diff --git a/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js b/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
--- a/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
+++ b/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@
   const promises = React.useRef<Promises>({});
   const heartbeatTimeoutID = React.useRef<?TimeoutID>();
 
+  const previousInitMessage =
+    React.useRef<?ConnectionInitializationMessage>(initMessage);
+  const initMessageChanged = initMessage !== previousInitMessage.current;
+  previousInitMessage.current = initMessage;
+
   const stopHeartbeatTimeout = React.useCallback(() => {
     if (heartbeatTimeoutID.current) {
       clearTimeout(heartbeatTimeoutID.current);
@@ -75,7 +80,28 @@
     }, tunnelbrokerHeartbeatTimeout);
   }, [stopHeartbeatTimeout]);
 
+  // determine if the socket is active (not closed or closing)
+  const isSocketActive =
+    socket.current?.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN ||
+    socket.current?.readyState === WebSocket.CONNECTING;
+
+  // The Tunnelbroker connection can have 4 states:
+  // - DISCONNECTED: isSocketActive = false, connected = false
+  //   Should be in this state when initMessage is null
+  // - CONNECTING: isSocketActive = true, connected = false
+  //   This lasts until Tunnelbroker sends ConnectionInitializationResponse
+  // - CONNECTED: isSocketActive = true, connected = true
+  // - DISCONNECTING: isSocketActive = false, connected = true
+  //   This lasts between socket.close() and socket.onclose()
   React.useEffect(() => {
+    // when initMessage changes, we need to close the socket and open a new one
+    if ((!initMessage || initMessageChanged) && isSocketActive) {
+      socket.current?.close();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // when we're already connected (or pending disconnection),
+    // or there's no init message to start with, we don't need to do anything
     if (connected || !initMessage) {
       return;
     }
@@ -87,6 +113,7 @@
     };
 
     tunnelbrokerSocket.onclose = () => {
+      // this triggers the effect hook again and reconnect
       setConnected(false);
       console.log('Connection to Tunnelbroker closed');
     };
@@ -193,6 +220,8 @@
   }, [
     connected,
     initMessage,
+    initMessageChanged,
+    isSocketActive,
     resetHeartbeatTimeout,
     stopHeartbeatTimeout,
     peerToPeerMessageHandler,