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
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@
       +retryCount: number,
     };
 
+const defaultSocketState: TunnelbrokerSocketState = {
+  connected: false,
+  retryCount: 0,
+};
+
 type TunnelbrokerContextType = {
   +sendMessageToDevice: (
     message: TunnelbrokerClientMessageToDevice,
@@ -152,9 +157,16 @@
   const previousInitMessage =
     React.useRef<?TunnelbrokerInitializationMessage>(null);
 
-  const [socketState, setSocketState] = React.useState<TunnelbrokerSocketState>(
-    { connected: false, retryCount: 0 },
-  );
+  const [socketState, setSocketState] =
+    React.useState<TunnelbrokerSocketState>(defaultSocketState);
+  const socketStateRef =
+    React.useRef<TunnelbrokerSocketState>(defaultSocketState);
+
+  const resetSocketState = React.useCallback(() => {
+    socketStateRef.current = defaultSocketState;
+    setSocketState(defaultSocketState);
+  }, []);
+
   const listeners = React.useRef<Set<TunnelbrokerSocketListener>>(new Set());
   const socket = React.useRef<?WebSocket>(null);
   const socketSessionCounter = React.useRef(0);
@@ -176,9 +188,9 @@
     stopHeartbeatTimeout();
     heartbeatTimeoutID.current = setTimeout(() => {
       socket.current?.close();
-      setSocketState({ connected: false, retryCount: 0 });
+      resetSocketState();
     }, tunnelbrokerHeartbeatTimeout);
-  }, [stopHeartbeatTimeout]);
+  }, [resetSocketState, stopHeartbeatTimeout]);
 
   // determine if the socket is active (not closed or closing)
   const isSocketActive =
@@ -231,10 +243,14 @@
 
         tunnelbrokerSocket.onclose = () => {
           // this triggers the effect hook again and reconnect
-          setSocketState(prev => ({
-            connected: false,
-            retryCount: prev.connected ? 0 : prev.retryCount,
-          }));
+          setSocketState(prev => {
+            const newValue = {
+              connected: false,
+              retryCount: prev.connected ? 0 : prev.retryCount,
+            };
+            socketStateRef.current = newValue;
+            return newValue;
+          });
           onClose?.();
           socket.current = null;
           console.log('Connection to Tunnelbroker closed');
@@ -244,10 +260,14 @@
                 'Retrying Tunnelbroker connection. Attempt:',
                 socketState.retryCount + 1,
               );
-              setSocketState(prev => ({
-                connected: false,
-                retryCount: prev.connected ? 0 : prev.retryCount + 1,
-              }));
+              setSocketState(prev => {
+                const newValue = {
+                  connected: false,
+                  retryCount: prev.connected ? 0 : prev.retryCount + 1,
+                };
+                socketStateRef.current = newValue;
+                return newValue;
+              });
             }
           }, clientTunnelbrokerSocketReconnectDelay);
         };
@@ -285,6 +305,7 @@
             tunnelbrokerToDeviceMessageTypes.CONNECTION_INITIALIZATION_RESPONSE
           ) {
             if (message.status.type === 'Success' && !socketState.connected) {
+              socketStateRef.current = { connected: true, isAuthorized };
               setSocketState({ connected: true, isAuthorized });
               console.log(
                 'session with Tunnelbroker created. isAuthorized:',
@@ -302,7 +323,7 @@
                 void invalidTokenLogOut();
                 return;
               }
-              setSocketState({ connected: false, retryCount: 0 });
+              resetSocketState();
               console.log(
                 'creating session with Tunnelbroker error:',
                 message.status.data,
@@ -352,13 +373,15 @@
     socketState.connected,
     socketState.retryCount,
     invalidTokenLogOut,
+    resetSocketState,
   ]);
 
   const sendMessage: (request: DeviceToTunnelbrokerRequest) => Promise<void> =
     React.useCallback(
       request => {
         const resultPromise: Promise<void> = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-          const socketActive = socketState.connected && socket.current;
+          const socketActive =
+            socketStateRef.current.connected && socket.current;
           if (!shouldBeClosed && !socketActive) {
             throw new Error('Tunnelbroker not connected');
           }
@@ -380,7 +403,7 @@
 
         return Promise.race([resultPromise, timeoutPromise]);
       },
-      [socketState, secondaryTunnelbrokerConnection, shouldBeClosed],
+      [secondaryTunnelbrokerConnection, shouldBeClosed],
     );
 
   const sendMessageToDevice: (