diff --git a/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.js b/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.js
index 9f5ebca8b3..d7ae11aa23 100644
--- a/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.js
+++ b/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.js
@@ -34,6 +34,90 @@ describe('Observable.webSocket', function () {
     socket.triggerMessage('pong');
     expect(messageReceived).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  it ('receive multiple messages', function () {
+    var expected = ['what', 'do', 'you', 'do', 'with', 'a', 'drunken', 'sailor?'];
+    var results = [];
+    var subject = Observable.webSocket('ws://mysocket');
+
+    subject.subscribe(function (x) {
+      results.push(x);
+    });
+
+    var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+
+    socket.open();
+
+    expected.forEach(function (x) {
+      socket.triggerMessage(x);
+    });
+
+    expect(results).toEqual(expected);
+  });
+
+  it ('should queue messages prior to subscription', function () {
+    var expected = ['make', 'him', 'walk', 'the', 'plank'];
+    var subject = Observable.webSocket('ws://mysocket');
+
+    expected.forEach(function (x) {
+      subject.next(x);
+    });
+
+    var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+    expect(socket).not.toBeDefined();
+
+    subject.subscribe();
+
+    socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+    expect(socket.sent.length).toBe(0);
+
+    socket.open();
+    expect(socket.sent.length).toBe(expected.length);
+  });
+
+  it('should send messages immediately if alreayd open', function () {
+    var subject = Observable.webSocket('ws://mysocket');
+    subject.subscribe();
+    var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+    socket.open();
+
+    subject.next('avast!');
+    expect(socket.lastMessageSent()).toBe('avast!');
+    subject.next('ye swab!');
+    expect(socket.lastMessageSent()).toBe('ye swab!');
+  });
+
+  it('should close the socket when completed', function () {
+    var subject = Observable.webSocket('ws://mysocket');
+    subject.subscribe();
+    var socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+    socket.open();
+
+    expect(socket.readyState).toBe(1); // open
+
+    spyOn(socket, 'close').and.callThrough();
+    expect(socket.close).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    subject.complete();
+    expect(socket.close).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(socket.readyState).toBe(3); // closed
+  });
+
+  it('should allow resubscription after closure', function () {
+    var subject = Observable.webSocket('ws://mysocket');
+    subject.subscribe();
+    var socket1 = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+    socket1.open();
+    subject.complete();
+
+    subject.next('a mariner yer not. yarrr.');
+    subject.subscribe();
+    var socket2 = MockWebSocket.lastSocket();
+    socket2.open();
+
+    expect(socket2).not.toBe(socket1);
+    expect(socket2.lastMessageSent()).toBe('a mariner yer not. yarrr.');
+  });
 });
 
 var sockets = [];
@@ -44,7 +128,7 @@ function MockWebSocket(url, protocol) {
   this.protocol = protocol;
   this.sent = [];
   this.handlers = {};
-  this.readyState = 1;
+  this.readyState = 0;
 }
 
 MockWebSocket.lastSocket = function () {
@@ -92,7 +176,7 @@ MockWebSocket.prototype = {
       this.readyState = 2;
       this.closeCode = code;
       this.closeReason = reason;
-      this.triggerClose();
+      this.triggerClose({ wasClean: (!code || code === 1000) });
     }
   },
 
diff --git a/src/Subject.ts b/src/Subject.ts
index ebc817ee34..bd345583ef 100644
--- a/src/Subject.ts
+++ b/src/Subject.ts
@@ -152,15 +152,17 @@ export class Subject<T> extends Observable<T> implements Observer<T>, Subscripti
   protected _finalError(err: any): void {
     let index = -1;
     const observers = this.observers;
-    const len = observers.length;
 
     // optimization to block our SubjectSubscriptions from
     // splicing themselves out of the observers list one by one.
     this.observers = null;
     this.isUnsubscribed = true;
 
-    while (++index < len) {
-      observers[index].error(err);
+    if (observers) {
+      const len = observers.length;
+      while (++index < len) {
+        observers[index].error(err);
+      }
     }
 
     this.isUnsubscribed = false;
@@ -179,15 +181,17 @@ export class Subject<T> extends Observable<T> implements Observer<T>, Subscripti
   protected _finalComplete(): void {
     let index = -1;
     const observers = this.observers;
-    const len = observers.length;
 
     // optimization to block our SubjectSubscriptions from
     // splicing themselves out of the observers list one by one.
     this.observers = null;
     this.isUnsubscribed = true;
 
-    while (++index < len) {
-      observers[index].complete();
+    if (observers) {
+      const len = observers.length;
+      while (++index < len) {
+        observers[index].complete();
+      }
     }
 
     this.isUnsubscribed = false;
diff --git a/src/observable/dom/webSocket.ts b/src/observable/dom/webSocket.ts
index 26a85211dc..cddc5beebe 100644
--- a/src/observable/dom/webSocket.ts
+++ b/src/observable/dom/webSocket.ts
@@ -70,17 +70,26 @@ export class WebSocketSubject<T> extends Subject<T> {
   }
 
   _unsubscribe() {
+    this.socket = null;
     this.source = null;
+    this.destination = new ReplaySubject();
     this.isStopped = false;
+    this.hasErrored = false;
+    this.hasCompleted = false;
     this.observers = null;
     this.isUnsubscribed = false;
   }
 
   _subscribe(subscriber: Subscriber<T>) {
+    if (!this.observers) {
+      this.observers = [];
+    }
+
     const subscription = <Subscription>super._subscribe(subscriber);
     // HACK: For some reason transpilation wasn't honoring this in arrow functions below
     // Doesn't seem right, need to reinvestigate.
     const self = this;
+    const WebSocket = this.WebSocketCtor;
 
     if (self.source || !subscription || (<Subscription>subscription).isUnsubscribed) {
       return subscription;