diff --git a/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js b/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
--- a/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
+++ b/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
@@ -4,7 +4,12 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import { tunnnelbrokerURL } from '../facts/tunnelbroker.js';
-import { type TunnelbrokerMessage } from '../types/tunnelbroker/messages.js';
+import type { MessageReceiveConfirmation } from '../types/tunnelbroker/message-receive-confirmation-types.js';
+import {
+  type TunnelbrokerMessage,
+  tunnelbrokerMessageTypes,
+  tunnelbrokerMessageValidator,
+} from '../types/tunnelbroker/messages.js';
 import type { ConnectionInitializationMessage } from '../types/tunnelbroker/session-types.js';
 
 export type ClientMessageToDevice = {
@@ -50,13 +55,59 @@
 
     tunnelbrokerSocket.onclose = () => {
       setConnected(false);
-      console.error('Connection to Tunnelbroker closed');
+      console.log('Connection to Tunnelbroker closed');
     };
     tunnelbrokerSocket.onerror = e => {
-      console.error('Tunnelbroker socket error:', e.message);
+      console.log('Tunnelbroker socket error:', e.message);
     };
     tunnelbrokerSocket.onmessage = (event: MessageEvent) => {
-      console.log('Received message:', event.data);
+      if (typeof event.data !== 'string') {
+        console.log('socket received a non-string message');
+        return;
+      }
+      let rawMessage;
+      try {
+        rawMessage = JSON.parse(event.data);
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.log('error while parsing Tunnelbroker message:', e.message);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      if (!tunnelbrokerMessageValidator.is(rawMessage)) {
+        console.log('invalid TunnelbrokerMessage');
+        return;
+      }
+      const message: TunnelbrokerMessage = rawMessage;
+
+      for (const listener of listeners.current) {
+        listener(message);
+      }
+
+      if (
+        message.type ===
+        tunnelbrokerMessageTypes.CONNECTION_INITIALIZATION_RESPONSE
+      ) {
+        if (message.status.type === 'Success' && !connected) {
+          setConnected(true);
+          console.log('session with Tunnelbroker created');
+        } else if (message.status.type === 'Success' && connected) {
+          console.log(
+            'received ConnectionInitializationResponse with status: Success for already connected socket',
+          );
+        } else {
+          setConnected(false);
+          console.log(
+            'creating session with Tunnelbroker error:',
+            message.status.data,
+          );
+        }
+      } else if (message.type === tunnelbrokerMessageTypes.MESSAGE_TO_DEVICE) {
+        const confirmation: MessageReceiveConfirmation = {
+          type: tunnelbrokerMessageTypes.MESSAGE_RECEIVE_CONFIRMATION,
+          messageIDs: [message.messageID],
+        };
+        socket.current?.send(JSON.stringify(confirmation));
+      }
     };
 
     socket.current = tunnelbrokerSocket;