos.remove(".discovery_ok")
-            info("Discovery flag file removed")
-        except:
-            pass
-        import machine
-        machine.reset()
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -584,7 +574,6 @@ def on_message(topic, payload):
 def _subscribe_all(c):
     c.subscribe(f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/set")
     c.subscribe(f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/zero")
-    c.subscribe(f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/resetdiscovery")
     for i in range(num_gauges):
         prefix = f"{MQTT_PREFIX}/gauge{i}"
         c.subscribe(f"{prefix}/set")
@@ -612,8 +601,6 @@ def connect_mqtt():
     client.set_callback(on_message)
     client.connect()
     client_ref = client
-    _subscribe_all(client)
-    
     _mqtt_connected = True
     info(f"MQTT connected  client_id={MQTT_CLIENT_ID}")
 
@@ -831,45 +818,19 @@ def main():
 
     connect_wifi(WIFI_SSID, WIFI_PASSWORD)
 
-    # Check if we need to publish discovery
+    # Connect MQTT (no subscriptions yet — keeps broker silent during discovery)
-    discovery_published = False
-    try:
-        with open(".discovery_ok", "r") as f:
-            content = f.read()
-            if content.strip() == "ok":
-                discovery_published = True
-                info("Discovery flag exists - skipping discovery")
-    except:
-        info("No discovery flag - will publish discovery")
-    
-    info(f"Discovery: {discovery_published}")
-
-    # Connect MQTT first (needed for discovery)
     connect_mqtt()
 
-    # Give MQTT time to process subscriptions
+    # Publish discovery — broker has nothing to send back yet
-    info("Processing initial MQTT messages...")
+    info("Publishing discovery...")
-    for i in range(50):
+    publish_discovery(client_ref)
+
+    # Subscribe now — retained messages will start arriving from here
+    _subscribe_all(client_ref)
+    info("Draining initial retained messages...")
+    for _ in range(50):
         client_ref.check_msg()
         utime.sleep_ms(20)
-    info("Done with initial processing")
-    
-    # Publish discovery if needed (before gauge initialization)
-    if not discovery_published:
-        info("Publishing discovery...")
-        publish_discovery(client_ref)
-        
-        # Write flag file
-        try:
-            with open(".discovery_ok", "w") as f:
-                f.write("ok")
-            info("Discovery flag file created")
-        except Exception as e:
-            warn(f"Could not write discovery flag: {e}")
-        
-        info("Discovery published, resetting...")
-        import machine
-        machine.reset()
 
     # Now initialize gauges
     info("Zeroing gauges on startup ...")