diff --git a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/websocket/AuthenticatedConnectListener.java b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/websocket/AuthenticatedConnectListener.java
index 06c1c4aef..26cb56838 100644
--- a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/websocket/AuthenticatedConnectListener.java
+++ b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/websocket/AuthenticatedConnectListener.java
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import com.codahale.metrics.Counter;
 import com.codahale.metrics.MetricRegistry;
 import com.codahale.metrics.SharedMetricRegistries;
 import com.codahale.metrics.Timer;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.whispersystems.textsecuregcm.push.ApnFallbackManager;
 import org.whispersystems.textsecuregcm.push.ClientPresenceManager;
 import org.whispersystems.textsecuregcm.push.MessageSender;
@@ -30,6 +32,8 @@ public class AuthenticatedConnectListener implements WebSocketConnectListener {
   private static final Timer          unauthenticatedDurationTimer = metricRegistry.timer(name(WebSocketConnection.class, "unauthenticated_connection_duration"));
   private static final Counter        openWebsocketCounter         = metricRegistry.counter(name(WebSocketConnection.class, "open_websockets"));
 
+  private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(AuthenticatedConnectListener.class);
+
   private final ReceiptSender         receiptSender;
   private final MessagesManager       messagesManager;
   private final MessageSender         messageSender;
@@ -61,25 +65,31 @@ public class AuthenticatedConnectListener implements WebSocketConnectListener {
       openWebsocketCounter.inc();
       RedisOperation.unchecked(() -> apnFallbackManager.cancel(account, device));
 
-      clientPresenceManager.setPresent(account.getUuid(), device.getId(), connection);
-      messagesManager.addMessageAvailabilityListener(account.getUuid(), device.getId(), connection);
-      connection.start();
-
       context.addListener(new WebSocketSessionContext.WebSocketEventListener() {
         @Override
         public void onWebSocketClose(WebSocketSessionContext context, int statusCode, String reason) {
-          clientPresenceManager.clearPresence(account.getUuid(), device.getId());
-          messagesManager.removeMessageAvailabilityListener(connection);
-          connection.stop();
-
           openWebsocketCounter.dec();
           timer.stop();
 
-          if (messagesManager.hasCachedMessages(account.getUuid(), device.getId())) {
-            messageSender.sendNewMessageNotification(account, device);
-          }
+          RedisOperation.unchecked(() -> clientPresenceManager.clearPresence(account.getUuid(), device.getId()));
+          RedisOperation.unchecked(() -> {
+            messagesManager.removeMessageAvailabilityListener(connection);
+
+            if (messagesManager.hasCachedMessages(account.getUuid(), device.getId())) {
+              messageSender.sendNewMessageNotification(account, device);
+            }
+          });
         }
       });
+
+      try {
+        clientPresenceManager.setPresent(account.getUuid(), device.getId(), connection);
+        messagesManager.addMessageAvailabilityListener(account.getUuid(), device.getId(), connection);
+        connection.start();
+      } catch (final Exception e) {
+        log.warn("Failed to initialize websocket", e);
+        context.getClient().close(1011, "Unexpected error initializing connection");
+      }
     } else {
       final Timer.Context timer = unauthenticatedDurationTimer.time();
       context.addListener((context1, statusCode, reason) -> timer.stop());