diff --git a/components/esp_websocket_client/esp_websocket_client.c b/components/esp_websocket_client/esp_websocket_client.c
index 413742d4a..fcfc86cec 100644
--- a/components/esp_websocket_client/esp_websocket_client.c
+++ b/components/esp_websocket_client/esp_websocket_client.c
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ struct esp_websocket_client {
     char                        *rx_buffer;
     char                        *tx_buffer;
     int                         buffer_size;
+    ws_transport_opcodes_t      last_opcode;
 };
 
 static uint64_t _tick_get_ms(void)
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ static esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_dispatch_event(esp_websocket_client_handle
     esp_websocket_event_data_t event_data;
     event_data.data_ptr = data;
     event_data.data_len = data_len;
+    event_data.op_code = client->last_opcode;
 
     if ((err = esp_event_post_to(client->event_handle,
                                  WEBSOCKET_EVENTS, event,
@@ -474,7 +476,7 @@ static void esp_websocket_client_task(void *pv)
                 if (_tick_get_ms() - client->ping_tick_ms > WEBSOCKET_PING_TIMEOUT_MS) {
                     client->ping_tick_ms = _tick_get_ms();
                     // Send PING
-                    esp_transport_write(client->transport, NULL, 0, client->config->network_timeout_ms);
+                    esp_transport_ws_send_raw(client->transport, WS_TRANSPORT_OPCODES_PING, NULL, 0, client->config->network_timeout_ms);
                 }
                 if (read_select == 0) {
                     ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Timeout...");
@@ -488,8 +490,15 @@ static void esp_websocket_client_task(void *pv)
                     esp_websocket_client_abort_connection(client);
                     break;
                 }
-                if (rlen > 0) {
+                if (rlen >= 0) {
+                    client->last_opcode = esp_transport_ws_get_read_opcode(client->transport);
                     esp_websocket_client_dispatch_event(client, WEBSOCKET_EVENT_DATA, client->rx_buffer, rlen);
+                    // if a PING message received -> send out the PONG
+                    if (client->last_opcode == WS_TRANSPORT_OPCODES_PING) {
+                        const char *data = (rlen == 0) ? NULL : client->rx_buffer;
+                        esp_transport_ws_send_raw(client->transport, WS_TRANSPORT_OPCODES_PONG, data, rlen,
+                                                  client->config->network_timeout_ms);
+                    }
                 }
                 break;
             case WEBSOCKET_STATE_WAIT_TIMEOUT:
@@ -546,7 +555,24 @@ esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_stop(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client)
     return ESP_OK;
 }
 
+static int esp_websocket_client_send_with_opcode(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, ws_transport_opcodes_t opcode, const char *data, int len, TickType_t timeout);
+
+int esp_websocket_client_send_text(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *data, int len, TickType_t timeout)
+{
+    return esp_websocket_client_send_with_opcode(client, WS_TRANSPORT_OPCODES_TEXT, data, len, timeout);
+}
+
 int esp_websocket_client_send(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *data, int len, TickType_t timeout)
+{
+    return esp_websocket_client_send_with_opcode(client, WS_TRANSPORT_OPCODES_BINARY, data, len, timeout);
+}
+
+int esp_websocket_client_send_bin(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *data, int len, TickType_t timeout)
+{
+    return esp_websocket_client_send_with_opcode(client, WS_TRANSPORT_OPCODES_BINARY, data, len, timeout);
+}
+
+static int esp_websocket_client_send_with_opcode(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, ws_transport_opcodes_t opcode, const char *data, int len, TickType_t timeout)
 {
     int need_write = len;
     int wlen = 0, widx = 0;
@@ -575,10 +601,8 @@ int esp_websocket_client_send(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *
             need_write = client->buffer_size;
         }
         memcpy(client->tx_buffer, data + widx, need_write);
-        wlen = esp_transport_write(client->transport,
-                                   (char *)client->tx_buffer,
-                                   need_write,
-                                   client->config->network_timeout_ms);
+        // send with ws specific way and specific opcode
+        wlen = esp_transport_ws_send_raw(client->transport, opcode, (char *)client->tx_buffer, need_write, timeout);
         if (wlen <= 0) {
             xSemaphoreGive(client->lock);
             return wlen;
diff --git a/components/esp_websocket_client/include/esp_websocket_client.h b/components/esp_websocket_client/include/esp_websocket_client.h
index 4f1e0a3fc..444343c82 100644
--- a/components/esp_websocket_client/include/esp_websocket_client.h
+++ b/components/esp_websocket_client/include/esp_websocket_client.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ typedef enum {
 typedef struct {
     const char *data_ptr;   /*!< Data pointer */
     int         data_len;   /*!< Data length */
+    uint8_t     op_code;    /*!< Received opcode */
 } esp_websocket_event_data_t;
 
 /**
@@ -72,7 +73,6 @@ typedef struct {
 } esp_websocket_event_t;
 
 typedef esp_websocket_event_t* esp_websocket_event_handle_t;
-typedef esp_err_t (* websocket_event_callback_t)(esp_websocket_event_handle_t event);
 
 /**
  * @brief Websocket client setup configuration
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_stop(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client);
 esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_destroy(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client);
 
 /**
- * @brief      Write data to the WebSocket connection
+ * @brief      Generic write data to the WebSocket connection; defaults to binary send
  *
  * @param[in]  client  The client
  * @param[in]  data    The data
@@ -163,6 +163,34 @@ esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_destroy(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client);
  */
 int esp_websocket_client_send(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *data, int len, TickType_t timeout);
 
+/**
+ * @brief      Write binary data to the WebSocket connection (data send with WS OPCODE=02, i.e. binary)
+ *
+ * @param[in]  client  The client
+ * @param[in]  data    The data
+ * @param[in]  len     The length
+ * @param[in]  timeout Write data timeout
+ *
+ * @return
+ *     - Number of data was sent
+ *     - (-1) if any errors
+ */
+int esp_websocket_client_send_bin(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *data, int len, TickType_t timeout);
+
+/**
+ * @brief      Write textual data to the WebSocket connection (data send with WS OPCODE=01, i.e. text)
+ *
+ * @param[in]  client  The client
+ * @param[in]  data    The data
+ * @param[in]  len     The length
+ * @param[in]  timeout Write data timeout
+ *
+ * @return
+ *     - Number of data was sent
+ *     - (-1) if any errors
+ */
+int esp_websocket_client_send_text(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *data, int len, TickType_t timeout);
+
 /**
  * @brief      Check the WebSocket connection status
  *
diff --git a/examples/protocols/websocket/main/websocket_example.c b/examples/protocols/websocket/main/websocket_example.c
index 901d2ad92..f82ac9494 100644
--- a/examples/protocols/websocket/main/websocket_example.c
+++ b/examples/protocols/websocket/main/websocket_example.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ static void websocket_event_handler(void *handler_args, esp_event_base_t base, i
 
         case WEBSOCKET_EVENT_DATA:
             ESP_LOGI(TAG, "WEBSOCKET_EVENT_DATA");
+            ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Received opcode=%d", data->op_code);
             ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Received=%.*s\r\n", data->data_len, (char*)data->data_ptr);
             break;
         case WEBSOCKET_EVENT_ERROR: