diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index e5b5d4c..4bce2b1 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -30,19 +30,30 @@ Determine the IP address of your clock and execute the following script:
 </pre>
 
 ## Hardware Setup
+Mandatory:
 * GPIO2     LEDs
 * GPIO0	    Bootloader (at start)
 * GPIO0	    factory reset (long during operation)
+Optinal:
+* ADC       VT93N2, 48k  light resistor  
 
 ## MQTT Interface
+### Status
+* **basetopic**/brightness **Current brightness in percent**
+* **basetopic**/background **Current background color**
+* **basetopic**/row1 **Current background color**
+
+### Commands
 * **basetopic**/cmd/single
- * ON                       Set brightness to 100%
- * OFF                      Set brightness to 0%
- * 0-100                    Set brightness to given value
- * #rrggbb                  Bacground color is set to hex representation of red, green and blue
- * 0-255,0-255,0-255        Background color is set to decimal representation of red, green an blue
+  * ON **Set brightness to 100%**
+  * OFF **Set brightness to 0%**
+  * 0-100 **Set brightness to given value**
+  * #rrggbb **Background color is set to hex representation of red, green and blue**
+  * 0-255,0-255,0-255 **Background color is set to decimal representation of red, green an blue**
 * **basetopic**/cmd/telnet
- * ignored                  Stop MQTT server and start telnetserver at port 23
+  * ignored **Stop MQTT server and start telnetserver at port 23**
+* **basetopic**/cmd/row1
+  * 0-255,0-255,0-255 **Background color is set to decimal representation of red, green an blue**
 
 ## OpenHAB2
 Tested MQTT with binding-mqtt 2.5.x
diff --git a/displayword.lua b/displayword.lua
index d725b84..395ac6c 100644
--- a/displayword.lua
+++ b/displayword.lua
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ end
 local data={}
 
 -- Module displaying of the words
-local generateLEDs = function(words, colorBg, colorFg, colorMin1, colorMin2, colorMin3, colorMin4, invertRows, amountOfChars)
+local generateLEDs = function(words, colorBg, colorFg, colorMin1, colorMin2, colorMin3, colorMin4, invertRows, amountOfChars, row1bgColor)
  -- Set the local variables needed for the colored progress bar
  if (words == nil) then
    return nil
@@ -107,14 +107,20 @@ local generateLEDs = function(words, colorBg, colorFg, colorMin1, colorMin2, col
  -- Space / background has no color by default
  local space=string.char(0,0,0)
 
+ -- Background color must always be set
  if (colorBg ~= nil) then
   space = colorBg
+ else
+  colorBg = space
  end
 
  -- Set the foreground color as the default color
  local buf=data.colorFg
  local line=space
  -- line 1----------------------------------------------
+ if (row1bgColor ~= nil) then
+    space = row1bgColor
+ end
  if (words.it==1) then
     buf=drawLEDs(data,2) -- ES
   else
@@ -135,6 +141,11 @@ if (words.fiveMin== 1) then
     buf= buf .. space:rep(4)
  end
  -- line 2-- even row (so inverted) --------------------
+  if (row2bgColor ~= nil) then
+    space = row2bgColor
+  else
+    space = colorBg
+  end
  if (words.tenMin == 1) then
     line= drawLEDs(data,4) -- ZEHN
   else
diff --git a/main.lua b/main.lua
index 18abe65..014bf44 100644
--- a/main.lua
+++ b/main.lua
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ function displayTime()
             invertRows=true
         end
         local characters = displayword.countChars(words)
-        ledBuf = displayword.generateLEDs(words, colorBg, color, color1, color2, color3, color4, invertRows, characters)
+        ledBuf = displayword.generateLEDs(words, colorBg, color, color1, color2, color3, color4, invertRows, characters,
+				row1bgColor)
      end
      displayword = nil
      if (ledBuf ~= nil) then
diff --git a/mqtt.lua b/mqtt.lua
index 3b8e5f6..ad82d94 100644
--- a/mqtt.lua
+++ b/mqtt.lua
@@ -37,6 +37,28 @@ function handleSingleCommand(client, topic, data)
 
 end
 
+-- Parse MQTT data and extract color
+-- @param data MQTT information
+-- @param row string of the row e.g. "row1" used to publish current state
+function parseBgColor(data, row)
+  local red=nil
+  local green=nil
+  local blue=nil
+  if (data:sub(1,1) == "#") then
+    red = tonumber(data:sub(2,3), 16)
+    green = tonumber(data:sub(4,5), 16)
+    blue = tonumber(data:sub(6,7), 16)
+  else
+    red, green, blue = string.match(data, "(%d+),(%d+),(%d+)")
+  end
+  if ((red ~= nil) and (green ~= nil) and (blue ~= nil) ) then
+    m:publish(mqttPrefix .. "/"..row, tostring(red) .. "," .. tostring(green) .. "," .. tostring(blue), 0, 0)
+    return string.char(green * briPercent / 100, red * briPercent / 100, blue * briPercent / 100)
+  else
+    return nil
+  end
+end
+
 -- MQTT extension
 function registerMqtt()
     m = mqtt.Client("wordclock", 120)
@@ -58,6 +80,8 @@ function registerMqtt()
                 collectgarbage()
                 mydofile("telnet")
                 startTelnetServer()
+            elseif (string.match(topic, "row1$")) then
+                row1bgColor = parseBgColor(data, "row1")
             end
         end
       end