diff --git a/src/websockets.cpp b/src/websockets.cpp
index e0482e6..fe86d8f 100644
--- a/src/websockets.cpp
+++ b/src/websockets.cpp
@@ -97,9 +97,10 @@ WormholeClient::WormholeClient(MainWindow* p, QString wormholeCode) {
 }
 
 WormholeClient::~WormholeClient() {
+    qDebug() << "WormholeClient destructor";
     shuttingDown = true;
 
-    if (m_webSocket->isValid()) {
+    if (m_webSocket && m_webSocket->isValid()) {
         qDebug() << "Wormhole closing!";
         m_webSocket->close();
     }
@@ -132,15 +133,19 @@ void WormholeClient::connect() {
     m_webSocket = new QWebSocket();
     QUrl wormhole = QUrl("wss://wormhole.myhush.org:443");
 
-    QObject::connect(m_webSocket, &QWebSocket::connected, this, &WormholeClient::onConnected);
-    QObject::connect(m_webSocket, &QWebSocket::disconnected, this, &WormholeClient::closed);
-    QObject::connect(m_webSocket, QOverload<const QList<QSslError>&>::of(&QWebSocket::sslErrors), this, &WormholeClient::sslerrors);
+    if (m_webSocket) {
+        QObject::connect(m_webSocket, &QWebSocket::connected, this, &WormholeClient::onConnected);
+        QObject::connect(m_webSocket, &QWebSocket::disconnected, this, &WormholeClient::closed);
+        QObject::connect(m_webSocket, QOverload<const QList<QSslError>&>::of(&QWebSocket::sslErrors), this, &WormholeClient::sslerrors);
+        qDebug() << "Opening connection to the SilentDragonWormhole";
+        m_webSocket->open(wormhole);
+        qDebug() << "Opened connection to " << wormhole;
+        //TODO: use env var to over-ride
+        //m_webSocket->open(QUrl("ws://127.0.0.1:7070"));
+    } else {
+        qDebug() << "Invalid websocket object!";
+    }
 
-    qDebug() << "Opening connection to the SilentDragonWormhole";
-    m_webSocket->open(wormhole);
-    qDebug() << "Opened connection to " << wormhole;
-    //TODO: use env var to over-ride
-    //m_webSocket->open(QUrl("ws://127.0.0.1:7070"));
 }
 
 
@@ -150,8 +155,7 @@ void WormholeClient::retryConnect() {
             qDebug() << "Retrying websocket connection, count=" << this->retryCount;
             this->retryCount++;
             connect();
-        }
-        else {
+        } else {
             qDebug() << "Retry count exceeded, will not attempt retry any more";
         }
     });
@@ -197,24 +201,28 @@ void WormholeClient::onConnected()
     auto payload = QJsonDocument( QJsonObject { {"register", code} }).toJson();
 
     qDebug() << "Sending register";
-    m_webSocket->sendTextMessage(payload);
-    qDebug() << "Sent registration message with code=" << code;
-
-    // On connected, we'll also create a timer to ping it every 4 minutes, since the websocket 
-    // will timeout after 5 minutes
-    timer = new QTimer(parent);
-    qDebug() << "Created QTimer";
-    QObject::connect(timer, &QTimer::timeout, [=]() {
-        qDebug() << "Timer timout!";
-        if (!shuttingDown && m_webSocket && m_webSocket->isValid()) {
-            auto payload = QJsonDocument(QJsonObject { {"ping", "ping"} }).toJson();
-            qint64 bytes = m_webSocket->sendTextMessage(payload);
-            qDebug() << "Sent ping, " << bytes << " bytes";
-        }
-    });
-    unsigned int interval = 4*60*1000;
-    timer->start(interval); // 4 minutes
-    qDebug() << "Started timer with interval=" << interval;
+    if (m_webSocket && m_webSocket->isValid()) {
+        m_webSocket->sendTextMessage(payload);
+        qDebug() << "Sent registration message with code=" << code;
+
+        // On connected, we'll also create a timer to ping it every 4 minutes, since the websocket 
+        // will timeout after 5 minutes
+        timer = new QTimer(parent);
+        qDebug() << "Created QTimer";
+        QObject::connect(timer, &QTimer::timeout, [=]() {
+            qDebug() << "Timer timeout!";
+            if (!shuttingDown && m_webSocket && m_webSocket->isValid()) {
+                auto payload = QJsonDocument(QJsonObject { {"ping", "ping"} }).toJson();
+                qint64 bytes = m_webSocket->sendTextMessage(payload);
+                qDebug() << "Sent ping, " << bytes << " bytes";
+            }
+        });
+        unsigned int interval = 4*60*1000;
+        timer->start(interval); // 4 minutes
+        qDebug() << "Started timer with interval=" << interval;
+    } else {
+        qDebug() << "Invalid websocket object onConnected!";
+    }
 }
 
 void WormholeClient::onTextMessageReceived(QString message)