diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Sockets.Client/Connection.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Sockets.Client/Connection.cs
index cfdf7beca5..d1f1c6fa63 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Sockets.Client/Connection.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Sockets.Client/Connection.cs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Sockets.Client
         private volatile IChannelConnection<Message, SendMessage> _transportChannel;
         private volatile ITransport _transport;
         private volatile Task _receiveLoopTask;
-        private volatile Task _startTask = Task.CompletedTask;
+        private TaskCompletionSource<object> _startTcs = new TaskCompletionSource<object>(TaskCreationOptions.RunContinuationsAsynchronously);
         private TaskQueue _eventQueue = new TaskQueue();
 
         private ReadableChannel<Message> Input => _transportChannel.Input;
@@ -52,18 +52,35 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Sockets.Client
 
         public Task StartAsync(ITransport transport, HttpClient httpClient)
         {
-            _startTask = StartAsyncInternal(transport, httpClient);
-            return _startTask;
+            if (Interlocked.CompareExchange(ref _connectionState, ConnectionState.Connecting, ConnectionState.Initial)
+                != ConnectionState.Initial)
+            {
+                return Task.FromException(
+                    new InvalidOperationException("Cannot start a connection that is not in the Initial state."));
+            }
+
+            StartAsyncInternal(transport, httpClient)
+                .ContinueWith(t =>
+                {
+                    if (t.IsFaulted)
+                    {
+                        _startTcs.SetException(t.Exception.InnerException);
+                    }
+                    else if (t.IsCanceled)
+                    {
+                        _startTcs.SetCanceled();
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        _startTcs.SetResult(null);
+                    }
+                });
+
+            return _startTcs.Task;
         }
 
         private async Task StartAsyncInternal(ITransport transport, HttpClient httpClient)
         {
-            if (Interlocked.CompareExchange(ref _connectionState, ConnectionState.Connecting, ConnectionState.Initial)
-                != ConnectionState.Initial)
-            {
-                throw new InvalidOperationException("Cannot start a connection that is not in the Initial state.");
-            }
-
             _logger.LogDebug("Starting connection.");
 
             try
@@ -116,7 +133,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Sockets.Client
                     // There is a short window between we start the channel and assign the _receiveLoopTask a value.
                     // To make sure that _receiveLoopTask can be awaited (i.e. is not null) we need to await _startTask.
                     _logger.LogDebug("Ensuring all outstanding messages are processed.");
-                    await _startTask;
+
+                    await _startTcs.Task;
                     await _receiveLoopTask;
 
                     _logger.LogDebug("Draining event queue");
@@ -287,10 +305,15 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Sockets.Client
         {
             _logger.LogInformation("Stopping client.");
 
-            Interlocked.Exchange(ref _connectionState, ConnectionState.Disconnected);
+            if (Interlocked.Exchange(ref _connectionState, ConnectionState.Disconnected) == ConnectionState.Initial)
+            {
+                // the connection was never started so there is nothing to clean up
+                return;
+            }
+
             try
             {
-                await _startTask;
+                await _startTcs.Task;
             }
             catch
             {