diff --git a/frontend/src/features/people/hooks/usePeopleSocket.ts b/frontend/src/features/people/hooks/usePeopleSocket.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 9014edc..0000000
--- a/frontend/src/features/people/hooks/usePeopleSocket.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,78 +0,0 @@
-import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
-import { usePeopleStore } from '../stores/usePeopleStore';
-
-interface usePeopleSocketProps {
-  url: string;
-  isActive?: boolean;
-}
-
-export const usePeopleSocket = ({ url, isActive = false }: usePeopleSocketProps) => {
-  // Establish WebSocket connection
-  const socketRef = useRef<WebSocket | null>(null);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!isActive) return;
-
-    // Establish WebSocket connection
-    socketRef.current = new WebSocket(url);
-
-    // Handle WebSocket open, message, error, and close events here
-    socketRef.current.onopen = () => {
-      /* handle open */
-      if (socketRef.current == null) return;
-      console.log('Sending message');
-      socketRef.current.send(JSON.stringify({ message: 'testing' }));
-    };
-    socketRef.current.onmessage = e => {
-      /* handle incoming messages */
-      const wsData = JSON.parse(e.data);
-      console.log(wsData);
-    };
-    socketRef.current.onerror = error => {
-      /* handle error */
-    };
-    socketRef.current.onclose = () => {
-      /* handle close */
-    };
-
-    // Clean up the WebSocket connection when the component unmounts
-    return () => {
-      if (socketRef.current) {
-        socketRef.current.close();
-      }
-    };
-  }, [url, isActive]);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!isActive || socketRef.current == null) return;
-
-    const socket = socketRef.current;
-
-    // Subscribe to changes in the store
-    const unsubscribeData = usePeopleStore.subscribe(
-      state => state.data,
-      data => {
-        // Send message when data changes
-        //socket.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'updateData', data }));
-        console.log('Data changed, sending message');
-        socket.send(JSON.stringify({ message: 'testing' }));
-      },
-    );
-
-    const unsubscribeDefinitions = usePeopleStore.subscribe(
-      state => state.propertyDefinitions,
-      definitions => {
-        // Send message when definitions change
-        //socket.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'updateDefinitions', definitions }));
-        console.log('Definitions changed, sending message');
-        socket.send(JSON.stringify({ message: 'testing' }));
-      },
-    );
-
-    return () => {
-      // Unsubscribe when the component unmounts
-      unsubscribeData();
-      unsubscribeDefinitions();
-    };
-  }, [isActive]);
-};
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/people/pages/People.tsx b/frontend/src/features/people/pages/People.tsx
index 2660534..4ce45ca 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/people/pages/People.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/features/people/pages/People.tsx
@@ -3,22 +3,37 @@ import { SegmentSelector, SelectedRowsBar, Table } from '../components';
 import { MdAdd, MdConstruction } from 'react-icons/md';
 import { usePeopleStore } from '../stores/usePeopleStore';
 import { SoonLabel } from 'components';
-import { usePeopleSocket } from '../hooks/usePeopleSocket';
+import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { useProjectsStore } from 'features/projects/stores/useProjectsStore';
 import { isHasData } from 'api/utils';
 
 const People = () => {
-  const selectedProject = useProjectsStore(state => state.selectedProject);
-  const isActive = isHasData(selectedProject) && !!selectedProject.data.api_key;
-  const socketUrl = isActive
-    ? `ws://localhost:8001/ws/people/?api_key=${selectedProject.data.api_key}`
-    : '';
-  usePeopleSocket({ url: socketUrl, isActive });
-
   const addRow = usePeopleStore(state => state.addRow);
   const selectedRowCount = usePeopleStore(
     state => Object.values(state.rowSelection || {}).filter(value => value).length,
   );
+
+  const destroy = usePeopleStore(state => state.destroy);
+  const setupSocket = usePeopleStore(state => state.setupSocket);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // We track changes to the select project as we need the api_key in our socket connection
+    const unsubscribe = useProjectsStore.subscribe(
+      state => state.selectedProject,
+      (selectedProjectState, prevSelectedProjectState) => {
+        if (isHasData(selectedProjectState) && !!selectedProjectState.data.api_key) {
+          const socketUrl = `ws://localhost:8001/ws/people/?api_key=${selectedProjectState.data.api_key}`;
+          setupSocket(socketUrl);
+        }
+      },
+      { fireImmediately: true },
+    );
+
+    return () => {
+      destroy();
+      unsubscribe();
+    };
+  }, [destroy, setupSocket]);
+
   return (
     <div className="h-full w-full flex flex-row">
       <div className="flex-none w-64 self-stretch flex flex-col p-4 py-8 gap-4 border-r border-crumpet-light-300">
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/people/stores/usePeopleStore.ts b/frontend/src/features/people/stores/usePeopleStore.ts
index 042813e..f74e63c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/people/stores/usePeopleStore.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/features/people/stores/usePeopleStore.ts
@@ -25,73 +25,121 @@ interface Actions {
   addRow: () => void;
   setRowSelection: (newRowSelection: RowSelectionState) => void;
   deleteSelectedRows: () => void;
+  setupSocket: (url: string) => void;
+  destroy: () => void;
 }
 
 export const usePeopleStore = create<State & Actions>()(
-  subscribeWithSelector(set => ({
-    data: [
-      { name: 'Jane Doe', age: 30 },
-      { name: 'Jane Doe', age: 32 },
-      { name: 'Earl Grey of West Sussex', age: 400000000 },
-      // ... more data
-    ],
-    updateData: (rowIndex: number, columnId: string, value: unknown) =>
-      set(
-        produce<State>(draft => {
-          const row = draft.data[rowIndex] as Record<string, any>;
-          if (row) {
-            row[columnId] = value;
-          }
-        }),
-      ),
-    addRow: () =>
-      set(
-        produce<State>(draft => {
-          draft.data.push({});
-        }),
-      ),
-    rowSelection: {},
-    propertyDefinitions: {
-      id_1: { accessor: 'name', header: 'Name' },
-      id_2: { accessor: 'age', header: 'Age' },
-    },
-    upsertDefinition: (id, newDefinition) =>
-      set(
-        produce<State>(draft => {
-          if (draft.propertyDefinitions[id]) {
-            // If the definition exists, merge it
-            Object.assign(draft.propertyDefinitions[id], newDefinition);
-          } else {
-            // If the definition does not exist, create a new one
-            // (you should validate the full object structure here)
-            draft.propertyDefinitions[id] = newDefinition as Omit<PropertyDefinition, 'id'>;
-          }
-        }),
-      ),
-    deleteDefinition: (
-      id, // Implement the delete function
-    ) =>
-      set(
-        produce<State>(draft => {
-          delete draft.propertyDefinitions[id];
-        }),
-      ),
-    setRowSelection: newRowSelection =>
-      set(
-        produce<State>(draft => {
-          draft.rowSelection = newRowSelection;
-        }),
-      ),
-    deleteSelectedRows: () =>
-      set(
-        produce<State>(draft => {
-          if (draft.rowSelection) {
-            // Filter out the rows that are selected
-            draft.data = draft.data.filter((_, index) => !draft.rowSelection?.[index]);
-            // Reset the rowSelection state after deletion
-            draft.rowSelection = {};
-          }
-        }),
-      ),
-  })),
+  subscribeWithSelector((set, get) => {
+    return {
+      setupSocket: url => {
+        setupSocket(set, url);
+      },
+      destroy: () => {
+        if (socket) {
+          socket.close();
+        }
+      },
+      data: [
+        { name: 'Jane Doe', age: 30 },
+        { name: 'Jane Doe', age: 32 },
+        { name: 'Earl Grey of West Sussex', age: 400000000 },
+        // ... more data
+      ],
+      updateData: (rowIndex: number, columnId: string, value: unknown) => {
+        // Update store
+        set(
+          produce<State>(draft => {
+            const row = draft.data[rowIndex] as Record<string, any>;
+            if (row) {
+              row[columnId] = value;
+            }
+          }),
+        );
+        // Send message over socket
+        socket?.send(JSON.stringify({ message: 'testing' }));
+      },
+      addRow: () =>
+        set(
+          produce<State>(draft => {
+            draft.data.push({});
+          }),
+        ),
+      rowSelection: {},
+      propertyDefinitions: {
+        id_1: { accessor: 'name', header: 'Name' },
+        id_2: { accessor: 'age', header: 'Age' },
+      },
+      upsertDefinition: (id, newDefinition) =>
+        set(
+          produce<State>(draft => {
+            if (draft.propertyDefinitions[id]) {
+              // If the definition exists, merge it
+              Object.assign(draft.propertyDefinitions[id], newDefinition);
+            } else {
+              // If the definition does not exist, create a new one
+              // (you should validate the full object structure here)
+              draft.propertyDefinitions[id] = newDefinition as Omit<PropertyDefinition, 'id'>;
+            }
+          }),
+        ),
+      deleteDefinition: (
+        id, // Implement the delete function
+      ) =>
+        set(
+          produce<State>(draft => {
+            delete draft.propertyDefinitions[id];
+          }),
+        ),
+      setRowSelection: newRowSelection =>
+        set(
+          produce<State>(draft => {
+            draft.rowSelection = newRowSelection;
+          }),
+        ),
+      deleteSelectedRows: () =>
+        set(
+          produce<State>(draft => {
+            if (draft.rowSelection) {
+              // Filter out the rows that are selected
+              draft.data = draft.data.filter((_, index) => !draft.rowSelection?.[index]);
+              // Reset the rowSelection state after deletion
+              draft.rowSelection = {};
+            }
+          }),
+        ),
+    };
+  }),
 );
+
+let socket: WebSocket | null = null;
+
+const setupSocket = (set: any, url?: string | null) => {
+  if (socket) {
+    console.log('closing inside initializeSocket');
+    socket.close();
+  }
+  if (url == null) return;
+
+  console.log('settings up socket');
+
+  socket = new WebSocket(url);
+
+  socket.onopen = () => {
+    /* handle open */
+    if (socket == null) return;
+    console.log('Sending message');
+    socket.send(JSON.stringify({ message: 'testing' }));
+  };
+  socket.onmessage = e => {
+    /* handle incoming messages */
+    const wsData = JSON.parse(e.data);
+    console.log(wsData);
+  };
+  socket.onerror = error => {
+    /* handle error */
+  };
+  socket.onclose = () => {
+    /* handle close */
+  };
+};
\ No newline at end of file