diff --git a/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_adaptor.go b/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_adaptor.go
index 19d9d39f..604c022d 100644
--- a/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_adaptor.go
+++ b/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_adaptor.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"io/ioutil"
 
+	"gobot.io/x/gobot"
+
 	paho "github.com/eclipse/paho.mqtt.golang"
 	multierror "github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
 )
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ type Adaptor struct {
 // NewAdaptor creates a new mqtt adaptor with specified host and client id
 func NewAdaptor(host string, clientID string) *Adaptor {
 	return &Adaptor{
-		name:          "MQTT",
+		name:          gobot.DefaultName("MQTT"),
 		Host:          host,
 		autoReconnect: false,
 		useSSL:        false,
diff --git a/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_driver.go b/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_driver.go
index 2389921c..5eab88d4 100644
--- a/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_driver.go
+++ b/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_driver.go
@@ -22,13 +22,16 @@ type Driver struct {
 // NewDriver returns a new Gobot MQTT Driver
 func NewDriver(a *Adaptor, topic string) *Driver {
 	m := &Driver{
-		name:       "MQTT",
+		name:       gobot.DefaultName("MQTT"),
 		topic:      topic,
 		connection: a,
 		Eventer:    gobot.NewEventer(),
 		Commander:  gobot.NewCommander(),
 	}
 
+	m.AddEvent(Data)
+	m.AddEvent(Error)
+
 	return m
 }
 
diff --git a/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_driver_test.go b/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_driver_test.go
index 27d07e30..e118f336 100644
--- a/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_driver_test.go
+++ b/platforms/mqtt/mqtt_driver_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package mqtt
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"gobot.io/x/gobot"
@@ -12,8 +13,8 @@ var _ gobot.Driver = (*Driver)(nil)
 func TestMqttDriver(t *testing.T) {
 	d := NewDriver(initTestMqttAdaptor(), "/test/topic")
 
-	gobottest.Assert(t, d.Name(), "MQTT")
-	gobottest.Assert(t, d.Connection().Name(), "MQTT")
+	gobottest.Assert(t, strings.HasPrefix(d.Name(), "MQTT"), true)
+	gobottest.Assert(t, strings.HasPrefix(d.Connection().Name(), "MQTT"), true)
 
 	gobottest.Assert(t, d.Start(), nil)
 	gobottest.Assert(t, d.Halt(), nil)
diff --git a/utils.go b/utils.go
index 19729a40..d5830a46 100644
--- a/utils.go
+++ b/utils.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package gobot
 
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
+	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"math/big"
 	"time"
@@ -55,3 +56,9 @@ func ToScale(input, min, max float64) float64 {
 		return i
 	}
 }
+
+// DefaultName returns a sensible random default name
+// for a robot, adaptor or driver
+func DefaultName(name string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s-%X", name, Rand(int(^uint(0)>>1)))
+}