diff --git a/packages/react-native/React/CoreModules/RCTWebSocketModule.mm b/packages/react-native/React/CoreModules/RCTWebSocketModule.mm
index e29d76a76a23..86667feeb720 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/React/CoreModules/RCTWebSocketModule.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/React/CoreModules/RCTWebSocketModule.mm
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #import <objc/runtime.h>
 
 #import <FBReactNativeSpec/FBReactNativeSpec.h>
+#import <React/RCTAssert.h>
 #import <React/RCTConvert.h>
 #import <React/RCTUtils.h>
 #import <SocketRocket/SRWebSocket.h>
@@ -66,6 +67,14 @@ - (void)invalidate
     connect : (NSURL *)URL protocols : (NSArray *)protocols options : (JS::NativeWebSocketModule::SpecConnectOptions &)
         options socketID : (double)socketID)
 {
+  if ((URL == nullptr) || URL.absoluteString.length == 0u) {
+    RCTAssert(NO, @"RCTWebSocketModule: Invalid WebSocket URL passed to connect");
+    NSNumber *socketIDNumber = @(socketID);
+    NSDictionary *body = @{@"message" : @"Invalid WebSocket URL", @"id" : socketIDNumber};
+    [self sendEventWithName:@"websocketFailed" body:body];
+    return;
+  }
+
   NSMutableURLRequest *request = [NSMutableURLRequest requestWithURL:URL];
 
   // We load cookies from sharedHTTPCookieStorage (shared with XHR and