diff --git a/examples/SimpleServer/SimpleServer.ino b/examples/SimpleServer/SimpleServer.ino
index 3573827..f2b3c0a 100644
--- a/examples/SimpleServer/SimpleServer.ino
+++ b/examples/SimpleServer/SimpleServer.ino
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ AsyncMiddlewareFunction complexAuth([](AsyncWebServerRequest* request, ArMiddlew
 
 AuthorizationMiddleware authz([](AsyncWebServerRequest* request) { return request->getAttribute("role") == "staff"; });
 
+int wsClients = 0;
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 const char* PARAM_MESSAGE PROGMEM = "message";
@@ -646,10 +648,14 @@ void setup() {
   ws.onEvent([](AsyncWebSocket* server, AsyncWebSocketClient* client, AwsEventType type, void* arg, uint8_t* data, size_t len) {
     (void)len;
     if (type == WS_EVT_CONNECT) {
+      wsClients++;
+      ws.textAll("new client connected");
       Serial.println("ws connect");
       client->setCloseClientOnQueueFull(false);
       client->ping();
     } else if (type == WS_EVT_DISCONNECT) {
+      wsClients--;
+      ws.textAll("client disconnected");
       Serial.println("ws disconnect");
     } else if (type == WS_EVT_ERROR) {
       Serial.println("ws error");
@@ -760,6 +766,8 @@ uint32_t deltaSSE = 10;
 uint32_t lastWS = 0;
 uint32_t deltaWS = 100;
 
+uint32_t lastHeap = 0;
+
 void loop() {
   uint32_t now = millis();
   if (now - lastSSE >= deltaSSE) {
@@ -773,4 +781,8 @@ void loop() {
     // }
     lastWS = millis();
   }
+  if(now - lastHeap >= 2000) {
+    Serial.printf("Free heap: %" PRIu32 "\n", ESP.getFreeHeap());
+    lastHeap = now;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index d302ae2..cd19455 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ build_flags =
   -Og
   -Wall -Wextra
   -Wno-unused-parameter
-  -D CONFIG_ARDUHAL_LOG_COLORS
+  ; -D CONFIG_ARDUHAL_LOG_COLORS
   -D CORE_DEBUG_LEVEL=ARDUHAL_LOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE
   -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_MAX_ACK_TIME=5000
   -D CONFIG_ASYNC_TCP_PRIORITY=10
diff --git a/src/AsyncWebSocket.cpp b/src/AsyncWebSocket.cpp
index 13e6add..9deb74a 100644
--- a/src/AsyncWebSocket.cpp
+++ b/src/AsyncWebSocket.cpp
@@ -287,7 +287,6 @@ AsyncWebSocketClient::AsyncWebSocketClient(AsyncWebServerRequest* request, Async
   _client->onTimeout([](void* r, AsyncClient* c, uint32_t time) { (void)c; ((AsyncWebSocketClient*)(r))->_onTimeout(time); }, this);
   _client->onData([](void* r, AsyncClient* c, void* buf, size_t len) { (void)c; ((AsyncWebSocketClient*)(r))->_onData(buf, len); }, this);
   _client->onPoll([](void* r, AsyncClient* c) { (void)c; ((AsyncWebSocketClient*)(r))->_onPoll(); }, this);
-  _server->_handleEvent(this, WS_EVT_CONNECT, request, NULL, 0);
   delete request;
   memset(&_pinfo, 0, sizeof(_pinfo));
 }
@@ -781,6 +780,7 @@ void AsyncWebSocket::_handleEvent(AsyncWebSocketClient* client, AwsEventType typ
 
 AsyncWebSocketClient* AsyncWebSocket::_newClient(AsyncWebServerRequest* request) {
   _clients.emplace_back(request, this);
+  _handleEvent(&_clients.back(), WS_EVT_CONNECT, request, NULL, 0);
   return &_clients.back();
 }