diff --git a/example.js b/example.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca292f29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example.js
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const Ws = require('ws')
+const ws = new Ws('ws://localhost:45000')
+
+ws.on('open', () => {
+  console.log('open')
+
+  msgs.forEach((msg, i) => {
+    ws.send(
+      JSON.stringify(msg)
+    )
+    console.log('sent', i)
+  })
+})
+
+ws.on('message', (data) => {
+  // console.log(data)
+})
+
+const msgs = [
+  [
+    'subscribe',
+    'bitfinex',
+    [
+      'ticker',
+      {
+        exchange: 'bitfinex',
+        quote: 'USD',
+        base: 'ADA',
+        wsID: 'tADAUSD',
+        restID: 'tADAUSD',
+        uiID: 'ADA/USD',
+        contexts: [
+          'e',
+          'm'
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+  ],
+  [
+    'get.candles',
+    'bitfinex',
+    {
+      exchange: 'bitfinex',
+      quote: 'USD',
+      base: 'ADA',
+      wsID: 'tADAUSD',
+      restID: 'tADAUSD',
+      uiID: 'ADA/USD',
+      contexts: [
+        'e',
+        'm'
+      ]
+    },
+    '1m',
+    1605122077205,
+    1605182077205
+  ],
+  [
+    'subscribe',
+    'bitfinex',
+    [
+      'candles',
+      '1m',
+      {
+        exchange: 'bitfinex',
+        quote: 'USD',
+        base: 'ADA',
+        wsID: 'tADAUSD',
+        restID: 'tADAUSD',
+        uiID: 'ADA/USD',
+        contexts: [
+          'e',
+          'm'
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+  ],
+  [
+    'subscribe',
+    'bitfinex',
+    [
+      'trades',
+      {
+        exchange: 'bitfinex',
+        quote: 'USD',
+        base: 'ADA',
+        wsID: 'tADAUSD',
+        restID: 'tADAUSD',
+        uiID: 'ADA/USD',
+        contexts: [
+          'e',
+          'm'
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+  ]
+]
diff --git a/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/index.js b/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/index.js
index cb8df0c6..eb5c8369 100644
--- a/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/index.js
+++ b/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/index.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const getMarkets = require('./get_markets')
 const unsubscribe = require('./unsubscribe')
 const subscribe = require('./subscribe')
 
-class BitfinexEchangeConnection {
+class BitfinexExchangeConnection {
   constructor (opts) {
     const { wsURL, restURL } = opts
 
@@ -50,22 +50,80 @@ class BitfinexEchangeConnection {
     }
   }
 
-  reconnect () {
-    this.ws.reconnect()
-  }
-
   openWS (args = {}) {
     const opts = {
       url: this.wsURL,
-      autoReconnect: true,
-      reconnectDelay: 10 * 1000,
       ...args
     }
 
     this.ws = new WS2Manager(opts, this.authArgs)
-    this.ws.on('message', (msg) => recvMessage(this, msg))
+    this.ws.on('message', this.onWSMessage.bind(this))
     this.ws.on('error', this.onWSError.bind(this))
     this.ws.on('auth', this.onWSAuth.bind(this))
+    this.ws.on('close', this.onWSClose.bind(this))
+    this.ws.on('open', this.onWSOpen.bind(this))
+
+    this.reconnectTimeout = null
+    this.sendHeartbeatTimeout = null
+    this.firstConnect = true
+  }
+
+  scheduleReconnect () {
+    this.reconnectTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      this.reconnect()
+    }, 10000)
+  }
+
+  sendHeartbeat () {
+    clearTimeout(this.sendHeartbeatTimeout)
+
+    this.sendHeartbeatTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      const socket = this.ws._sockets[0]
+      if (socket.ws._isOpen && !socket.ws._isClosing) {
+        socket.ws.send({ event: 'ping' })
+      }
+
+      this.sendHeartbeat()
+    }, 5000)
+  }
+
+  reconnect () {
+    this.ws.reconnect()
+  }
+
+  async onWSOpen () {
+    this.scheduleReconnect()
+    this.sendHeartbeat()
+
+    if (this.firstConnect === false) {
+      this.resubscribe()
+    }
+
+    this.firstConnect = false
+  }
+
+  async resubscribe () {
+    if (!this.subscriptions) return
+    if (!this.subscriptions.length) return
+
+    const unsubs = []
+    for (const data of this.subscriptions) {
+      await this.unsubscribe(data)
+      unsubs.push(data)
+    }
+
+    for (const data of unsubs) {
+      this.subscribe(data)
+    }
+  }
+
+  onWSClose () {}
+
+  onWSMessage (msg) {
+    clearTimeout(this.reconnectTimeout)
+    this.scheduleReconnect()
+
+    recvMessage(this, msg)
   }
 
   onWSAuth () {
@@ -73,19 +131,22 @@ class BitfinexEchangeConnection {
   }
 
   openSocket () {
-    if (this.ws) {
-      this.ws.openSocket()
-    } else {
-      debug('ws not initialized, cannot open socket')
+    if (!this.ws) {
+      return
     }
+
+    this.ws.openSocket()
+    this.scheduleReconnect()
   }
 
-  close () {
-    if (this.ws) {
-      this.ws.close()
-    } else {
-      debug('ws not initialized, cannot close sockets')
+  async close () {
+    if (!this.ws) {
+      return
     }
+
+    try {
+      await this.ws.close()
+    } catch (e) {}
   }
 
   on (event, handler) {
@@ -166,7 +227,7 @@ class BitfinexEchangeConnection {
   }
 
   static async registerUIDefs (algoOrders, rest) {
-    const timeframes = BitfinexEchangeConnection.getCandleTimeFrames()
+    const timeframes = BitfinexExchangeConnection.getCandleTimeFrames()
     const aoUIDefs = algoOrders.filter((ao) => {
       const { meta = {} } = ao
       const { getUIDef } = meta
@@ -205,6 +266,6 @@ class BitfinexEchangeConnection {
   }
 }
 
-BitfinexEchangeConnection.id = 'bitfinex'
+BitfinexExchangeConnection.id = 'bitfinex'
 
-module.exports = BitfinexEchangeConnection
+module.exports = BitfinexExchangeConnection
diff --git a/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/subscribe.js b/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/subscribe.js
index 1cad3920..480e35fb 100644
--- a/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/subscribe.js
+++ b/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/subscribe.js
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ module.exports = async (exa, channelData) => {
     return subs[cdKey] // return existing chanId
   }
 
+  d('subscribing to channel %j', channelData)
+
   const [type] = channelData
   const filter = chanDataToSubscribePacket(channelData)
 
@@ -20,8 +22,6 @@ module.exports = async (exa, channelData) => {
     throw new Error(`unknown channel type: ${type}`)
   }
 
-  d('subscribing to channel %j', channelData)
-
   const p = new Promise((resolve) => {
     pendingSubs[cdKey] = [_last(channelData), resolve]
   })
diff --git a/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/unsubscribe.js b/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/unsubscribe.js
index b5818a4b..d75e6b55 100644
--- a/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/unsubscribe.js
+++ b/lib/exchange_clients/bitfinex/unsubscribe.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const chanDataToKey = require('../../util/chan_data_to_key')
-const chanDataToSubscribePacket = require('./util/chan_data_to_subscribe_packet')
 
 module.exports = (exa, channelData) => {
   const { d, ws, subs, channelMap } = exa
@@ -9,32 +8,31 @@ module.exports = (exa, channelData) => {
   const cdKey = chanDataToKey(channelData)
   const chanID = subs[cdKey]
 
-  if (!chanID) {
-    throw new Error('tried to unsub from unknown channel')
-  }
-
   d('unsubscribing from channel %s', chanID)
 
-  const filter = chanDataToSubscribePacket(channelData)
+  if (!chanID) {
+    d('error: channel %s not found', chanID)
+    return
+  }
 
   switch (channelData[0]) {
     case 'candles': {
-      ws.managedUnsubscribe('candles', filter)
+      ws.unsubscribe(chanID)
       break
     }
 
     case 'ticker': {
-      ws.managedUnsubscribe('ticker', filter)
+      ws.unsubscribe(chanID)
       break
     }
 
     case 'trades': {
-      ws.managedUnsubscribe('trades', filter)
+      ws.unsubscribe(chanID)
       break
     }
 
     case 'book': {
-      ws.managedUnsubscribe('book', filter[0])
+      ws.unsubscribe(chanID)
       break
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/ws_servers/api/handlers/on_subscribe.js b/lib/ws_servers/api/handlers/on_subscribe.js
index d5c2f6ca..a737876c 100644
--- a/lib/ws_servers/api/handlers/on_subscribe.js
+++ b/lib/ws_servers/api/handlers/on_subscribe.js
@@ -17,10 +17,8 @@ module.exports = async (server, ws, msg) => {
     return
   }
 
-  if (!ws.subscriptions) ws.subscriptions = {}
-  if (!ws.subscriptions[exID]) ws.subscriptions[exID] = []
-
-  ws.subscriptions[exID].push(channelData)
+  if (!exchangeClient.subscriptions) exchangeClient.subscriptions = []
+  exchangeClient.subscriptions.push(channelData)
 
   const chanID = await exchangeClient.subscribe(channelData)
   send(ws, ['subscribed', exID, chanID, channelData])
diff --git a/lib/ws_servers/api/handlers/on_unsubscribe.js b/lib/ws_servers/api/handlers/on_unsubscribe.js
index 559c0086..012f95c1 100644
--- a/lib/ws_servers/api/handlers/on_unsubscribe.js
+++ b/lib/ws_servers/api/handlers/on_unsubscribe.js
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ module.exports = (server, ws, msg) => {
 
   const { d } = server
 
-  if (!(ws.subscriptions || {})[exID]) {
+  if (!exchangeClient.subscriptions) {
     return d(
       'warning: client %s tried to unsub from channel %j when not on exchange %s',
       ws.id, channelData, exID
     )
   }
 
-  const subIndex = ws.subscriptions[exID].findIndex(cd => (
+  const subIndex = exchangeClient.subscriptions.findIndex(cd => (
     _isEqual(cd, channelData)
   ))
 
@@ -38,5 +38,5 @@ module.exports = (server, ws, msg) => {
   }
 
   exchangeClient.unsubscribe(channelData)
-  ws.subscriptions[exID].splice(subIndex, 1)
+  exchangeClient.subscriptions.splice(subIndex, 1)
 }
diff --git a/lib/ws_servers/api/index.js b/lib/ws_servers/api/index.js
index 8ecb4a81..67ceeb7a 100644
--- a/lib/ws_servers/api/index.js
+++ b/lib/ws_servers/api/index.js
@@ -131,15 +131,17 @@ module.exports = class APIWSServer extends WSServer {
       ws.aoc.close()
     }
 
-    const subExchanges = Object.keys(ws.subscriptions || {})
-
-    subExchanges.forEach((exID) => {
-      ws.subscriptions[exID].forEach((channelData) => {
-        this.exchangeClient.unsubscribe(channelData)
-      })
-    })
-
     ws.clients = {}
     ws.user = null
+
+    let subs = this.exchangeClient.subscriptions
+    if (!subs) return
+
+    subs = subs.reduce((acc, channelData) => {
+      console.log('unsub ', channelData)
+      this.exchangeClient.unsubscribe(channelData)
+
+      return acc
+    }, [])
   }
 }