diff --git a/servers/graphql-kotlin-spring-server/src/main/kotlin/com/expediagroup/graphql/server/spring/subscriptions/SubscriptionWebSocketHandler.kt b/servers/graphql-kotlin-spring-server/src/main/kotlin/com/expediagroup/graphql/server/spring/subscriptions/SubscriptionWebSocketHandler.kt
index de566cfb9c..b4d3e55452 100644
--- a/servers/graphql-kotlin-spring-server/src/main/kotlin/com/expediagroup/graphql/server/spring/subscriptions/SubscriptionWebSocketHandler.kt
+++ b/servers/graphql-kotlin-spring-server/src/main/kotlin/com/expediagroup/graphql/server/spring/subscriptions/SubscriptionWebSocketHandler.kt
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import com.expediagroup.graphql.server.execution.subscription.GRAPHQL_WS_PROTOCO
 import com.expediagroup.graphql.server.execution.subscription.GraphQLWebSocketServer
 import com.expediagroup.graphql.server.types.GraphQLSubscriptionStatus
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper
-import kotlinx.coroutines.reactive.awaitFirst
+import kotlinx.coroutines.reactive.awaitFirstOrNull
 import kotlinx.coroutines.reactor.flux
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.socket.CloseStatus
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.socket.WebSocketHandler
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class SubscriptionWebSocketHandler(
     )
 
     override suspend fun closeSession(session: WebSocketSession, reason: GraphQLSubscriptionStatus) {
-        session.close(CloseStatus(reason.code, reason.reason)).awaitFirst()
+        session.close(CloseStatus(reason.code, reason.reason)).awaitFirstOrNull()
     }
 
     override suspend fun sendSubscriptionMessage(session: WebSocketSession, message: String): WebSocketMessage =
diff --git a/servers/graphql-kotlin-spring-server/src/test/kotlin/com/expediagroup/graphql/server/spring/subscriptions/SubscriptionWebSocketHandlerTest.kt b/servers/graphql-kotlin-spring-server/src/test/kotlin/com/expediagroup/graphql/server/spring/subscriptions/SubscriptionWebSocketHandlerTest.kt
index e8662f52b3..8ad5168ddf 100644
--- a/servers/graphql-kotlin-spring-server/src/test/kotlin/com/expediagroup/graphql/server/spring/subscriptions/SubscriptionWebSocketHandlerTest.kt
+++ b/servers/graphql-kotlin-spring-server/src/test/kotlin/com/expediagroup/graphql/server/spring/subscriptions/SubscriptionWebSocketHandlerTest.kt
@@ -17,10 +17,16 @@
 package com.expediagroup.graphql.server.spring.subscriptions
 
 import com.expediagroup.graphql.server.execution.subscription.GRAPHQL_WS_PROTOCOL
+import com.expediagroup.graphql.server.types.GraphQLSubscriptionStatus
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.module.kotlin.jacksonObjectMapper
+import io.mockk.every
 import io.mockk.mockk
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
 import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+import kotlinx.coroutines.test.runTest
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.assertDoesNotThrow
+import org.springframework.web.reactive.socket.WebSocketSession
+import reactor.core.publisher.Mono
 
 class SubscriptionWebSocketHandlerTest {
 
@@ -35,4 +41,16 @@ class SubscriptionWebSocketHandlerTest {
         val handler = SubscriptionWebSocketHandler(mockk(), mockk(), mockk(), mockk(), 1_000, jacksonObjectMapper())
         assertEquals(expected = listOf(GRAPHQL_WS_PROTOCOL), actual = handler.subProtocols)
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `verify default subscription handler handles init timeout gracefully`() = runTest {
+        val handler = SubscriptionWebSocketHandler(mockk(), mockk(), mockk(), mockk(), 1_000, jacksonObjectMapper())
+        val session = mockk<WebSocketSession>()
+
+        every { session.close(any()) } returns Mono.empty()
+
+        assertDoesNotThrow {
+            handler.closeSession(session, GraphQLSubscriptionStatus.CONNECTION_INIT_TIMEOUT)
+        }
+    }
 }