diff --git a/src/deferred.ts b/src/deferred.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cd6bf4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/deferred.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+class Deferred<T> {
+    promise: Promise<T>;
+
+    resolve!: (value: T | PromiseLike<T>) => void;
+
+    reject!: (reason?: Error) => void;
+
+    constructor() {
+        this.promise = new Promise<T>((resolve, reject) => {
+            this.resolve = resolve;
+            this.reject = reject;
+        });
+    }
+}
+
+export { Deferred };
diff --git a/src/realtime/connection.ts b/src/realtime/connection.ts
index faeb7d2..557c4dd 100644
--- a/src/realtime/connection.ts
+++ b/src/realtime/connection.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
 import { Events } from '@playcanvas/observer';
+import { type } from 'ot-text';
+import * as share from 'sharedb/lib/client/index';
+share.types.register(type);
 
+import { Deferred } from '../deferred';
 import { globals as api } from '../globals';
 import { Realtime } from '../realtime';
-import { share } from '../sharedb';
 
 const RECONNECT_INTERVAL = 3;
 const MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3;
 
+type ShareDb = share.Connection & {
+    bindToSocket: (socket: WebSocket) => void;
+    startBulk: () => void;
+    endBulk: () => void;
+};
+
 /**
  * Handles connecting and communicating with the Realtime server.
  *
@@ -19,19 +28,21 @@ class RealtimeConnection extends Events {
 
     private _socket: WebSocket;
 
-    private _sharedb: any;
+    private _sharedb: ShareDb;
+
+    private _reconnectAttempts: number = 0;
 
-    private _reconnectAttempts: number;
+    private _reconnectInterval: number = RECONNECT_INTERVAL;
 
-    private _reconnectInterval: number;
+    private _connected: boolean = false;
 
-    private _connected: boolean;
+    private _authenticated: boolean = false;
 
-    private _authenticated: boolean;
+    private _active: Deferred<WebSocket> = new Deferred<WebSocket>();
 
-    private _sendQueue: (string | ArrayBuffer | Blob | ArrayBufferView)[] = [];
+    private _domEvtVisibilityChange: () => void;
 
-    private _domEvtVisibilityChange: any;
+    private _alive: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null;
 
     /**
      * Constructor
@@ -41,15 +52,77 @@ class RealtimeConnection extends Events {
     constructor(realtime: Realtime) {
         super();
 
-        this._url = null;
         this._realtime = realtime;
-        this._socket = null;
-        this._sharedb = null;
-        this._reconnectAttempts = 0;
-        this._reconnectInterval = RECONNECT_INTERVAL;
-        this._connected = false;
-        this._authenticated = false;
-        this._domEvtVisibilityChange = this._onVisibilityChange.bind(this);
+        this._domEvtVisibilityChange = () => {
+            if (document.hidden) {
+                return;
+            }
+            if (!this.connected && this._url) {
+                this.connect(this._url);
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+    private _onauth(socket: WebSocket) {
+        if (this._sharedb) {
+            this._sharedb.bindToSocket(socket);
+        } else {
+            this._sharedb = new share.Connection(socket) as ShareDb;
+            this._sharedb.on('error', (err) => {
+                if (this._sharedb?.state === 'connected') {
+                    return;
+                }
+                this._realtime.emit('error', err);
+            });
+            this._sharedb.on('bs error' as any, (msg: any) => {
+                this._realtime.emit('error:bs', msg);
+            });
+        }
+
+        // reset keep alive
+        if (this._alive) {
+            clearInterval(this._alive);
+        }
+        this._alive = setInterval(() => {
+            if (!this._sharedb) {
+                return;
+            }
+            if (this._sharedb.state === 'connected') {
+                this._sharedb.ping();
+            }
+        }, 1000);
+
+        // intercept messages
+        const onmessage = socket.onmessage;
+        socket.onmessage = (msg) => {
+            try {
+                // handle auth
+                if (msg.data.startsWith('auth')) {
+                    if (!this._authenticated) {
+                        this._authenticated = true;
+                        this._realtime.emit('authenticated');
+                    }
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                // handle selection
+                if (msg.data.startsWith('selection')) {
+                    const data = msg.data.slice('selection:'.length);
+                    this._realtime.emit('selection', data);
+                    return;
+                }
+            } catch (err) {
+                console.error(err);
+            }
+            onmessage.call(socket, msg);
+        };
+
+        // allow sending messages
+        this._active.resolve(socket);
+
+        // mark as authenticated
+        this._authenticated = true;
+        this._realtime.emit('authenticated');
     }
 
     /**
@@ -69,53 +142,62 @@ class RealtimeConnection extends Events {
         this._realtime.emit('connecting', this._reconnectAttempts);
 
         // create new socket
-        this._socket = new WebSocket(url);
-        // create new sharedb connection
-        this._sharedb = new share.Connection(this._socket);
-
-        this._sharedb.on('connected', this._onConnect.bind(this));
-        this._sharedb.on('error', this._onError.bind(this));
-        this._sharedb.on('bs error', this._onBulkSubscribeError.bind(this));
-
-        const send = this._socket.send;
-        this._socket.send = (data) => {
-            if (this._socket.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
-                send.call(this._socket, data);
-            } else {
-                this._sendQueue.push(data);
-            }
+        const socket = new WebSocket(url);
+
+        socket.onopen = () => {
+            this._connected = true;
+            this._reconnectAttempts = 0;
+
+            socket.send(`auth${JSON.stringify({ accessToken: api.accessToken })}`);
+
+            this._realtime.emit('connected');
         };
 
-        const onmessage = this._socket.onmessage;
-        this._socket.onmessage = (msg) => {
-            if (!this._onMessage(msg)) {
-                onmessage.call(this._socket, msg);
+        socket.onmessage = (msg) => {
+            if (msg.data.toString().startsWith('auth')) {
+                // clear this handler
+                socket.onmessage = null;
+
+                this._onauth(socket);
             }
         };
 
-        const onopen = this._socket.onopen;
-        this._socket.onopen = (ev) => {
-            while (this._sendQueue.length) {
-                this._socket.send(this._sendQueue.shift());
+        socket.onclose = (reason) => {
+            // block sending messages
+            this._active = new Deferred<WebSocket>();
+
+            // clear keep alive
+            if (this._alive) {
+                clearInterval(this._alive);
+                this._alive = null;
             }
-            onopen.call(this._socket, ev);
-        };
 
-        const onclose = this._socket.onclose;
-        this._socket.onclose = (reason) => {
-            this._onClose(reason, onclose.bind(this._socket));
+            this._connected = false;
+            this._authenticated = false;
+
+            this._realtime.emit('disconnect', reason);
+
+            this._realtime.emit('nextAttempt', this._reconnectInterval);
+
+            if (!document.hidden) {
+                setTimeout(() => {
+                    this.connect(this._url);
+                }, this._reconnectInterval * 1000);
+            }
         };
 
         document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', this._domEvtVisibilityChange);
+
+        this._socket = socket;
     }
 
     /**
      * Disconnect from the server
      */
     disconnect() {
-        if (this._socket) {
-            this._socket.close();
-        }
+        this._sharedb?.close();
+
+        this._socket?.close();
 
         document.removeEventListener('visibilitychange', this._domEvtVisibilityChange);
     }
@@ -135,10 +217,9 @@ class RealtimeConnection extends Events {
      *
      * @param data - The message data
      */
-    send(data: string) {
-        if (this._socket && this._socket.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
-            this._socket.send(data);
-        }
+    async send(data: string) {
+        const socket = await this._active.promise;
+        socket.send(data);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -166,98 +247,6 @@ class RealtimeConnection extends Events {
         this._sharedb.endBulk();
     }
 
-    private _onVisibilityChange() {
-        if (document.hidden) return;
-        if (!this.connected && this._url) {
-            this.connect(this._url);
-        }
-    }
-
-    private _onConnect() {
-        this._connected = true;
-        this._reconnectAttempts = 0;
-        this._reconnectInterval = RECONNECT_INTERVAL;
-        this._sendAuth();
-        this._realtime.emit('connected');
-    }
-
-    private _onError(msg: any) {
-        if (this._sharedb.state === 'connected') return;
-        this._realtime.emit('error', msg);
-    }
-
-    private _onBulkSubscribeError(msg: any) {
-        this._realtime.emit('error:bs', msg);
-    }
-
-    private _onClose(reason: CloseEvent, originalOnClose: () => void) {
-        this._connected = false;
-        this._authenticated = false;
-
-        this._realtime.emit('disconnect', reason);
-        originalOnClose();
-
-        this._realtime.emit('nextAttempt', this._reconnectInterval);
-
-        if (!document.hidden) {
-            setTimeout(() => {
-                this.connect(this._url);
-            }, this._reconnectInterval * 1000);
-        }
-    }
-
-    private _onMessage(msg: MessageEvent<any>) {
-        try {
-            if (msg.data.startsWith('auth')) {
-                return this._onMessageAuth(msg);
-            }  else if (msg.data.startsWith('selection')) {
-                return this._onMessageSelection(msg);
-            }
-
-            return false;
-        } catch (err) {
-            console.error(err);
-        }
-    }
-
-    private _onMessageAuth(_msg: MessageEvent<any>) {
-        if (!this._authenticated) {
-            this._authenticated = true;
-            this._realtime.emit('authenticated');
-        }
-
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    private _onMessageSelection(msg: MessageEvent<any>) {
-        const data = msg.data.slice('selection:'.length);
-        this._realtime.emit('selection', data);
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    private _onMessageFs(msg: { data: any; }) {
-        let data = msg.data.slice('fs:'.length);
-        const ind = data.indexOf(':');
-        if (ind !== -1) {
-            const op = data.slice(0, ind);
-            if (op === 'paths') {
-                data = JSON.parse(data.slice(ind + 1));
-                this._realtime.emit('fs:paths', data);
-            }
-
-            return true;
-        }
-
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    private _sendAuth() {
-        this.sendMessage('auth', {
-            accessToken: api.accessToken
-        });
-    }
-
-
     /**
      * Whether the user is connected to the server
      */
diff --git a/src/sharedb.ts b/src/sharedb.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 102de17..0000000
--- a/src/sharedb.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-import { type } from 'ot-text';
-import * as share from 'sharedb/lib/client/index';
-share.types.register(type);
-
-export { share };