diff --git a/pkg/client/requests.go b/pkg/client/requests.go
index 1204f44..743c92d 100644
--- a/pkg/client/requests.go
+++ b/pkg/client/requests.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"p83.nl/go/ekster/pkg/microsub"
 	"p83.nl/go/ekster/pkg/sse"
 )
@@ -355,14 +354,31 @@ func (c *Client) MarkRead(channel string, uids []string) error {
 
 // Events open an event channel to the server.
 func (c *Client) Events() (chan sse.Message, error) {
-	res, err := c.microsubGetRequest("events", nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	ch, err := sse.Reader(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not create reader")
-	}
+
+	ch := make(chan sse.Message)
+
+	errorCounter := 0
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			res, err := c.microsubGetRequest("events", nil)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("could not request events: %s", err)
+				errorCounter++
+				if errorCounter > 5 {
+					break
+				}
+				continue
+			}
+
+			err = sse.Reader(res.Body, ch)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("could not create reader: %s", err)
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		close(ch)
+	}()
 
 	return ch, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/sse/events.go b/pkg/sse/events.go
index a14bdc8..cd654d5 100644
--- a/pkg/sse/events.go
+++ b/pkg/sse/events.go
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ func StartConnection(broker *Broker) (MessageChan, error) {
 	return messageChan, nil
 }
 
+type welcomeMessage struct {
+	Version string `json:"version"`
+}
+
 // WriteMessages writes SSE formatted messages to the writer
 func WriteMessages(w http.ResponseWriter, messageChan chan Message) error {
 	// Make sure that the writer supports flushing.
@@ -113,11 +117,19 @@ func WriteMessages(w http.ResponseWriter, messageChan chan Message) error {
 	w.Header().Set("Connection", "keep-alive")
 	w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*")
 
-	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, "event: welcome\r\n")
+	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, "event: started\r\n")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	_, err = fmt.Fprintf(w, "data: {\"key\":\"hello world\"}\r\n\r\n")
+
+	var welcomeMsg welcomeMessage
+	welcomeMsg.Version = "1.0.0"
+	encoded, err := json.Marshal(&welcomeMsg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not encode welcome message")
+	}
+
+	_, err = fmt.Fprintf(w, "data: %s", encoded)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -148,32 +160,28 @@ func WriteMessages(w http.ResponseWriter, messageChan chan Message) error {
 }
 
 // Reader returns a channel that contains parsed SSE messages.
-func Reader(body io.ReadCloser) (MessageChan, error) {
-	ch := make(MessageChan)
-
+func Reader(body io.ReadCloser, ch MessageChan) error {
 	r := bufio.NewScanner(body)
 	var msg Message
-	go func() {
-		for r.Scan() {
-			line := r.Text()
-			if line == "" {
-				ch <- msg
-				msg = Message{}
-				continue
-			}
-			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "event: ") {
-				line = line[len("event: "):]
-				msg.Event = line
-			}
-			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "data: ") {
-				line = line[len("data: "):]
-				msg.Data = line
-			}
-		}
-		if err := r.Err(); err != nil {
-			log.Printf("could not scanner lines from sse events: %+v", err)
-		}
-	}()
 
-	return ch, nil
+	for r.Scan() {
+		line := r.Text()
+		if line == "" {
+			ch <- msg
+			msg = Message{}
+			continue
+		}
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "event: ") {
+			line = line[len("event: "):]
+			msg.Event = line
+		}
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "data: ") {
+			line = line[len("data: "):]
+			msg.Data = line
+		}
+	}
+	if err := r.Err(); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not scan lines from sse events: %+v")
+	}
+	return nil
 }