diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6a3236d68..9c03586d8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - [client] Fixed issue where tab icon glyphs weren't working on Mac in PR [1428](https://github.com/Microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1428)
 - [client] Fixed issue where cancelling out of opening a transcript was creating a broken livechat window in PR [1441](https://github.com/Microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1441)
 - [client] Fixed invisible scrollbar styling in log panel in PR [1442](https://github.com/Microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1442)
+- [main] Fixed issue where opening a livechat or bot via protocol wasn't working because ngrok wasn't being started on startup in PR [1446](https://github.com/Microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1446)
 
 ## Removed
 - [main] Removed custom user agent string from outgoing requests in PR [1427](https://github.com/Microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1427)
diff --git a/packages/app/main/src/protocolHandler.spec.ts b/packages/app/main/src/protocolHandler.spec.ts
index cc0ffbf81..5a00057ad 100644
--- a/packages/app/main/src/protocolHandler.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/main/src/protocolHandler.spec.ts
@@ -77,9 +77,13 @@ jest.mock('./settingsData/store', () => ({
     },
   }),
 }));
+
+let mockGetSpawnStatus = jest.fn(() => ({ triedToSpawn: true }));
+const mockRecycle = jest.fn(() => null);
 const mockEmulator = {
   ngrok: {
-    getSpawnStatus: () => ({ triedToSpawn: true }),
+    getSpawnStatus: () => mockGetSpawnStatus(),
+    recycle: () => mockRecycle(),
   },
 };
 jest.mock('./emulator', () => ({
@@ -134,6 +138,8 @@ describe('Protocol handler tests', () => {
       statusCode: 200,
       body: '["activity1", "activity2", "activity3"]',
     };
+    mockRecycle.mockClear();
+    mockGetSpawnStatus.mockClear();
   });
 
   afterAll(() => {
@@ -283,8 +289,12 @@ describe('Protocol handler tests', () => {
     const overrides = { endpoint: parseEndpointOverrides(protocol.parsedArgs) };
     const overriddenBot = applyBotConfigOverrides(mockOpenedBot, overrides);
 
+    // ngrok should be kick-started if it hasn't tried to spawn yet
+    mockGetSpawnStatus = jest.fn(() => ({ triedToSpawn: false }));
+
     await ProtocolHandler.openBot(protocol);
 
+    expect(mockRecycle).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(mockCallsMade).toHaveLength(2);
     expect(mockCallsMade[0].commandName).toBe(SharedConstants.Commands.Bot.Open);
     expect(mockCallsMade[0].args).toEqual(['path/to/bot.bot', 'someSecret']);
@@ -374,8 +384,12 @@ describe('Protocol handler tests', () => {
     mockEndpoint.name = 'New livechat';
     mockedBot.services.push(mockEndpoint);
 
+    // ngrok should be kick-started if it hasn't tried to spawn yet
+    mockGetSpawnStatus = jest.fn(() => ({ triedToSpawn: false }));
+
     await ProtocolHandler.openLiveChat(protocol);
 
+    expect(mockRecycle).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(mockCallsMade).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(mockCallsMade[0].commandName).toBe(SharedConstants.Commands.Bot.RestartEndpointService);
     expect(mockCallsMade[0].args).toEqual([]);
diff --git a/packages/app/main/src/protocolHandler.ts b/packages/app/main/src/protocolHandler.ts
index 66da41a6f..31a7d00c6 100644
--- a/packages/app/main/src/protocolHandler.ts
+++ b/packages/app/main/src/protocolHandler.ts
@@ -202,8 +202,13 @@ export const ProtocolHandler = new class ProtocolHandlerImpl implements Protocol
     const appSettings: FrameworkSettings = getSettings().framework;
 
     if (appSettings.ngrokPath) {
-      const ngrokSpawnStatus = Emulator.getInstance().ngrok.getSpawnStatus();
-      if (!ngrokSpawnStatus.triedToSpawn || (ngrokSpawnStatus.triedToSpawn && ngrokSpawnStatus.err)) {
+      let ngrokSpawnStatus = Emulator.getInstance().ngrok.getSpawnStatus();
+      // if ngrok hasn't spawned yet, we need to start it up
+      if (!ngrokSpawnStatus.triedToSpawn) {
+        await Emulator.getInstance().ngrok.recycle();
+      }
+      ngrokSpawnStatus = Emulator.getInstance().ngrok.getSpawnStatus();
+      if (ngrokSpawnStatus.triedToSpawn && ngrokSpawnStatus.err) {
         throw new Error(`Error while trying to spawn ngrok instance: ${ngrokSpawnStatus.err || ''}`);
       }
 
@@ -304,8 +309,13 @@ export const ProtocolHandler = new class ProtocolHandlerImpl implements Protocol
 
     const appSettings: FrameworkSettings = getSettings().framework;
     if (appSettings.ngrokPath) {
-      const ngrokSpawnStatus = Emulator.getInstance().ngrok.getSpawnStatus();
-      if (!ngrokSpawnStatus.triedToSpawn || (ngrokSpawnStatus.triedToSpawn && ngrokSpawnStatus.err)) {
+      let ngrokSpawnStatus = Emulator.getInstance().ngrok.getSpawnStatus();
+      // if ngrok hasn't spawned yet, we need to start it up
+      if (!ngrokSpawnStatus.triedToSpawn) {
+        await Emulator.getInstance().ngrok.recycle();
+      }
+      ngrokSpawnStatus = Emulator.getInstance().ngrok.getSpawnStatus();
+      if (ngrokSpawnStatus.triedToSpawn && ngrokSpawnStatus.err) {
         throw new Error(`Error while trying to spawn ngrok instance: ${ngrokSpawnStatus.err || ''}`);
       }