diff --git a/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.js b/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.js
index 6da61da677..b39736c3ad 100644
--- a/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.js
+++ b/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.js
@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@
 var Rx = require('../../../dist/cjs/Rx.DOM');
 var Observable = Rx.Observable;
 
-function noop() {
-  // nope.
-}
-
 describe('Observable.webSocket', function () {
   beforeEach(function () {
     setupMockWebSocket();
@@ -32,7 +28,7 @@ describe('Observable.webSocket', function () {
     socket.open();
     expect(socket.lastMessageSent()).toBe('ping');
 
-    socket.triggerMessage('pong');
+    socket.triggerMessage(JSON.stringify('pong'));
     expect(messageReceived).toBe(true);
   });
 
@@ -50,7 +46,7 @@ describe('Observable.webSocket', function () {
     socket.open();
 
     expected.forEach(function (x) {
-      socket.triggerMessage(x);
+      socket.triggerMessage(JSON.stringify(x));
     });
 
     expect(results).toEqual(expected);
@@ -148,6 +144,165 @@ describe('Observable.webSocket', function () {
     expect(socket2).not.toBe(socket1);
     expect(socket2.lastMessageSent()).toBe('yo-ho! yo-ho!');
   });
+
+  it('should have a default resultSelector that parses message data as JSON', function () {
+    var result;
+    var expected = { mork: 'shazbot!' };
+    var subject = Observable.webSocket('ws://mysocket');
+
+    subject.subscribe(function (x) {
+      result = x;
+    });
+
+    var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+    socket.open();
+    socket.triggerMessage(JSON.stringify(expected));
+
+    expect(result).toEqual(expected);
+  });
+
+  describe('with a config object', function () {
+    it('should send and receive messages', function () {
+      var messageReceived = false;
+      var subject = Observable.webSocket({ url: 'ws://mysocket' });
+
+      subject.next('ping');
+
+      subject.subscribe(function (x) {
+        expect(x).toBe('pong');
+        messageReceived = true;
+      });
+
+      var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+      expect(socket.url).toBe('ws://mysocket');
+
+      socket.open();
+      expect(socket.lastMessageSent()).toBe('ping');
+
+      socket.triggerMessage(JSON.stringify('pong'));
+      expect(messageReceived).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should take a protocol and set it properly on the web socket', function () {
+      var subject = Observable.webSocket({
+        url: 'ws://mysocket',
+        protocol: 'someprotocol'
+      });
+
+      subject.subscribe();
+
+      var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+      expect(socket.protocol).toBe('someprotocol');
+    });
+
+    it('should take a resultSelector', function () {
+      var results = [];
+
+      var subject = Observable.webSocket({
+        url: 'ws://mysocket',
+        resultSelector: function (e) {
+          return e.data + '!';
+        }
+      });
+
+      subject.subscribe(function (x) {
+        results.push(x);
+      });
+
+      var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+      socket.open();
+      ['ahoy', 'yarr', 'shove off'].forEach(function (x) {
+        socket.triggerMessage(x);
+      });
+
+      expect(results).toEqual(['ahoy!', 'yarr!', 'shove off!']);
+    });
+
+    it('if the resultSelector fails it should go down the error path', function () {
+
+      var subject = Observable.webSocket({
+        url: 'ws://mysocket',
+        resultSelector: function (e) {
+          throw new Error('I am a bad error');
+        }
+      });
+
+      subject.subscribe(function (x) {
+        expect(x).toBe('this should not happen');
+      }, function (err) {
+        expect(err).toEqual(new Error('I am a bad error'));
+      });
+
+      var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+      socket.open();
+      socket.triggerMessage('weee!');
+    });
+
+    it('should accept a closingObserver', function () {
+      var calls = 0;
+      var subject = Observable.webSocket({
+        url: 'ws://mysocket',
+        closingObserver: {
+          next: function (x) {
+            calls++;
+            expect(x).toBe(undefined);
+          }
+        }
+      });
+
+      subject.subscribe();
+      var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+      socket.open();
+
+      expect(calls).toBe(0);
+
+      subject.complete();
+      expect(calls).toBe(1);
+
+      subject.subscribe();
+      socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+      socket.open();
+
+      subject.error({ code: 1337 });
+      expect(calls).toBe(2);
+    });
+
+    it('should accept a closeObserver', function () {
+      var expected = [{ wasClean: true }, { wasClean: false }];
+      var closes = [];
+      var subject = Observable.webSocket({
+        url: 'ws://mysocket',
+        closeObserver: {
+          next: function (e) {
+            closes.push(e);
+          }
+        }
+      });
+
+      subject.subscribe();
+      var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+      socket.open();
+
+      expect(closes.length).toBe(0);
+
+      socket.triggerClose(expected[0]);
+      expect(closes.length).toBe(1);
+
+
+      subject.subscribe(null, function (err) {
+        expect(err).toBe(expected[1]);
+      });
+
+      socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+      socket.open();
+
+      socket.triggerClose(expected[1]);
+      expect(closes.length).toBe(2);
+
+      expect(closes[0]).toBe(expected[0]);
+      expect(closes[1]).toBe(expected[1]);
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 var sockets = [];
@@ -175,15 +330,6 @@ MockWebSocket.prototype = {
     return sent.length > 0 ? sent[sent.length - 1] : undefined;
   },
 
-  closeDirty: function (code, reason) {
-    if (this.readyState < 2) {
-      this.readyState = 2;
-      this.closeCode = code;
-      this.closeReason = reason;
-      this.triggerClose({ wasClean: false });
-    }
-  },
-
   triggerClose: function (e) {
     this.readyState = 3;
     this.trigger('close', e);
@@ -196,7 +342,7 @@ MockWebSocket.prototype = {
 
   triggerMessage: function (data) {
     var messageEvent = {
-      data: JSON.stringify(data),
+      data: data,
       origin: 'mockorigin',
       ports: undefined,
       source: __root__,
diff --git a/src/observable/dom/webSocket.ts b/src/observable/dom/webSocket.ts
index 8ca3382329..3b5902b7d6 100644
--- a/src/observable/dom/webSocket.ts
+++ b/src/observable/dom/webSocket.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ export class WebSocketSubject<T> extends Subject<T> {
     }
 
     if (self.url && !self.socket) {
-      const socket = new WebSocket(self.url);
+      const socket = self.protocol ? new WebSocket(self.url, self.protocol) : new WebSocket(self.url);
       self.socket = socket;
 
       socket.onopen = (e) => {
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ export class WebSocketSubject<T> extends Subject<T> {
 
       socket.onmessage = (e: MessageEvent) => {
         const result = tryCatch(self.resultSelector)(e);
-        if (result === errorObject.e) {
+        if (result === errorObject) {
           self._finalError(errorObject.e);
         } else {
           self._finalNext(result);