diff --git a/http/routing/websocketrule.hpp b/http/routing/websocketrule.hpp
index 5e558f2..bf6daad 100644
--- a/http/routing/websocketrule.hpp
+++ b/http/routing/websocketrule.hpp
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@
             crow::websocket::ConnectionImpl<boost::asio::ip::tcp::socket>>
             myConnection = std::make_shared<
                 crow::websocket::ConnectionImpl<boost::asio::ip::tcp::socket>>(
-                req, req.url(), std::move(adaptor), openHandler, messageHandler,
-                messageExHandler, closeHandler, errorHandler);
-        myConnection->start();
+                req.url(), req.session, std::move(adaptor), openHandler,
+                messageHandler, messageExHandler, closeHandler, errorHandler);
+        myConnection->start(req);
     }
 #else
     void handleUpgrade(const Request& req,
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@
             boost::beast::ssl_stream<boost::asio::ip::tcp::socket>>>
             myConnection = std::make_shared<crow::websocket::ConnectionImpl<
                 boost::beast::ssl_stream<boost::asio::ip::tcp::socket>>>(
-                req, req.url(), std::move(adaptor), openHandler, messageHandler,
-                messageExHandler, closeHandler, errorHandler);
-        myConnection->start();
+                req.url(), req.session, std::move(adaptor), openHandler,
+                messageHandler, messageExHandler, closeHandler, errorHandler);
+        myConnection->start(req);
     }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/http/websocket.hpp b/http/websocket.hpp
index 216c413..0fda7ee 100644
--- a/http/websocket.hpp
+++ b/http/websocket.hpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 struct Connection : std::enable_shared_from_this<Connection>
 {
   public:
-    explicit Connection(const crow::Request& reqIn) : req(reqIn.req) {}
+    Connection() = default;
 
     Connection(const Connection&) = delete;
     Connection(Connection&&) = delete;
@@ -46,15 +46,17 @@
     virtual boost::asio::io_context& getIoContext() = 0;
     virtual ~Connection() = default;
     virtual boost::urls::url_view url() = 0;
-    boost::beast::http::request<boost::beast::http::string_body> req;
 };
 
 template <typename Adaptor>
 class ConnectionImpl : public Connection
 {
+    using self_t = ConnectionImpl<Adaptor>;
+
   public:
     ConnectionImpl(
-        const crow::Request& reqIn, boost::urls::url_view urlViewIn,
+        const boost::urls::url_view& urlViewIn,
+        const std::shared_ptr<persistent_data::UserSession>& sessionIn,
         Adaptor adaptorIn, std::function<void(Connection&)> openHandlerIn,
         std::function<void(Connection&, const std::string&, bool)>
             messageHandlerIn,
@@ -64,13 +66,13 @@
             messageExHandlerIn,
         std::function<void(Connection&, const std::string&)> closeHandlerIn,
         std::function<void(Connection&)> errorHandlerIn) :
-        Connection(reqIn),
-        uri(urlViewIn), ws(std::move(adaptorIn)), inBuffer(inString, 131088),
+        uri(urlViewIn),
+        ws(std::move(adaptorIn)), inBuffer(inString, 131088),
         openHandler(std::move(openHandlerIn)),
         messageHandler(std::move(messageHandlerIn)),
         messageExHandler(std::move(messageExHandlerIn)),
         closeHandler(std::move(closeHandlerIn)),
-        errorHandler(std::move(errorHandlerIn)), session(reqIn.session)
+        errorHandler(std::move(errorHandlerIn)), session(sessionIn)
     {
         /* Turn on the timeouts on websocket stream to server role */
         ws.set_option(boost::beast::websocket::stream_base::timeout::suggested(
@@ -84,17 +86,16 @@
             ws.get_executor().context());
     }
 
-    void start()
+    void start(const crow::Request& req)
     {
         BMCWEB_LOG_DEBUG("starting connection {}", logPtr(this));
 
         using bf = boost::beast::http::field;
-
-        std::string_view protocol = req[bf::sec_websocket_protocol];
+        std::string protocolHeader = req.req[bf::sec_websocket_protocol];
 
         ws.set_option(boost::beast::websocket::stream_base::decorator(
-            [session{session}, protocol{std::string(protocol)}](
-                boost::beast::websocket::response_type& m) {
+            [session{session},
+             protocolHeader](boost::beast::websocket::response_type& m) {
 
 #ifndef BMCWEB_INSECURE_DISABLE_CSRF_PREVENTION
             if (session != nullptr)
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@
                 // use protocol for csrf checking
                 if (session->cookieAuth &&
                     !crow::utility::constantTimeStringCompare(
-                        protocol, session->csrfToken))
+                        protocolHeader, session->csrfToken))
                 {
                     BMCWEB_LOG_ERROR("Websocket CSRF error");
                     m.result(boost::beast::http::status::unauthorized);
@@ -110,9 +111,9 @@
                 }
             }
 #endif
-            if (!protocol.empty())
+            if (!protocolHeader.empty())
             {
-                m.insert(bf::sec_websocket_protocol, protocol);
+                m.insert(bf::sec_websocket_protocol, protocolHeader);
             }
 
             m.insert(bf::strict_transport_security, "max-age=31536000; "
@@ -126,16 +127,15 @@
             m.insert("X-Content-Type-Options", "nosniff");
         }));
 
+        // Make a pointer to keep the req alive while we accept it.
+        using Body =
+            boost::beast::http::request<boost::beast::http::string_body>;
+        std::unique_ptr<Body> mobile = std::make_unique<Body>(req.req);
+        Body* ptr = mobile.get();
         // Perform the websocket upgrade
-        ws.async_accept(req, [this, self(shared_from_this())](
-                                 const boost::system::error_code& ec) {
-            if (ec)
-            {
-                BMCWEB_LOG_ERROR("Error in ws.async_accept {}", ec);
-                return;
-            }
-            acceptDone();
-        });
+        ws.async_accept(*ptr,
+                        std::bind_front(&self_t::acceptDone, this,
+                                        shared_from_this(), std::move(mobile)));
     }
 
     void sendBinary(std::string_view msg) override
@@ -221,8 +221,16 @@
         return uri;
     }
 
-    void acceptDone()
+    void acceptDone(const std::shared_ptr<Connection>& /*self*/,
+                    const std::unique_ptr<boost::beast::http::request<
+                        boost::beast::http::string_body>>& /*req*/,
+                    const boost::system::error_code& ec)
     {
+        if (ec)
+        {
+            BMCWEB_LOG_ERROR("Error in ws.async_accept {}", ec);
+            return;
+        }
         BMCWEB_LOG_DEBUG("Websocket accepted connection");
 
         if (openHandler)
diff --git a/include/nbd_proxy.hpp b/include/nbd_proxy.hpp
index 5de3039..5540886 100644
--- a/include/nbd_proxy.hpp
+++ b/include/nbd_proxy.hpp
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@
         }
 
         if ((endpointValue != nullptr) && (socketValue != nullptr) &&
-            *endpointValue == conn.req.target())
+            *endpointValue == conn.url().path())
         {
             endpointObjectPath = &objectPath.str;
             break;
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@
 
     for (const auto& session : sessions)
     {
-        if (session.second->getEndpointId() == conn.req.target())
+        if (session.second->getEndpointId() == conn.url().path())
         {
             BMCWEB_LOG_ERROR("Cannot open new connection - socket is in use");
             conn.close("Slot is in use");