diff --git a/index-standalone.js b/index-standalone.js
index ce8041d..c1fcc29 100644
--- a/index-standalone.js
+++ b/index-standalone.js
@@ -70,14 +70,34 @@ udpServer.on('message', (msg, rinfo) => {
 
     console.log(`📨 UDP message received from ${sourceIp}:${sourcePort}: "${message}"`);
 
-    if (message.startsWith('CLUSTER_HEARTBEAT:')) {
-      // Handle heartbeat messages that update member list
-      const hostname = message.substring('CLUSTER_HEARTBEAT:'.length);
-      updateNodeFromHeartbeat(sourceIp, sourcePort, hostname);
-    } else if (message.startsWith('NODE_UPDATE:')) {
-      // Handle node update messages that provide detailed node info
-      handleNodeUpdate(sourceIp, message);
-    } else if (!message.startsWith('RAW:')) {
+    // Extract topic by splitting on first ":"
+    const parts = message.split(':', 2);
+    if (parts.length < 2) {
+      console.log(`Invalid message format from ${sourceIp}:${sourcePort}: "${message}"`);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const topic = parts[0] + ':';
+    const payload = parts[1];
+
+    // Handler map for different UDP message types
+    const handlers = {
+      'cluster/heartbeat:': (payload, sourceIp, sourcePort) => {
+        updateNodeFromHeartbeat(sourceIp, sourcePort, payload);
+      },
+      'node/update:': (payload, sourceIp) => {
+        handleNodeUpdate(sourceIp, 'node/update:' + payload);
+      },
+      'raw:': () => {
+        // Ignore raw messages
+      }
+    };
+
+    // Look up and execute handler
+    const handler = handlers[topic];
+    if (handler) {
+      handler(payload, sourceIp, sourcePort);
+    } else {
       console.log(`Received unknown message from ${sourceIp}:${sourcePort}: "${message}"`);
     }
   } catch (error) {
@@ -919,7 +939,7 @@ function broadcastClusterUpdate() {
     // Get cluster members asynchronously
     getCurrentClusterMembers().then(members => {
       const clusterData = {
-        type: 'cluster_update',
+        topic: 'cluster/update',
         members: members,
         primaryNode: primaryNodeIp,
         totalNodes: discoveredNodes.size,
@@ -946,7 +966,7 @@ function broadcastNodeDiscovery(nodeIp, action) {
   if (wsClients.size === 0 || !wss) return;
 
   const eventData = {
-    type: 'node_discovery',
+    topic: 'node/discovery',
     action: action, // 'discovered' or 'stale'
     nodeIp: nodeIp,
     timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
@@ -1122,7 +1142,7 @@ const server = app.listen(PORT, '0.0.0.0', () => {
   initializeWebSocketServer(server);
   console.log('WebSocket server ready for real-time updates');
 
-  console.log('Waiting for CLUSTER_HEARTBEAT and NODE_UPDATE messages from SPORE nodes...');
+  console.log('Waiting for cluster/heartbeat and node/update messages from SPORE nodes...');
 });
 
 // Graceful shutdown handling
diff --git a/public/scripts/api-client.js b/public/scripts/api-client.js
index a947f8e..673644a 100644
--- a/public/scripts/api-client.js
+++ b/public/scripts/api-client.js
@@ -263,7 +263,8 @@ class WebSocketClient {
             try {
                 const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
                 logger.debug('WebSocket message received:', data);
-                logger.debug('WebSocket message type:', data.type);
+                const messageTopic = data.topic || data.type;
+                logger.debug('WebSocket message topic:', messageTopic);
                 this.emit('message', data);
                 this.handleMessage(data);
             } catch (error) {
@@ -288,21 +289,21 @@ class WebSocketClient {
     }
 
     handleMessage(data) {
-        switch (data.type) {
-            case 'cluster_update':
-                this.emit('clusterUpdate', data);
-                break;
-            case 'node_discovery':
-                this.emit('nodeDiscovery', data);
-                break;
-            case 'firmware_upload_status':
-                this.emit('firmwareUploadStatus', data);
-                break;
-            case 'rollout_progress':
-                this.emit('rolloutProgress', data);
-                break;
-            default:
-                logger.debug('Unknown WebSocket message type:', data.type);
+        const messageTopic = data.topic || data.type;
+        
+        // Handler map for different WebSocket message types
+        const handlers = {
+            'cluster/update': (data) => this.emit('clusterUpdate', data),
+            'node/discovery': (data) => this.emit('nodeDiscovery', data),
+            'firmware/upload/status': (data) => this.emit('firmwareUploadStatus', data),
+            'rollout/progress': (data) => this.emit('rolloutProgress', data)
+        };
+        
+        const handler = handlers[messageTopic];
+        if (handler) {
+            handler(data);
+        } else {
+            logger.debug('Unknown WebSocket message topic:', messageTopic);
         }
     }