diff --git a/src/sessions.rs b/src/sessions.rs
index 0cc870a7..d05287e4 100644
--- a/src/sessions.rs
+++ b/src/sessions.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use zellij_utils::{
     consts::ZELLIJ_SOCK_DIR,
     envs,
     interprocess::local_socket::LocalSocketStream,
-    ipc::{ClientToServerMsg, IpcSenderWithContext},
+    ipc::{ClientToServerMsg, IpcReceiverWithContext, IpcSenderWithContext, ServerToClientMsg},
 };
 
 pub(crate) fn get_sessions() -> Result<Vec<String>, io::ErrorKind> {
@@ -56,14 +56,18 @@ fn assert_socket(name: &str) -> bool {
     let path = &*ZELLIJ_SOCK_DIR.join(name);
     match LocalSocketStream::connect(path) {
         Ok(stream) => {
-            IpcSenderWithContext::new(stream).send(ClientToServerMsg::ClientExited);
-            true
+            let mut sender = IpcSenderWithContext::new(stream);
+            sender.send(ClientToServerMsg::ConnStatus);
+
+            let mut receiver: IpcReceiverWithContext<ServerToClientMsg> = sender.get_receiver();
+            let (instruction, _) = receiver.recv();
+            matches!(instruction, ServerToClientMsg::Connected)
         }
         Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::ConnectionRefused => {
             drop(fs::remove_file(path));
             false
         }
-        Err(_) => true,
+        Err(_) => false,
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/zellij-client/src/lib.rs b/zellij-client/src/lib.rs
index 9bc8828a..0e4f0e20 100644
--- a/zellij-client/src/lib.rs
+++ b/zellij-client/src/lib.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ pub(crate) enum ClientInstruction {
     UnblockInputThread,
     Exit(ExitReason),
     SwitchToMode(InputMode),
+    Connected,
 }
 
 impl From<ServerToClientMsg> for ClientInstruction {
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ impl From<ServerToClientMsg> for ClientInstruction {
             ServerToClientMsg::SwitchToMode(input_mode) => {
                 ClientInstruction::SwitchToMode(input_mode)
             }
+            ServerToClientMsg::Connected => ClientInstruction::Connected,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ impl From<&ClientInstruction> for ClientContext {
             ClientInstruction::Render(_) => ClientContext::Render,
             ClientInstruction::UnblockInputThread => ClientContext::UnblockInputThread,
             ClientInstruction::SwitchToMode(_) => ClientContext::SwitchToMode,
+            ClientInstruction::Connected => ClientContext::Connected,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -323,6 +326,7 @@ pub fn start_client(
                     .send(InputInstruction::SwitchToMode(input_mode))
                     .unwrap();
             }
+            _ => {}
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/lib.rs b/zellij-server/src/lib.rs
index 9ee0bbfe..82f759db 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/lib.rs
+++ b/zellij-server/src/lib.rs
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ pub enum ServerInstruction {
     KillSession,
     DetachSession(ClientId),
     AttachClient(ClientAttributes, Options, ClientId),
+    ConnStatus(ClientId),
 }
 
 impl From<&ServerInstruction> for ServerContext {
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ impl From<&ServerInstruction> for ServerContext {
             ServerInstruction::KillSession => ServerContext::KillSession,
             ServerInstruction::DetachSession(..) => ServerContext::DetachSession,
             ServerInstruction::AttachClient(..) => ServerContext::AttachClient,
+            ServerInstruction::ConnStatus(..) => ServerContext::ConnStatus,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -523,6 +525,10 @@ pub fn start_server(mut os_input: Box<dyn ServerOsApi>, socket_path: PathBuf) {
                 }
                 break;
             }
+            ServerInstruction::ConnStatus(client_id) => {
+                os_input.send_to_client(client_id, ServerToClientMsg::Connected);
+                remove_client!(client_id, os_input, session_state);
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/route.rs b/zellij-server/src/route.rs
index fc14175a..033a571b 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/route.rs
+++ b/zellij-server/src/route.rs
@@ -461,6 +461,10 @@ pub(crate) fn route_thread_main(
             ClientToServerMsg::KillSession => {
                 to_server.send(ServerInstruction::KillSession).unwrap();
             }
+            ClientToServerMsg::ConnStatus => {
+                let _ = to_server.send(ServerInstruction::ConnStatus(client_id));
+                break;
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/zellij-utils/src/errors.rs b/zellij-utils/src/errors.rs
index ea8033e5..7ac0df85 100644
--- a/zellij-utils/src/errors.rs
+++ b/zellij-utils/src/errors.rs
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ pub enum ClientContext {
     Render,
     ServerError,
     SwitchToMode,
+    Connected,
 }
 
 /// Stack call representations corresponding to the different types of [`ServerInstruction`]s.
@@ -325,4 +326,5 @@ pub enum ServerContext {
     KillSession,
     DetachSession,
     AttachClient,
+    ConnStatus,
 }
diff --git a/zellij-utils/src/ipc.rs b/zellij-utils/src/ipc.rs
index 2716dd3c..231c5ecd 100644
--- a/zellij-utils/src/ipc.rs
+++ b/zellij-utils/src/ipc.rs
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ pub enum ClientToServerMsg {
     Action(Action),
     ClientExited,
     KillSession,
+    ConnStatus,
 }
 
 // Types of messages sent from the server to the client
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ pub enum ServerToClientMsg {
     UnblockInputThread,
     Exit(ExitReason),
     SwitchToMode(InputMode),
+    Connected,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug, Clone)]