diff --git a/frigate/app.py b/frigate/app.py
index 9ccc3a0f9..0084c61a7 100644
--- a/frigate/app.py
+++ b/frigate/app.py
@@ -177,7 +177,6 @@ class FrigateApp:
             comms.append(MqttClient(self.config))
 
         self.ws_client = WebSocketClient(self.config)
-        self.ws_client.start()
         comms.append(self.ws_client)
         self.dispatcher = Dispatcher(self.config, self.camera_metrics, comms)
 
@@ -354,7 +353,7 @@ class FrigateApp:
             self.set_log_levels()
             self.init_queues()
             self.init_database()
-            self.init_dispatcher
+            self.init_dispatcher()
         except Exception as e:
             print(e)
             self.log_process.terminate()
diff --git a/frigate/communication/mqtt.py b/frigate/communication/mqtt.py
index 37f89b729..502054d14 100644
--- a/frigate/communication/mqtt.py
+++ b/frigate/communication/mqtt.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class MqttClient(Communicator):
             )
 
         self.client.message_callback_add(
-            f"{self.mqtt_config.topic_prefix}/restart", self.on_restart_command
+            f"{self.mqtt_config.topic_prefix}/restart", self.on_mqtt_command
         )
 
     def publish(self, topic: str, payload, retain: bool = False) -> None:
diff --git a/frigate/communication/ws.py b/frigate/communication/ws.py
index 3c5c0f99a..561460fff 100644
--- a/frigate/communication/ws.py
+++ b/frigate/communication/ws.py
@@ -19,36 +19,42 @@ from frigate.config import FrigateConfig
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-class _WebSocketHandler(WebSocket):
-    def received_message(self, message):
-        try:
-            json_message = json.loads(message.data.decode("utf-8"))
-            json_message = {
-                "topic": f"{self.topic_prefix}/{json_message['topic']}",
-                "payload": json_message.get("payload"),
-                "retain": json_message.get("retain", False),
-            }
-        except Exception as e:
-            logger.warning("Unable to parse websocket message as valid json.")
-            return
-
-        logger.debug(
-            f"Publishing mqtt message from websockets at {json_message['topic']}."
-        )
-        self.publish(
-            json_message["topic"],
-            json_message["payload"],
-            retain=json_message["retain"],
-        )
-
-
 class WebSocketClient(Communicator):
     """Frigate wrapper for ws client."""
 
     def __init__(self, config: FrigateConfig) -> None:
         self.config = config
 
+    def subscribe(self, receiver) -> None:
+        self._dispatcher = receiver
+        self.start()
+
     def start(self):
+        """Start the websocket client."""
+
+        class _WebSocketHandler(WebSocket):
+            receiver = self._dispatcher
+
+            def received_message(self, message):
+                try:
+                    json_message = json.loads(message.data.decode("utf-8"))
+                    json_message = {
+                        "topic": f"{self.topic_prefix}/{json_message['topic']}",
+                        "payload": json_message.get("payload"),
+                        "retain": json_message.get("retain", False),
+                    }
+                except Exception as e:
+                    logger.warning("Unable to parse websocket message as valid json.")
+                    return
+
+                logger.debug(
+                    f"Publishing mqtt message from websockets at {json_message['topic']}."
+                )
+                self.receiver(
+                    json_message["topic"],
+                    json_message["payload"],
+                    retain=json_message["retain"],
+                )
 
         # start a websocket server on 5002
         WebSocketWSGIHandler.http_version = "1.1"
@@ -65,7 +71,7 @@ class WebSocketClient(Communicator):
         )
         self.websocket_thread.start()
 
-    def publish(self, topic: str, payload: str) -> None:
+    def publish(self, topic: str, payload: str, _) -> None:
         try:
             ws_message = json.dumps(
                 {