Understanding the molecular signaling between animals and their associated bacteria has been the goal of many microbiologists, primarily with those focused on pathogens but, more recently, on the far more prevalent and ancient interactions of the host with its normal microbiota. These studies have been dominated by signaling pathways involving the interaction of microbial signals with the surface of host tissues. I will discuss the emerging recognition that bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs), delivered via outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are an effective means of communicating symbiont-derived signals to specific internal compartments of epithelial cells. One such sRNA, CsrB, enters the epithelium surrounding the symbiont population, transits to the nucleus and induces the host to glycosylate the mucus surrounding the bacteria, providing them a nutrient source.