diff --git a/lib/identity-search/identity-search-context.js b/lib/identity-search/identity-search-context.js
--- a/lib/identity-search/identity-search-context.js
+++ b/lib/identity-search/identity-search-context.js
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@
   const socket = React.useRef<?WebSocket>(null);
   const heartbeatTimeoutID = React.useRef<?TimeoutID>();
 
+  const previousAuthMessage = React.useRef<?AuthMessage>(authMessage);
+  const authMessageChanged = authMessage !== previousAuthMessage.current;
+  previousAuthMessage.current = authMessage;
+
   const stopHeartbeatTimeout = React.useCallback(() => {
     if (heartbeatTimeoutID.current) {
       clearTimeout(heartbeatTimeoutID.current);
@@ -53,7 +57,16 @@
     }, identitySearchHeartbeatTimeout);
   }, [stopHeartbeatTimeout]);
 
+  const isSocketActive =
+    socket.current?.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN ||
+    socket.current?.readyState === WebSocket.CONNECTING;
+
   React.useEffect(() => {
+    if ((!authMessage || authMessageChanged) && isSocketActive) {
+      socket.current?.close();
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (connected || !authMessage) {
       return;
     }
@@ -127,7 +140,14 @@
     };
 
     socket.current = identitySearchSocket;
-  }, [connected, authMessage, resetHeartbeatTimeout, stopHeartbeatTimeout]);
+  }, [
+    connected,
+    authMessage,
+    resetHeartbeatTimeout,
+    stopHeartbeatTimeout,
+    authMessageChanged,
+    isSocketActive,
+  ]);
 
   const addListener = React.useCallback(
     (listener: IdentitySearchSocketListener) => {