diff --git a/utils/mqtt_rider/rider_location_cache.py b/utils/mqtt_rider/rider_location_cache.py
index b7f59977..b07d4acc 100644
--- a/utils/mqtt_rider/rider_location_cache.py
+++ b/utils/mqtt_rider/rider_location_cache.py
@@ -23,27 +23,19 @@ def on_connect(client, userdata, flags, rc):
     #print("Connected with result code "+str(rc))
     # client.subscribe("$SYS/#")
 
-def user_data_set(userdata):
-    conn = redis.StrictRedis(host='localhost', port=6379, db=0)
-    return conn
-
 def on_publish(client, userdata, mid):
     pass
 
 def on_message(client, userdata, message):
-    # TODO: persist redis connection
-    redis_conn = user_data_set(userdata)
-    #print("message topic=", message.topic[0:10])
+    redis_conn = userdata['redis']
 
     topic_split = message.topic.split('/')
     if topic_split[0] != 'rider':
         return;
     payload_split = message.payload.split(':')
 
-    #print repr(message)
-    rider_long = str(res['longitude'])
-    rider_lat = str(res['latitude'])
+    rider_long = str(payload_split[1])
+    rider_lat = str(payload_split[0])
 
     # set the location
-    redis_conn.geoadd('rider_active', rider_long, rider_lat, topic_split[1])
-
+    redis_conn.geoadd('loc_rider_active', rider_long, rider_lat, topic_split[1])
diff --git a/utils/mqtt_rider/rider_location_cache.pyc b/utils/mqtt_rider/rider_location_cache.pyc
index a0fd917a..e8968436 100644
Binary files a/utils/mqtt_rider/rider_location_cache.pyc and b/utils/mqtt_rider/rider_location_cache.pyc differ
diff --git a/utils/mqtt_rider/riderloc.py b/utils/mqtt_rider/riderloc.py
index e2503f8c..2b810cca 100644
--- a/utils/mqtt_rider/riderloc.py
+++ b/utils/mqtt_rider/riderloc.py
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt
 import rider_location_cache as rlc
 import ssl
+import redis
 import logging
 
+redis_client = redis.StrictRedis(host='localhost', port=6379, db=0)
+userdata = {'redis': redis_client}
 
-client = mqtt.Client()
+client = mqtt.Client("", True, userdata)
 client.on_connect = rlc.on_connect
 # client.on_publish = on_publish
 client.on_message = rlc.on_message