diff --git a/www/js/callbacks.js b/www/js/callbacks.js
index d9c60199..9ab90a54 100644
--- a/www/js/callbacks.js
+++ b/www/js/callbacks.js
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ function checkLetsEncrypt(socketConfig, nonLetsEncryptError) {
 }
 
 function initWS() {
-    window.socket = new WSShim(new WebSocket('ws://localhost:3000/'));
+    window.socket = new WSShim('ws://localhost:3000/');
     setupCallbacks();
 }
 
diff --git a/www/js/util.js b/www/js/util.js
index 5f2ed1bb..f5c59d95 100644
--- a/www/js/util.js
+++ b/www/js/util.js
@@ -3304,13 +3304,13 @@ function maybePromptToUpgradeUserscript() {
 function backoffRetry(fn, cb, options) {
     var jitter = options.jitter || 0;
     var factor = options.factor || 1;
+    var currentFactor = factor;
     var isRetryable = options.isRetryable || function () { return true; };
     var maxDelay = options.maxDelay || Infinity;
     var tries = 0;
 
     function callback(error, result) {
         tries++;
-        factor *= factor;
         if (error) {
             if (tries >= options.maxTries) {
                 console.log('Max tries exceeded');
@@ -3318,7 +3318,7 @@ function backoffRetry(fn, cb, options) {
             } else if (isRetryable(error)) {
                 var offset = Math.random() * jitter;
                 var delay = Math.min(
-                    options.delay * factor,
+                    options.delay * currentFactor,
                     maxDelay
                 ) + offset;
                 console.log('Retrying on error: ' + error);
@@ -3331,6 +3331,8 @@ function backoffRetry(fn, cb, options) {
         } else {
             cb(error, result);
         }
+
+        currentFactor *= factor;
     }
 
     fn(callback);
diff --git a/www/js/ws.js b/www/js/ws.js
index e51a3437..2adf1efc 100644
--- a/www/js/ws.js
+++ b/www/js/ws.js
@@ -2,17 +2,15 @@
     var TYPE_FRAME = 0;
     var TYPE_ACK = 1;
 
-    function WSShim(ws) {
-        this._ws = ws;
+    function WSShim(url) {
+        this._url = url;
         this._listeners = Object.create(null);
         this._connected = false;
 
-        this._ws.onopen = this._onopen.bind(this);
-        this._ws.onclose = this._onclose.bind(this);
-        this._ws.onmessage = this._onmessage.bind(this);
-
         this._ackId = 0;
         this._pendingAcks = Object.create(null);
+
+        this._openWS();
     }
 
     WSShim.prototype.listeners = function listeners(frame) {
@@ -78,17 +76,23 @@
             return;
         }
 
+        this._connected = false;
         this._emit('disconnect');
 
+        // TODO: checking for KICKED here is insufficient;
+        // need to have some sort of explicit disconnect vs. connection loss
+        // check
         if (!KICKED) {
-            function reconnectAsync(cb) {
-                initWS();
+            var self = this;
 
-                window.socket._ws.addEventListener('open', function () {
+            function reconnectAsync(cb) {
+                self._openWS();
+
+                self._ws.addEventListener('open', function () {
                     cb(null);
                 });
 
-                window.socket._ws.addEventListener('error', function (error) {
+                self._ws.addEventListener('error', function (error) {
                     cb(error);
                 });
             }
@@ -128,5 +132,17 @@
         }
     };
 
+    WSShim.prototype._openWS = function _openWS() {
+        if (this._connected) {
+            throw new Error('Cannot _openWS() when already connected');
+        }
+
+        this._ws = new WebSocket(this._url);
+        this._ws.onopen = this._onopen.bind(this);
+        this._ws.onclose = this._onclose.bind(this);
+        this._ws.onmessage = this._onmessage.bind(this);
+        this._connected = false;
+    };
+
     window.WSShim = WSShim;
 })();