diff --git a/bin/utils.js b/bin/utils.js
index 3f8e9cc..9b96e16 100644
--- a/bin/utils.js
+++ b/bin/utils.js
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ class WSSharedDoc extends Y.Doc {
      * @type {awarenessProtocol.Awareness}
      */
     this.awareness = new awarenessProtocol.Awareness(this)
+    this.awareness.setLocalState(null)
     /**
      * @param {{ added: Array<number>, updated: Array<number>, removed: Array<number> }} changes
      * @param {Object | null} conn Origin is the connection that made the change
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index ba6281f..f59b3c2 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -995,9 +995,9 @@
       }
     },
     "lodash": {
-      "version": "4.17.11",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.11.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-cQKh8igo5QUhZ7lg38DYWAxMvjSAKG0A8wGSVimP07SIUEK2UO+arSRKbRZWtelMtN5V0Hkwh5ryOto/SshYIg==",
+      "version": "4.17.15",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.15.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-8xOcRHvCjnocdS5cpwXQXVzmmh5e5+saE2QGoeQmbKmRS6J3VQppPOIt0MnmE+4xlZoumy0GPG0D0MVIQbNA1A==",
       "dev": true
     },
     "loose-envify": {
@@ -1699,17 +1699,17 @@
       "dev": true
     },
     "y-protocols": {
-      "version": "0.0.6",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/y-protocols/-/y-protocols-0.0.6.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-XgUBKrFesfUYN3wXmVp9Exy7dOUOeX3A56gHNuI1ZNy9N7OdwoBv2TGfbvSH6+YpV1IEvEq7u5v0/je5MwXKJg==",
+      "version": "0.0.7",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/y-protocols/-/y-protocols-0.0.7.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-vimoF3v/H9kMRBKQcbYppObK6FUITPL+huyvbYdPhLiLTSSm5dS7/BT1E/Wyl488CyoPoZTxiOqfu1WphwTe6A==",
       "requires": {
         "lib0": "0.0.5"
       }
     },
     "yjs": {
-      "version": "13.0.0-83",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/yjs/-/yjs-13.0.0-83.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-8M1X8fZ95odf2VU8BHrKcYr0PeEsx8tspV5svh4oLp8BVcIprbp0J2hzCvJDlOFOlyJVgvNf00UJ4uiyDKmk5A==",
+      "version": "13.0.0-94",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/yjs/-/yjs-13.0.0-94.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-4HETCv/BZ4Mg9rZU+nLZXW8GGp9ugWDA1ImcyIW2hZA2n0YsIgwvROPqWpflwi/l02kfLlvLKF8nEXYk/cOsjQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "lib0": "0.0.5"
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b2fd0ca..4daa191 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -40,17 +40,17 @@
     ]
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "y-protocols": "0.0.6",
+    "y-protocols": "0.0.7",
     "lib0": "0.0.5"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "rollup": "^1.1.2",
     "rollup-cli": "^1.0.9",
     "standard": "^12.0.1",
-    "yjs": "13.0.0-83"
+    "yjs": "13.0.0-94"
   },
   "peerDependenies": {
-    "yjs": ">=13.0.0-83"
+    "yjs": ">=13.0.0-94"
   },
   "optionalDependencies": {
     "ws": "^6.2.1"
diff --git a/src/y-websocket.js b/src/y-websocket.js
index 2d2bfa9..a504fed 100644
--- a/src/y-websocket.js
+++ b/src/y-websocket.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Unlike stated in the LICENSE file, it is not necessary to include the copyright
 
 import * as Y from 'yjs' // eslint-disable-line
 import * as bc from 'lib0/broadcastchannel.js'
+import * as time from 'lib0/time.js'
 import * as encoding from 'lib0/encoding.js'
 import * as decoding from 'lib0/decoding.js'
 import * as syncProtocol from 'y-protocols/sync.js'
@@ -17,13 +18,17 @@ import * as authProtocol from 'y-protocols/auth.js'
 import * as awarenessProtocol from 'y-protocols/awareness.js'
 import * as mutex from 'lib0/mutex.js'
 import { Observable } from 'lib0/observable.js'
+import * as math from 'lib0/math.js'
 
 const messageSync = 0
 const messageQueryAwareness = 3
 const messageAwareness = 1
 const messageAuth = 2
 
-const reconnectTimeout = 3000
+const reconnectTimeoutBase = 1200
+const maxReconnectTimeout = 2500
+// @todo - this should depend on awareness.outdatedTime
+const messageReconnectTimeout = 30000
 
 /**
  * @param {WebsocketProvider} provider
@@ -73,6 +78,7 @@ const setupWS = provider => {
     provider.wsconnecting = true
     provider.wsconnected = false
     websocket.onmessage = event => {
+      provider.wsLastMessageReceived = time.getUnixTime()
       const encoder = readMessage(provider, new Uint8Array(event.data))
       if (encoding.length(encoder) > 1) {
         websocket.send(encoding.toUint8Array(encoder))
@@ -81,19 +87,27 @@ const setupWS = provider => {
     websocket.onclose = () => {
       provider.ws = null
       provider.wsconnecting = false
-      provider.wsconnected = false
       if (provider.wsconnected) {
+        provider.wsconnected = false
         // update awareness (all users left)
         awarenessProtocol.removeAwarenessStates(provider.awareness, Array.from(provider.awareness.getStates().keys()), provider)
         provider.emit('status', [{
           status: 'disconnected'
         }])
+      } else {
+        provider.wsUnsuccessfulReconnects++
       }
-      setTimeout(setupWS, reconnectTimeout, provider)
+      // Start with no reconnect timeout and increase timeout by
+      // log10(wsUnsuccessfulReconnects).
+      // The idea is to increase reconnect timeout slowly and have no reconnect
+      // timeout at the beginning (log(1) = 0)
+      setTimeout(setupWS, math.min(Math.log10(provider.wsUnsuccessfulReconnects + 1) * reconnectTimeoutBase, maxReconnectTimeout), provider)
     }
     websocket.onopen = () => {
+      provider.wsLastMessageReceived = time.getUnixTime()
       provider.wsconnecting = false
       provider.wsconnected = true
+      provider.wsUnsuccessfulReconnects = 0
       provider.emit('status', [{
         status: 'connected'
       }])
@@ -167,11 +181,13 @@ export class WebsocketProvider extends Observable {
     this.wsconnected = false
     this.wsconnecting = false
     this.bcconnected = false
+    this.wsUnsuccessfulReconnects = 0
     this.mux = mutex.createMutex()
     /**
      * @type {WebSocket?}
      */
     this.ws = null
+    this.wsLastMessageReceived = 0
     /**
      * Whether to connect to other peers or not
      * @type {boolean}
@@ -219,9 +235,17 @@ export class WebsocketProvider extends Observable {
       broadcastMessage(this, encoding.toUint8Array(encoder))
     })
     awareness.on('change', this._awarenessUpdateHandler)
+    this._checkInterval = setInterval(() => {
+      if (this.wsconnected && messageReconnectTimeout < time.getUnixTime() - this.wsLastMessageReceived) {
+        // no message received in a long time - not even your own awareness
+        // updates (which are updated every 15 seconds)
+        /** @type {WebSocket} */ (this.ws).close()
+      }
+    })
     this.connect()
   }
   destroy () {
+    clearInterval(this._checkInterval)
     this.disconnect()
     this.awareness.off('change', this._awarenessUpdateHandler)
     super.destroy()