diff --git a/services/connect/bridge.go b/services/connect/bridge.go
index 4f83295..40167a1 100644
--- a/services/connect/bridge.go
+++ b/services/connect/bridge.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package connect
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"context"
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -86,33 +88,27 @@ func (b *Bridge) connect() {
 		resp, err := http.Get(b.url + "/events?client_id=" + b.id)
 		if err != nil || resp.StatusCode != 200 {
 			b.connected = false
-			fmt.Println("bridge", b.name, "can't connect", err)
+			fmt.Printf("bridge %s can't connect: %v\n", b.name, err)
 			time.Sleep(time.Second * 10)
 			continue
-		} else {
-			b.connected = true
 		}
-		for {
-			var event string
-			var data string
-			_, err := fmt.Fscanf(resp.Body, "%s %s", &event, &data)
-			if err != nil {
-				if err.Error() == "unexpected newline" {
-					continue
-				}
-				fmt.Println("bridge", b.name, err)
-				b.connected = false
-				b.reconnectCounter++
-				break
-			}
-			if event == "data:" {
+		b.connected = true
+		scanner := bufio.NewScanner(resp.Body)
+		for scanner.Scan() {
+			line := scanner.Text()
+			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "data:") {
+				data := strings.TrimPrefix(line, "data: ")
 				select {
 				case b.data <- data:
 				default:
-
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if err = scanner.Err(); err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+			fmt.Printf("bridge %s error: %v\n", b.name, err)
+			b.connected = false
+			b.reconnectCounter++
+		}
 		time.Sleep(time.Second * 10)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/services/connect/bridge_test.go b/services/connect/bridge_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d6576a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/connect/bridge_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package connect
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// TestBridgeForceReconnect tests that the bridge will reconnect if the server is down
+func TestBridgeForceReconnect(t *testing.T) {
+	var (
+		mu           sync.Mutex
+		messageCount int
+		reconnects   int
+		serverDown   bool
+	)
+
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		mu.Lock()
+		defer mu.Unlock()
+
+		if serverDown {
+			http.Error(w, "Server down", http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+			return
+		}
+
+		if r.Method == http.MethodPost && r.URL.Path == "/message" {
+			clientID := r.URL.Query().Get("client_id")
+			to := r.URL.Query().Get("to")
+			ttl := r.URL.Query().Get("ttl")
+			var payload string
+			if r.Body != nil {
+				b, err := io.ReadAll(r.Body)
+				if err == nil {
+					payload = string(b)
+				}
+			}
+			fmt.Printf("Received POST request to /message: client_id=%v, to=%v, ttl=%v, payload=%v\n", clientID, to, ttl, payload)
+			messageCount++
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+
+		} else if r.URL.Path == "/events" {
+			b, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]string{"from": "test_client", "message": "test_message"})
+			w.Write([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("data: %v\n", string(b))))
+
+		} else {
+			http.Error(w, "Not found", http.StatusNotFound)
+		}
+
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	bridge := NewBridge("test", server.URL)
+
+	// Simulate the server going down and coming back up
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			time.Sleep(10 * time.Second) // Simulate the server being up for 10 seconds
+			mu.Lock()
+			serverDown = true // Simulate the server going down
+			mu.Unlock()
+			time.Sleep(time.Second) // Give the bridge time to reconnect
+			mu.Lock()
+			serverDown = false        //  Simulate the server coming back up
+			bridge.connected = false  // Force the bridge to reconnect
+			bridge.reconnectCounter++ // Increment the reconnect counter
+			reconnects++
+			mu.Unlock()
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// Run the test for 1 minute
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Minute)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(5 * time.Second)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			metrics := bridge.GetMetrics(context.Background())
+			if metrics.Reconnects != reconnects {
+				t.Errorf("Expected %d reconnects, but got %v", reconnects, metrics.Reconnects)
+			}
+			return
+
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			bridge.GetMetrics(context.Background())
+		}
+	}
+}