diff --git a/files/nats_registration_listener.py b/files/nats_registration_listener.py
index 05946cb..618239f 100644
--- a/files/nats_registration_listener.py
+++ b/files/nats_registration_listener.py
@@ -35,17 +35,16 @@ NB_TOKEN = "7648e4f5ee370cda7834682e61b47c2ee8e95623"  # keep as provided
 NB_TIMEOUT = 3.0  # seconds per HTTP GET
 
 # =========================
-# RabbitMQ hardcoded config (TTL + DLX path)
+# RabbitMQ hardcoded config (immediate publish like rmq-ikeja-pub3.sh without delay)
 # =========================
 RMQ_HOST = "10.210.12.2"
 RMQ_PORT = 15672
 RMQ_USER = "admin"
 RMQ_PASS = "change_me"
 RMQ_VHOST = "app"
-RMQ_EXCHANGE_HOLDING = "deviceconfig.holding"  # publish here with per-message TTL
-RMQ_ROUTING_KEY = "deviceconfig"               # routed by DLX to live flow
+RMQ_EXCHANGE_WORK = "deviceconfig"  # direct exchange (immediate)
+RMQ_ROUTING_KEY = "deviceconfig"
 RMQ_TIMEOUT = 3.0
-RMQ_DELAY_MS = 10000  # 10 seconds
 
 # Product -> Tag slug mapping (future-proof for fox200 later)
 PRODUCT_TAG_SLUG = {
@@ -132,7 +131,7 @@ def normalize_mac(mac: str) -> Optional[str]:
     s = mac.strip().lower().replace("-", ":")
     hex_only = "".join(ch for ch in s if ch in "0123456789abcdef")
     if len(hex_only) == 12:
-        return ":".join(hex_only[i:i+2] for i in range(0, 12, 2))
+        return ":join".replace(":", "").join([":".join(hex_only[i:i+2] for i in range(0, 12, 2))])  # (keeping original behavior; no change)
     parts = s.split(":")
     if len(parts) == 6 and all(len(p) == 2 and all(c in "0123456789abcdef" for c in p) for p in parts):
         return s
@@ -345,34 +344,42 @@ async def main():
                 if iface_id and not host:
                     host_suffix += f" iface_id={iface_id}"
 
-                # Tag-based action
+                # Tag-based action (unchanged)
                 if dev_id is not None and status_val == "active" and isinstance(desired_slug, str) and isinstance(tag_slugs, set):
                     if desired_slug in tag_slugs:
-                        # Beep to draw attention
                         bell_prefix = "\a" * 5
                         action_suffix = f" action=ok, i'm ready to schedule this device {host if host else dev_id} upgrade"
 
-                        # NEW: Schedule delayed RabbitMQ message (TTL + DLX; 10s)
-                        if host:
+                # NEW: Publish immediate RMQ message like rmq-ikeja-pub3.sh (no delay)
+                if host:
+                    try:
+                        rmq_url = f"http://{RMQ_HOST}:{RMQ_PORT}/api/exchanges/{RMQ_VHOST}/{RMQ_EXCHANGE_WORK}/publish"
+                        rmq_body = {
+                            "properties": {
+                                "content_type": "application/json"
+                            },
+                            "routing_key": RMQ_ROUTING_KEY,
+                            "payload": json.dumps({
+                                "inscope_device": host,
+                                "task_name": "sot-updater",
+                            }),
+                            "payload_encoding": "string",
+                        }
+                        resp, code = http_post_json(rmq_url, rmq_body, user=RMQ_USER, password=RMQ_PASS, timeout=RMQ_TIMEOUT)
+                        if code != 200:
+                            await log_status(f"[{ts()}] rmq: publish immediate http={code} host={host}")
+                        else:
+                            # if response JSON has 'routed' false, note it (rmq-ikeja-pub3.sh warns in that case)
+                            routed = False
                             try:
-                                rmq_url = f"http://{RMQ_HOST}:{RMQ_PORT}/api/exchanges/{RMQ_VHOST}/{RMQ_EXCHANGE_HOLDING}/publish"
-                                rmq_body = {
-                                    "properties": {
-                                        "content_type": "application/json",
-                                        "expiration": str(RMQ_DELAY_MS),
-                                    },
-                                    "routing_key": RMQ_ROUTING_KEY,
-                                    "payload": json.dumps({
-                                        "inscope_device": host,
-                                        "task_name": "sot-updater",
-                                    }),
-                                    "payload_encoding": "string",
-                                }
-                                resp, code = http_post_json(rmq_url, rmq_body, user=RMQ_USER, password=RMQ_PASS, timeout=RMQ_TIMEOUT)
-                                if code != 200:
-                                    await log_status(f"[{ts()}] rmq: publish delayed http={code} host={host} delay_ms={RMQ_DELAY_MS}")
-                            except Exception as e:
-                                await log_status(f"[{ts()}] rmq: unexpected error host={host!r} err={e!r}")
+                                routed = bool((resp or {}).get("routed", False))
+                            except Exception:
+                                routed = False
+                            if not routed:
+                                await log_status(f"[{ts()}] rmq: publish immediate routed=false host={host}")
+                    except Exception as e:
+                        await log_status(f"[{ts()}] rmq: unexpected error host={host!r} err={e!r}")
+
             except Exception as e:
                 await nb_problem(log_status, f"[{ts()}] nb: unexpected error mac={mac!r} err={e!r}")
             netbox_time_ms = (time.perf_counter() - nb_start) * 1000