diff --git a/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp b/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
index c67b706..967bc9d 100644
--- a/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
+++ b/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ WebSocketsClient::WebSocketsClient() {
     _client.cIsClient    = true;
     _client.extraHeaders = WEBSOCKETS_STRING("Origin: file://");
     _reconnectInterval   = 500;
+    _port                = 0;
+    _host                = "";
 }
 
 WebSocketsClient::~WebSocketsClient() {
@@ -148,6 +150,9 @@ void WebSocketsClient::beginSocketIOSSLWithCA(const char * host, uint16_t port,
  * called in arduino loop
  */
 void WebSocketsClient::loop(void) {
+    if(_port == 0) {
+        return;
+    }
     WEBSOCKETS_YIELD();
     if(!clientIsConnected(&_client)) {
         // do not flood the server
diff --git a/src/WebSocketsClient.h b/src/WebSocketsClient.h
index ed3f630..0f51c94 100644
--- a/src/WebSocketsClient.h
+++ b/src/WebSocketsClient.h
@@ -91,12 +91,12 @@ class WebSocketsClient : protected WebSockets {
     void enableHeartbeat(uint32_t pingInterval, uint32_t pongTimeout, uint8_t disconnectTimeoutCount);
     void disableHeartbeat();
 
+    bool isConnected(void);
+
   protected:
     String _host;
     uint16_t _port;
 
-    bool isConnected(void);
-
 #if defined(HAS_SSL)
     String _fingerprint;
     const char * _CA_cert;