diff --git a/src/components/common/AddInstanceDialog.vue b/src/components/common/AddInstanceDialog.vue
index fd21bf662d..f92b0b0014 100644
--- a/src/components/common/AddInstanceDialog.vue
+++ b/src/components/common/AddInstanceDialog.vue
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ import StateMixin from '@/mixins/state'
 import { Debounce } from 'vue-debounce-decorator'
 import { consola } from 'consola'
 import { httpClientActions } from '@/api/httpClientActions'
+import webSocketWrapper from '@/util/web-socket-wrapper'
 
 @Component({})
 export default class AddInstanceDialog extends Mixins(StateMixin) {
@@ -193,21 +194,38 @@ export default class AddInstanceDialog extends Mixins(StateMixin) {
         this.controller = new AbortController()
         const { signal } = this.controller
 
-        await fetch(url + 'server/info', { signal, mode: 'no-cors', cache: 'no-cache' })
-          .then(() => {
-            // likely a cors issue
-            this.error = this.$t('app.endpoint.error.cors_error')
-            this.note = this.$t('app.endpoint.error.cors_note', {
-              url: Globals.DOCS_MULTIPLE_INSTANCES
+        if (this.hosted) {
+          const apiEndpoints = this.$filters.getApiUrls(url.toString())
+
+          await webSocketWrapper(apiEndpoints.socketUrl, signal)
+            .then(() => {
+              // likely a cors issue, but socket worked
+              this.verified = true
+            })
+            .catch(e => {
+              // external host not reachable (fetch returns 'failed to fetch')
+              consola.debug('Network Error', e, request)
+              this.error = request
+              this.note = this.$t('app.endpoint.error.cant_connect')
+            })
+            .finally(() => { this.verifying = false })
+        } else {
+          await fetch(url + 'server/info', { signal, mode: 'no-cors', cache: 'no-cache' })
+            .then(() => {
+              // likely a cors issue
+              this.error = this.$t('app.endpoint.error.cors_error')
+              this.note = this.$t('app.endpoint.error.cors_note', {
+                url: Globals.DOCS_MULTIPLE_INSTANCES
+              })
+            })
+            .catch(e => {
+              // external host not reachable (fetch returns 'failed to fetch')
+              consola.debug('Network Error', e, request)
+              this.error = request
+              this.note = this.$t('app.endpoint.error.cant_connect')
             })
-          })
-          .catch(e => {
-            // external host not reachable (fetch returns 'failed to fetch')
-            consola.debug('Network Error', e, request)
-            this.error = request
-            this.note = this.$t('app.endpoint.error.cant_connect')
-          })
-          .finally(() => { this.verifying = false })
+            .finally(() => { this.verifying = false })
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -218,6 +236,10 @@ export default class AddInstanceDialog extends Mixins(StateMixin) {
     })
   }
 
+  get hosted () {
+    return this.$store.state.config.hostConfig.hosted
+  }
+
   addInstance () {
     const url = this.buildUrl(this.url)
     const apiConfig = this.$filters.getApiUrls(url.toString())
diff --git a/src/init.ts b/src/init.ts
index e2a2d4136e..fd4fea2ea2 100644
--- a/src/init.ts
+++ b/src/init.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import axios from 'axios'
 import router from './router'
 import { httpClientActions } from '@/api/httpClientActions'
 import sanitizeEndpoint from '@/util/sanitize-endpoint'
+import webSocketWrapper from '@/util/web-socket-wrapper'
 
 // Load API configuration
 /**
@@ -75,15 +76,13 @@ const getApiConfig = async (hostConfig: HostConfig): Promise<ApiConfig | Instanc
   // If none are, we'll force the instance add dialog.
   // A 401 would indicate a good ping, since it's potentially an authenticated,
   // endpoint but working instance.
-  const results = await Promise.all(
-    endpoints.map(async endpoint => {
-      return httpClientActions.get(`${endpoint}/server/info?date=${Date.now()}`, { timeout: 1000 })
-        .then(() => true)
-        .catch((error) => error.response?.status === 401)
+  const i = await Promise.race(
+    endpoints.map(async (endpoint, index) => {
+      const apiEndpoints = Vue.$filters.getApiUrls(endpoint)
+      return await webSocketWrapper(apiEndpoints.socketUrl) ? index : -1
     })
   )
 
-  const i = results.findIndex(endpoint => endpoint)
   return (i > -1)
     ? Vue.$filters.getApiUrls(endpoints[i])
     : { apiUrl: '', socketUrl: '' }
diff --git a/src/util/web-socket-wrapper.ts b/src/util/web-socket-wrapper.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a2a92b6166
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/web-socket-wrapper.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { consola } from 'consola'
+
+const webSocketWrapper = (url: string, signal?: AbortSignal) => {
+  return new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
+    consola.debug(`[webSocketWrapper] open ${url}`)
+
+    const connection = new WebSocket(url)
+
+    const dispose = () => {
+      signal?.removeEventListener('abort', abortHandler)
+
+      connection.close()
+    }
+
+    const abortHandler = () => dispose()
+
+    signal?.addEventListener('abort', abortHandler)
+
+    connection.onopen = () => {
+      consola.debug(`[webSocketWrapper] ${url} open`)
+
+      resolve(true)
+
+      dispose()
+    }
+
+    connection.onerror = () => {
+      consola.debug(`[webSocketWrapper] ${url} error`)
+
+      resolve(false)
+
+      dispose()
+    }
+
+    connection.onclose = () => {
+      consola.debug(`[webSocketWrapper] ${url} close`)
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+export default webSocketWrapper