diff --git a/src/supplemental/websocket/websocket.c b/src/supplemental/websocket/websocket.c
index 7d606b5c3..0ab4a167f 100644
--- a/src/supplemental/websocket/websocket.c
+++ b/src/supplemental/websocket/websocket.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// Copyright 2024 Staysail Systems, Inc. <info@staysail.tech>
+// Copyright 2025 Staysail Systems, Inc. <info@staysail.tech>
 // Copyright 2018 Capitar IT Group BV <info@capitar.com>
 // Copyright 2019 Devolutions <info@devolutions.net>
 //
@@ -1240,9 +1240,7 @@ ws_fini(void *arg)
 
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&ws->mtx);
 
-	if (ws->http) {
-		nni_http_conn_fini(ws->http);
-	}
+	nni_http_conn_fini(ws->http);
 
 	nni_strfree(ws->reqhdrs);
 	nni_strfree(ws->reshdrs);
@@ -2147,7 +2145,6 @@ ws_conn_cb(void *arg)
 	nni_ws_dialer *d;
 	nni_ws        *ws;
 	nni_aio       *uaio;
-	nni_http_conn *http;
 	nni_http_req  *req = NULL;
 	int            rv;
 	uint8_t        raw[16];
@@ -2179,13 +2176,12 @@ ws_conn_cb(void *arg)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	ws->http = nni_aio_get_output(&ws->connaio, 0);
 	nni_mtx_lock(&ws->mtx);
 	uaio = ws->useraio;
-	http = nni_aio_get_output(&ws->connaio, 0);
 	nni_aio_set_output(&ws->connaio, 0, NULL);
 	if (uaio == NULL) {
 		// This request was canceled for some reason.
-		nni_http_conn_fini(http);
 		nni_mtx_unlock(&ws->mtx);
 		ws_reap(ws);
 		return;
@@ -2197,8 +2193,10 @@ ws_conn_cb(void *arg)
 	nni_base64_encode(raw, 16, wskey, 24);
 	wskey[24] = '\0';
 
+	req = nni_http_conn_req(ws->http);
+
 #define SETH(h, v) nni_http_req_set_header(req, h, v)
-	if ((rv != 0) || ((rv = nni_http_req_alloc(&req, d->url)) != 0) ||
+	if ((rv != 0) || ((rv = nni_http_req_set_url(req, d->url)) != 0) ||
 	    ((rv = SETH("Upgrade", "websocket")) != 0) ||
 	    ((rv = SETH("Connection", "Upgrade")) != 0) ||
 	    ((rv = SETH("Sec-WebSocket-Key", wskey)) != 0) ||
@@ -2218,22 +2216,15 @@ ws_conn_cb(void *arg)
 	}
 #undef SETH
 
-	ws->http = http;
-	ws->req  = req;
+	ws->req = req;
 
-	nni_http_write_req(http, req, &ws->httpaio);
+	nni_http_write_req(ws->http, req, &ws->httpaio);
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&ws->mtx);
 	return;
 
 err:
 	nni_aio_finish_error(uaio, rv);
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&ws->mtx);
-	if (http != NULL) {
-		nni_http_conn_fini(http);
-	}
-	if (req != NULL) {
-		nni_http_req_free(req);
-	}
 	ws_reap(ws);
 }