diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/react/devsupport/JCxxInspectorPackagerConnectionDelegateImpl.cpp b/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/react/devsupport/JCxxInspectorPackagerConnectionDelegateImpl.cpp
index d10f8f295e58..6fffe6cb9fe4 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/react/devsupport/JCxxInspectorPackagerConnectionDelegateImpl.cpp
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/jni/react/devsupport/JCxxInspectorPackagerConnectionDelegateImpl.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ JCxxInspectorPackagerConnectionDelegateImpl::connectWebSocket(
               "connectWebSocket");
   auto jWebSocket = method(
       self(), url, make_global(JWebSocketDelegate::newObjectCxxArgs(delegate)));
+  if (!jWebSocket) {
+    return nullptr;
+  }
   return jWebSocket->wrapInUniquePtr();
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/jsinspector-modern/InspectorPackagerConnection.cpp b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/jsinspector-modern/InspectorPackagerConnection.cpp
index 4edf6e0c6e88..71f53d2e8bd5 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/jsinspector-modern/InspectorPackagerConnection.cpp
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/jsinspector-modern/InspectorPackagerConnection.cpp
@@ -341,9 +341,12 @@ void InspectorPackagerConnection::Impl::connect() {
     webSocket_ = delegate_->connectWebSocket(url_, weak_from_this());
   } catch (const std::exception& e) {
     LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to create WebSocket connection: " << e.what();
-    reconnect();
+    webSocket_.reset();
   } catch (...) {
     LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to create WebSocket connection: unknown error";
+    webSocket_.reset();
+  }
+  if (!webSocket_ && !closed_) {
     reconnect();
   }
 }