diff --git a/anonstream/static/anonstream.js b/anonstream/static/anonstream.js
index 408a715..7aa082d 100644
--- a/anonstream/static/anonstream.js
+++ b/anonstream/static/anonstream.js
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ let max_chat_scrollback = 256;
 let pingpong_period = 8.0;
 let ping = null;
 const pingpong_timeout = () => pingpong_period * 1.5 + 4.0;
+const pingpong_timeout_ms = () => pingpong_timeout() * 1000;
 const tidy_stylesheet = ({stylesheet, selector_regex, ignore_condition}) => {
   const to_delete = [];
   const to_ignore = new Set();
@@ -934,12 +935,15 @@ chat_messages_unlock.addEventListener("click", (event) => {
 });
 
 /* close websocket after prolonged absence of pings */
+
 const rotate_websocket = () => {
-  const this_pingpong_timeout = pingpong_timeout();
-  if (ping === null || (new Date() - ping) / 1000 > this_pingpong_timeout) {
-    console.log(`no pings heard in ${this_pingpong_timeout} seconds, closing websocket...`);
-    ws.close();
+  const timeout_ms = pingpong_timeout_ms();
+  if (ws.readyState !== ws.CLOSED) {
+    if (ping === null || new Date() - ping > timeout_ms) {
+      console.log(`no pings heard in ${timeout_ms / 1000} seconds, closing websocket...`);
+      ws.close();
+    }
   }
-  setTimeout(rotate_websocket, this_pingpong_timeout * 1000);
+  setTimeout(rotate_websocket, timeout_ms);
 };
-setTimeout(rotate_websocket, pingpong_timeout() * 1000);
+setTimeout(rotate_websocket, pingpong_timeout_ms());