diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/js/openhab/index.js b/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/js/openhab/index.js
index 1218a4cbca..c5950349a3 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/js/openhab/index.js
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/js/openhab/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import api from './api'
 import auth from './auth'
 import sse from './sse'
+import ws from './ws'
 import media from './media'
 import speech from './speech'
 import utils from './utils'
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ export default {
   api,
   auth,
   sse,
+  ws,
   media,
   speech,
   utils
diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/js/openhab/ws.js b/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/js/openhab/ws.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3230921384
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/js/openhab/ws.js
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import { getAccessToken } from './auth'
+
+const HEARTBEAT_MESSAGE = `{
+  "type": "WebSocketEvent",
+  "topic": "openhab/websocket/heartbeat",
+  "payload": "PING",
+  "source": "WebSocketTestInstance"
+}`
+
+const openWSConnections = []
+
+function newWSConnection (path, messageCallback, readyCallback, errorCallback, heartbeatCallback, heartbeatInterval) {
+  // Create a new WebSocket connection
+  const socket = new WebSocket(path, [`org.openhab.ws.accessToken.base64.${btoa(getAccessToken())}`, 'org.openhab.ws.protocol.default'])
+
+  // Handle WebSocket connection opened
+  socket.onopen = (event) => {
+    socket.setKeepalive(heartbeatInterval)
+    if (readyCallback) {
+      readyCallback(event)
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Handle WebSocket message received
+  socket.onmessage = (event) => {
+    let evt = event.data
+    try {
+      evt = JSON.parse(event.data)
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.error('Error while parsing message', e)
+    }
+    messageCallback(evt)
+  }
+
+  // Handle WebSocket error
+  socket.onerror = (event) => {
+    console.error('WebSocket error', event)
+    if (errorCallback) {
+      errorCallback(event)
+    }
+  }
+
+  // WebSocket keep alive
+  socket.setKeepalive = (seconds = 5) => {
+    console.debug('Setting keepalive interval seconds', seconds)
+    socket.clearKeepalive()
+    socket.keepaliveTimer = setInterval(() => {
+      if (heartbeatCallback) {
+        heartbeatCallback()
+      } else {
+        socket.send(HEARTBEAT_MESSAGE)
+      }
+    }, seconds * 1000)
+  }
+
+  socket.clearKeepalive = () => {
+    if (socket.keepaliveTimer) clearInterval(socket.keepaliveTimer)
+    delete socket.keepaliveTimer
+  }
+
+  // Add the new WebSocket connection to the list
+  openWSConnections.push(socket)
+  console.debug(`new WS connection: ${socket.url}, ${openWSConnections.length} open connections`)
+  console.debug(openWSConnections)
+
+  return socket
+}
+
+export default {
+  /**
+   * Connect to the websocket at the given path.
+   *
+   * @param {string} path path to connect to, e.g. `/ws`
+   * @param {fn} messageCallback
+   * @param {fn} [readyCallback=null]
+   * @param {fn} [errorCallback=null]
+   * @param {fn} [heartbeatCallback=null] heartbeat callback to use instead of the default PING/PONG
+   * @param {number} [heartbeatInterval=5] heartbeat interval in seconds
+   * @return {WebSocket}
+   */
+  connect (path, messageCallback, readyCallback = null, errorCallback = null, heartbeatCallback = null, heartbeatInterval = 5) {
+    return newWSConnection(path, messageCallback, readyCallback, errorCallback, heartbeatCallback, heartbeatInterval)
+  },
+  /**
+   * Close the given websocket connection.
+   *
+   * @param {WebSocket} socket
+   * @param {fn} [callback=null] callback to execute on connection close
+   */
+  close (socket, callback = null) {
+    if (!socket) return
+    if (openWSConnections.indexOf(socket) >= 0) {
+      openWSConnections.splice(openWSConnections.indexOf(socket), 1)
+    }
+    console.debug(`WS connection closed: ${socket.url}, ${openWSConnections.length} open connections`)
+    console.debug(openWSConnections)
+    socket.onclose = (event) => {
+      if (callback) {
+        callback(event)
+      }
+    }
+    socket.close()
+    socket.clearKeepalive()
+  }
+}
diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/pages/developer/log-viewer.vue b/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/pages/developer/log-viewer.vue
index 9394d445eb..b3c98292fe 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/pages/developer/log-viewer.vue
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.ui/web/src/pages/developer/log-viewer.vue
@@ -312,24 +312,14 @@
 </style>
 
 <script lang="ts">
-import Vue from 'vue'
-
-import auth from '@/components/auth-mixin.js'
-import { getAccessToken, getTokenInCustomHeader, getBasicCredentials } from '@/js/openhab/auth.js'
-
 export default {
-  mixins: [auth],
-  components: {
-  },
   data () {
     return {
-      stateConnecting: false,
       stateConnected: false,
       stateProcessing: true,
       scrollTime: 0,
       autoScroll: true,
-      socket: {},
-      keepAliveTimer: null,
+      socket: null,
       defaultLogLevel: 'WARN',
       logPackageInputText: '',
       highlightFilters: [],
@@ -425,44 +415,21 @@ export default {
       this.loggerPackages = this.loggerPackages.filter(loggerPackage => loggerPackage.loggerName !== logger.loggerName)
     },
     socketConnect () {
-      this.stateConnecting = true
-
-      // Create a new WebSocket connection
-      const wsUrl = '/ws/logs?accessToken=' + getAccessToken()
-      this.socket = new WebSocket(wsUrl)
-
-      const me = this
-
-      // Event handler when the WebSocket connection is opened
-      this.socket.onopen = function () {
-        me.stateConnected = true
-        me.stateConnecting = false
-        me.stateProcessing = true
-        me.$nextTick(() => me.scrollToBottom())
+      const readyCallback = () => {
+        this.stateConnected = true
+        this.stateProcessing = true
+        this.$nextTick(() => this.scrollToBottom())
       }
 
-      // Event handler when a message is received from OpenHAB
-      this.socket.onmessage = function (event) {
-        try {
-          const data = JSON.parse(event.data)
-          me.addLogEntry(data)
-        } catch (e) {
-          console.error('Error parsing event data:', e)
-        }
+      const messageCallback = (event) => {
+        this.addLogEntry(event)
       }
 
-      // Event handler for WebSocket errors
-      this.socket.onerror = function (error) {
-        console.error('WebSocket error:', error)
-      }
-
-      // Event handler when the WebSocket connection is closed
-      this.socket.onclose = function () {
-        me.stateConnected = false
-        me.stateConnecting = false
+      const keepaliveCallback = () => {
+        this.socket.send('[]')
       }
 
-      this.keepAliveTimer = setTimeout(this.keepAlive, 9000)
+      this.socket = this.$oh.ws.connect('/ws/logs', messageCallback, readyCallback, null, keepaliveCallback, 9)
 
       // TEMP
       // for (let i = 0; i < 1980; i++) {
@@ -474,15 +441,10 @@ export default {
       //   })
       // }
     },
-    keepAlive () {
-      if (this.socket && this.stateConnected) {
-        this.socket.send('[]')
-        this.keepAliveTimer = setTimeout(this.keepAlive, 9000)
-      } else {
-        if (this.keepAliveTimer) {
-          clearTimeout(this.keepAliveTimer)
-        }
-      }
+    socketClose () {
+      this.$oh.ws.close(this.socket, () => {
+        this.stateConnected = false
+      })
     },
     renderEntry (entity) {
       let tr = document.createElement('tr')
@@ -574,7 +536,7 @@ export default {
     },
     loggingStop () {
       this.stateConnected = false
-      this.socket.close()
+      this.socketClose()
     },
     clearLog () {
       this.tableData.length = 0