diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 66eab07..d65b58e 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@ulms/api-clients",
-  "version": "7.23.0",
+  "version": "7.23.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@ulms/api-clients",
-      "version": "7.23.0",
+      "version": "7.23.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "axios": "1.6.2",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6dd92ab..8b4cd5b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@ulms/api-clients",
-  "version": "7.23.0",
+  "version": "7.23.1",
   "description": "JavaScript API clients for ULMS platform",
   "keywords": [],
   "homepage": "https://github.com/foxford/ulms-api-clients-js#readme",
diff --git a/src/common.js b/src/common.js
index 9b3b45c..ca3e44d 100644
--- a/src/common.js
+++ b/src/common.js
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ export function enterRoom(client, roomId, agentId, timeout = 5000) {
   })
 }
 
+export function generateRandomId() {
+  return Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8)
+}
+
 export const sleep = async (ms) =>
   new Promise((resolve) => {
     setTimeout(resolve, ms)
diff --git a/src/nats-manager.js b/src/nats-manager.js
index 8760367..ca8b1af 100644
--- a/src/nats-manager.js
+++ b/src/nats-manager.js
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-await-in-loop */
 import Backoff from './backoff'
-import { sleep, timeout } from './common'
+import { generateRandomId, sleep, timeout } from './common'
 
 class NatsManager {
   constructor(client, gatekeeper, nsm, vsm) {
     this.client = client
     this.gatekeeper = gatekeeper
     this.gatekeeperBackoff = new Backoff()
+    this.id = undefined // local connection identifier (prevent simultaneous connections)
     this.nsm = nsm // NetworkStatusMonitor instance
     this.vsm = vsm // VisibilityStateMonitor instance
 
@@ -48,6 +49,9 @@ class NatsManager {
   }
 
   async start(classId, name, accountLabel) {
+    const rid = generateRandomId()
+
+    this.id = rid
     this.forcedStop = false
 
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-constant-condition
@@ -86,6 +90,11 @@ class NatsManager {
       if (this.forcedStop) {
         break
       }
+
+      // prevent multiple connections
+      if (this.id !== rid) {
+        break
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/ws-transport.js b/src/ws-transport.js
index 7b214c4..d9a6fe0 100644
--- a/src/ws-transport.js
+++ b/src/ws-transport.js
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import Debug from 'debug'
 
-import { makeDeferred } from './common'
+import { generateRandomId, makeDeferred } from './common'
 
 const debug = Debug('ws-transport')
 
-const generateRandomId = () => Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8)
-
 const KEEP_ALIVE_MESSAGE = '-'
 const KEEP_ALIVE_TIMED_OUT_ERROR_PAYLOAD = {
   payload: {