diff --git a/clients/cpp/src/client.cpp b/clients/cpp/src/client.cpp
index c1d404d..9997f16 100644
--- a/clients/cpp/src/client.cpp
+++ b/clients/cpp/src/client.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,11 @@ ClientImpl::ClientImpl(std::string const& address, ClientOptions options)
 
 ClientImpl::~ClientImpl()
 {
-    stop();
+    // Stop the client
+    {
+        std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
+        internal_stop(lock);
+    }
     // Stop the manager loop thread
     {
         const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
@@ -84,12 +88,14 @@ ClientImpl::~ClientImpl()
 void ClientImpl::start()
 {
     const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
+    m_was_explicitly_started = true;
     internal_start();
 }
 
 void ClientImpl::stop()
 {
     std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
+    m_was_explicitly_stopped = true;
     internal_stop(lock);
 }
 
@@ -428,7 +434,7 @@ void ClientImpl::on_websocket_open()
 {
     const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
     update_connected(true);
-    log(Debug) << "connected";
+    m_was_explicitly_started = false;
 }
 
 void ClientImpl::on_websocket_close()
@@ -436,7 +442,22 @@ void ClientImpl::on_websocket_close()
     const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
     update_connected(false);
     reset_connection_state();
-    log(Info) << "disconnected";
+    if (m_was_explicitly_started) {
+        m_was_explicitly_started = false;
+        auto retrying = m_options.websocket.reconnect_delay.has_value();
+        log(Error) << (retrying ? "initial connection attempt failed"
+                                : "connection failed")
+                   << var("retrying", retrying)
+                   << var("address", m_conn->address())
+                   << var("conn_timeout", m_options.websocket.connect_timeout)
+                   << var("reconn_delay", m_options.websocket.reconnect_delay)
+                   << var("max_reconn_delay",
+                          m_options.websocket.max_reconnect_delay);
+    }
+    if (m_was_explicitly_stopped) {
+        m_was_explicitly_stopped = false;
+        log(Info) << "client stopped";
+    }
 }
 
 void ClientImpl::on_websocket_message(std::string const& message)
@@ -529,17 +550,7 @@ void ClientImpl::internal_start()
         return;
     }
     m_started = true;
-    if (!m_conn->start()) {
-        auto retrying = m_options.websocket.reconnect_delay.has_value();
-        log(Error) << (retrying ? "initial connection attempt failed"
-                                : "connection failed")
-                   << var("retrying", retrying)
-                   << var("address", m_conn->address())
-                   << var("conn_timeout", m_options.websocket.connect_timeout)
-                   << var("reconn_delay", m_options.websocket.reconnect_delay)
-                   << var("max_reconn_delay",
-                          m_options.websocket.max_reconnect_delay);
-    }
+    m_conn->start();
 }
 
 void ClientImpl::reset_connection_state()
diff --git a/clients/cpp/src/client.h b/clients/cpp/src/client.h
index d259c86..8cf86cc 100644
--- a/clients/cpp/src/client.h
+++ b/clients/cpp/src/client.h
@@ -263,6 +263,8 @@ class ClientImpl : public IClient
 
     bool m_started{ false };
     bool m_connected{ false };
+    bool m_was_explicitly_started{ false };
+    bool m_was_explicitly_stopped{ false };
     // Use a recursive mutex, since many methods could trigger a reconnect,
     // which would call close and would trigger the close callback,
     // which locks this mutex again.
diff --git a/clients/cpp/src/websocket/backend_libhv.cpp b/clients/cpp/src/websocket/backend_libhv.cpp
index e502eb1..13a0bae 100644
--- a/clients/cpp/src/websocket/backend_libhv.cpp
+++ b/clients/cpp/src/websocket/backend_libhv.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class ClientImpl : public BaseClient
     int64_t send_text(const char* data, size_t length) override;
 
 protected:
-    bool internal_start() override;
+    void internal_start() override;
     void internal_stop() override;
 
     std::unique_ptr<hv::WebSocketClient> create_conn();
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<hv::WebSocketClient> ClientImpl::create_conn()
     return conn;
 }
 
-bool ClientImpl::internal_start()
+void ClientImpl::internal_start()
 {
     // Reconnect
     if (m_options.reconnect_delay.has_value()) {
@@ -123,8 +123,6 @@ bool ClientImpl::internal_start()
     }
     // Open the connection
     m_conn->open(m_address.c_str(), headers);
-    perror("internal_start() after");
-    return m_conn->isConnected();
 }
 
 void ClientImpl::internal_stop()
diff --git a/clients/cpp/src/websocket/client.cpp b/clients/cpp/src/websocket/client.cpp
index c4a4847..18a5a16 100644
--- a/clients/cpp/src/websocket/client.cpp
+++ b/clients/cpp/src/websocket/client.cpp
@@ -61,14 +61,14 @@ void BaseClient::on_message(
     m_message_callback = callback;
 }
 
-bool BaseClient::start()
+void BaseClient::start()
 {
     const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_mutex);
     if (m_started) {
-        return true;
+        return;
     }
     m_started = true;
-    return internal_start();
+    internal_start();
 }
 
 void BaseClient::stop()
diff --git a/clients/cpp/src/websocket/client.h b/clients/cpp/src/websocket/client.h
index 6567ad9..ca36ff2 100644
--- a/clients/cpp/src/websocket/client.h
+++ b/clients/cpp/src/websocket/client.h
@@ -93,11 +93,8 @@ class IClient
      * have been called and returned.
      * If a mutex is held while start() is called,
      * it can safely be locked from any of the event handlers.
-     *
-     * @returns Whether the client has
-     * successfully connected the first time or not.
      */
-    virtual bool start() = 0;
+    virtual void start() = 0;
 
     /**
      * @brief Stops the websocket client.
@@ -145,7 +142,7 @@ class Client : public IClient
         return m_impl->send_text(data, length);
     }
 
-    inline bool start() override { return m_impl->start(); }
+    inline void start() override { return m_impl->start(); }
 
     inline void stop() override { return m_impl->stop(); }
 
@@ -171,12 +168,12 @@ class BaseClient : public IClient
 
     virtual int64_t send_text(const char* data, size_t length) = 0;
 
-    bool start() override;
+    void start() override;
 
     void stop() override;
 
 protected:
-    virtual bool internal_start() = 0;
+    virtual void internal_start() = 0;
     virtual void internal_stop() = 0;
 
     /**