diff --git a/hbd/server/http.py b/hbd/server/http.py
index f70137b..fba04e2 100644
--- a/hbd/server/http.py
+++ b/hbd/server/http.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from . import data
 from . import notify as notify_mod
 from . import settings as settings_mod
 from . import users as users_mod
+from . import ws as ws_mod
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -242,11 +243,9 @@ async def start(
         env = jinja2.Environment(loader=jinja2.FileSystemLoader(templates_dir))
         host = config.get("hb_host", "localhost")
         extra_scripts = config.get("http_extra_scripts", "")
-        host = request.host.split(":")[0]
-        if config.get("wss_port"):
-            heartbeat_ws_url = f"wss://{host}:{config['wss_port']}/hbd"
-        else:
-            heartbeat_ws_url = f"ws://{host}:{config.get('ws_port', 50005)}/hbd"
+        host = request.host  # includes port if non-standard
+        scheme = "wss" if request.secure else "ws"
+        heartbeat_ws_url = f"{scheme}://{host}/ws"
         tmpl = env.get_template("live.html")
         body = tmpl.render(
             title="Heartbeat",
@@ -843,6 +842,7 @@ async def start(
             web.get("/settings", settings_page),
             web.get("/static/{path:.*}", static),
             web.get("/favicon.ico", favicon),
+            web.get("/ws", ws_mod.handler),
         ]
     )
 
diff --git a/hbd/server/main.py b/hbd/server/main.py
index 270b2d3..ab46ef4 100644
--- a/hbd/server/main.py
+++ b/hbd/server/main.py
@@ -275,45 +275,17 @@ async def _run_async(config, config_path=None):
     except Exception as e:
         logger.exception("dns worker failed to start: %s", e)
 
-    # Start the websocket servers as a background task
-    if config.get("wss_port", None):
-        ssl_context = ssl.SSLContext(ssl.PROTOCOL_TLS_SERVER)
-        ssl_path = config.get("cert_path", "")
-        wss_pem = ssl_path + config.get("wss_pem", "")
-        wss_key = ssl_path + config.get("wss_key", "")
-        try:
-            ssl_context.load_cert_chain(wss_pem, keyfile=wss_key)
-        except FileNotFoundError:
-            logger.error("error: missing SSL keys %s or %s", wss_pem, wss_key)
-            sys.exit(1)
-        logger.info(
-            "Starting secure WebSocket server on port %s with cert %s",
-            config.get("wss_port", None),
-            wss_pem,
-        )
-    else:
-        ssl_context = None
-
-    try:
-        ws_port = config.get("ws_port", 50005)
-        logger.info("Starting WebSocket server on port %s", ws_port)
-        ws_task = asyncio.create_task(
-            ws_mod.start(
-                host=config.get("hbd_host", ""),
-                ws_port=ws_port,
-                wss_port=config.get("wss_port", None),
-                ssl_context=ssl_context,
-                get_hosts=lambda: [
-                    hbdclass.Host.hosts[h].stateinfo()
-                    for h in sorted(hbdclass.Host.hosts)
-                ],
-#                get_msgs=lambda: msgs,
-                config=config,
-            )
-        )
-        logger.info("WebSocket task started")
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.exception("websocket server failed to start: %s", e)
+    # Register WebSocket state — connections are now served through /ws on the HTTP port
+    ws_task = None
+    ws_mod.setup(
+        loop=loop,
+        get_hosts=lambda: [
+            hbdclass.Host.hosts[h].stateinfo()
+            for h in sorted(hbdclass.Host.hosts)
+        ],
+        verbose=config.get("verbose", False),
+    )
+    logger.info("WebSocket handler registered on /ws (HTTP port %s)", config.get("hbd_port", 50004))
 
     # Periodic autosave task
     autosave_interval = config.get("autosave_interval", 300)  # default: 5 minutes
@@ -375,7 +347,7 @@ async def _run_async(config, config_path=None):
         except Exception as e:
             logger.warning("Error closing UDP transport: %s", e)
 
-        tasks_to_cancel = [http_task, ws_task, autosave]
+        tasks_to_cancel = [http_task, autosave]
         for task in tasks_to_cancel:
             if task:
                 try:
diff --git a/hbd/server/ws.py b/hbd/server/ws.py
index 590438f..cf2ccd4 100644
--- a/hbd/server/ws.py
+++ b/hbd/server/ws.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-"""WebSocket server and broadcast helpers for hbd.
+"""WebSocket handler and broadcast helpers for hbd.
 
-Provides an asyncio-based WebSocket server and a thread-safe broadcast
-function that other threads or synchronous code can call.
+WebSocket connections are served through the regular HTTP port via the
+/ws route registered in http.py (aiohttp WebSocketResponse upgrade).
+The separate standalone WebSocket server on ws_port is no longer used.
 """
 
 import asyncio
@@ -10,147 +11,99 @@ import logging
 from typing import Callable, Iterable, Optional
 from . import data
 
-import websockets
-
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
-_connections = set()
+
+_connections: set = set()
 _loop: Optional[asyncio.AbstractEventLoop] = None
 _get_hosts: Optional[Callable[[], Iterable]] = None
-#_get_msgs: Optional[Callable[[], Iterable]] = None
-_verbose = False
+_verbose: bool = False
 
 
-async def _handler(websocket, path=None):
-    _connections.add(websocket)
-    remote_address = websocket.remote_address
-    if path is None:
-        path = getattr(websocket, "path", None)
-    logger.info("WebSocket connection from %s: %s", remote_address, path)
-    try:
-        # send initial hosts
-        if _get_hosts:
-            try:
-                hosts = list(_get_hosts())
-                logger.debug("Sending %d hosts to new WebSocket client", len(hosts))
-                for h in hosts:
-                    jmsg = json.dumps({"type": "host", "data": h})
-                    await websocket.send(jmsg)
-            except Exception as e:
-                logger.error("Error sending initial hosts: %s", e, exc_info=True)
-        # send recent messages
-        if data.msgs:
-            try:
-#                msgs = list(_get_msgs())[-100:]
-                logger.debug("Sending %d recent messages to new WebSocket client", len(data.msgs))
-                for m in data.msgs:
-                    jmsg = json.dumps({"type": "message", "data": m})
-                    await websocket.send(jmsg)
-            except Exception as e:
-                logger.error("Error sending initial messages: %s", e, exc_info=True)
-
-        # keep connection open until client disconnects
-        async for _ in websocket:
-            # we don't expect meaningful incoming messages besides the initial
-            # client 'hello' that some clients send; ignore for now
-            if _verbose:
-                logger.debug("received ws data: %s", _)
-
-    except (
-        websockets.exceptions.ConnectionClosedOK,
-        websockets.exceptions.ConnectionClosedError,
-    ) as e:
-        logger.info("WebSocket closed from %s: %r", remote_address, e)
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.exception("WebSocket handler exception from %s: %s", remote_address, e)
-    finally:
-        logger.debug("Removing WebSocket connection from %s", remote_address)
-        _connections.discard(websocket)
-
-
-async def start(
-    host: str,
-    ws_port: int,
-    wss_port: Optional[int] = None,
-    ssl_context=None,
-    get_hosts: Optional[Callable] = None,
-#    get_msgs: Optional[Callable] = None,
-    config: dict = {},
+def setup(
+    loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop,
+    get_hosts: Optional[Callable[[], Iterable]] = None,
+    verbose: bool = False,
 ):
-    """Start WebSocket servers and block until cancelled.
+    """Register the running loop and initial-state callback.
 
-    This is intended to be awaited inside the main asyncio event loop.
-    If `wss_port` and `ssl_context` are provided, a WSS server will also be
-    started.
+    Call this once from _run_async before starting the HTTP server.
     """
     global _loop, _get_hosts, _verbose
-    _loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    _loop = loop
     _get_hosts = get_hosts
-    _verbose = config.get("verbose", False),
-    _debug = config.get("debug", 0),
+    _verbose = verbose
 
-    # Start servers and keep the server objects for clean shutdown
-    running_servers = []
-    ws_server = await websockets.serve(_handler, host, ws_port)
-    running_servers.append(ws_server)
-    if wss_port and ssl_context:
-        wss_server = await websockets.serve(_handler, host, wss_port, ssl=ssl_context)
-        running_servers.append(wss_server)
 
-    logger.info(
-        "WebSocket server(s) started on port %s (wss %s)", ws_port, wss_port
-    )
+async def handler(request):
+    """aiohttp WebSocket upgrade handler — register as GET /ws."""
+    from aiohttp import web
+
+    ws = web.WebSocketResponse()
+    await ws.prepare(request)
+
+    _connections.add(ws)
+    remote = request.remote
+    logger.info("WebSocket connected from %s", remote)
 
     try:
-        # Block until cancelled
-        await asyncio.Future()
-    except asyncio.CancelledError:
-        pass
+        # Send current host state to the new client
+        if _get_hosts:
+            try:
+                for h in list(_get_hosts()):
+                    await ws.send_str(json.dumps({"type": "host", "data": h}))
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.error("Error sending initial hosts: %s", e)
+
+        # Send recent messages
+        if data.msgs:
+            try:
+                for m in data.msgs:
+                    await ws.send_str(json.dumps({"type": "message", "data": m}))
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.error("Error sending initial messages: %s", e)
+
+        # Keep connection open, ignore incoming frames
+        async for msg in ws:
+            from aiohttp import WSMsgType
+            if msg.type == WSMsgType.TEXT:
+                if _verbose:
+                    logger.debug("ws recv from %s: %s", remote, msg.data)
+            elif msg.type in (WSMsgType.ERROR, WSMsgType.CLOSE):
+                break
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.exception("WebSocket handler error from %s: %s", remote, e)
     finally:
-        # Close all active browser connections so their handler coroutines exit
-        active = list(_connections)
-        if active:
-            logger.info("Closing %d active WebSocket connection(s)...", len(active))
-            await asyncio.gather(
-                *[ws.close() for ws in active],
-                return_exceptions=True,
-            )
-        # Stop the listening servers and wait for all handlers to finish
-        for srv in running_servers:
-            srv.close()
-        await asyncio.gather(
-            *[srv.wait_closed() for srv in running_servers],
-            return_exceptions=True,
-        )
-        logger.info("WebSocket server(s) stopped")
+        _connections.discard(ws)
+        logger.info("WebSocket disconnected from %s", remote)
+
+    return ws
 
 
-def broadcast(typ: str, data) -> bool:
-    """Thread-safe broadcast helper.
+def broadcast(typ: str, payload) -> bool:
+    """Thread-safe broadcast to all connected WebSocket clients.
 
-    Schedules coroutine(s) on the running loop to send message to all
-    connected websockets. Returns False if server was not running.
+    Can be called from any thread; schedules sends on the event loop.
+    Returns False if the loop is not running yet.
     """
     if not _loop:
         return False
-    jmsg = json.dumps({"type": typ, "data": data})
-    to_close = []
-    for ws in list(_connections):
-        if ws.state != websockets.protocol.State.OPEN:
-            to_close.append(ws)
-            continue
-        try:
-            asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(ws.send(jmsg), _loop)
-        except Exception:
-            to_close.append(ws)
-            logger.debug("ws.send exception: closed")
-    for ws in to_close:
-        try:
-            asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(ws.wait_closed(), _loop)
-        except Exception:
-            pass
-        if ws in _connections:
-            _connections.remove(ws)
+    jmsg = json.dumps({"type": typ, "data": payload})
+
+    async def _send_all():
+        dead = set()
+        for ws in list(_connections):
+            try:
+                if not ws.closed:
+                    await ws.send_str(jmsg)
+                else:
+                    dead.add(ws)
+            except Exception:
+                dead.add(ws)
+        for ws in dead:
+            _connections.discard(ws)
+
+    asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(_send_all(), _loop)
     return True