diff --git a/publisher.go b/publisher.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e2a1af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/publisher.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"github.com/cyverse-de/messaging"
+)
+
+// JobUpdatePublisher is the interface for types that need to publish a job
+// update.
+type JobUpdatePublisher interface {
+	PublishJobUpdate(m *messaging.UpdateMessage) error
+	Reconnect() error
+	Close()
+}
+
+type DefaultJobUpdatePublisher struct {
+	uri      string
+	exchange string
+	client   *messaging.Client
+}
+
+func newMessagingClient(uri, exchange string, reconnect bool) (*messaging.Client, error) {
+	client, err := messaging.NewClient(uri, reconnect)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	client.SetupPublishing(exchange)
+
+	return client, nil
+}
+
+func NewDefaultJobUpdatePublisher(uri, exchange string) (*DefaultJobUpdatePublisher, error) {
+	client, err := newMessagingClient(uri, exchange, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	publisher := &DefaultJobUpdatePublisher{
+		uri:      uri,
+		exchange: exchange,
+		client:   client,
+	}
+	return publisher, nil
+}
+
+func (c *DefaultJobUpdatePublisher) PublishJobUpdate(m *messaging.UpdateMessage) error {
+	return c.client.PublishJobUpdate(m)
+}
+
+func (c *DefaultJobUpdatePublisher) Reconnect() error {
+	c.client.Close()
+
+	client, err := newMessagingClient(c.uri, c.exchange, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	c.client = client
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *DefaultJobUpdatePublisher) Close() {
+	c.client.Close()
+}