diff --git a/yt_dlp/downloader/niconico.py b/yt_dlp/downloader/niconico.py
index ea00a9a8e..6ec2c8766 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/downloader/niconico.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/downloader/niconico.py
@@ -79,33 +79,33 @@ class NiconicoLiveFD(FragmentFD):
 
         video_id = info_dict['id']
         live_latency = info_dict['downloader_options']['live_latency']
-        self.ws = info_dict['downloader_options']['ws']
+        ws_url = info_dict['downloader_options']['ws_url']
+
+        self.ws = None
 
         self.m3u8_lock = threading.Event()
-        self.m3u8_url = info_dict['manifest_url']
-        self.m3u8_lock.set()
+        self.m3u8_url = None
 
-        def communicate_ws(reconnect):
-            if reconnect:
-                self.ws = self.ydl.urlopen(Request(self.ws.url, headers=info_dict.get('http_headers')))
-                if self.ydl.params.get('verbose', False):
-                    self.to_screen('[debug] Sending startWatching request')
-                self.ws.send(json.dumps({
-                    'type': 'startWatching',
-                    'data': {
-                        'stream': {
-                            'quality': 'abr',
-                            'protocol': 'hls',
-                            'latency': live_latency,
-                            'chasePlay': False
-                        },
-                        'room': {
-                            'protocol': 'webSocket',
-                            'commentable': True
-                        },
-                        'reconnect': True,
-                    }
-                }))
+        def communicate_ws():
+            self.ws = self.ydl.urlopen(Request(ws_url, headers=info_dict.get('http_headers')))
+            if self.ydl.params.get('verbose', False):
+                self.to_screen('[debug] Sending startWatching request')
+            self.ws.send(json.dumps({
+                'type': 'startWatching',
+                'data': {
+                    'stream': {
+                        'quality': 'abr',
+                        'protocol': 'hls',
+                        'latency': live_latency,
+                        'chasePlay': False
+                    },
+                    'room': {
+                        'protocol': 'webSocket',
+                        'commentable': True
+                    },
+                    'reconnect': True,
+                }
+            }))
             with self.ws:
                 while True:
                     recv = self.ws.recv()
@@ -136,10 +136,9 @@ class NiconicoLiveFD(FragmentFD):
         stopped = threading.Event()
 
         def ws_main():
-            reconnect = False
             while not stopped.is_set():
                 try:
-                    communicate_ws(reconnect)
+                    communicate_ws()
                     break  # Disconnected
                 except BaseException as e:  # Including TransportError
                     if stopped.is_set():
@@ -150,8 +149,6 @@ class NiconicoLiveFD(FragmentFD):
                     self.to_screen('[%s] %s: Connection error occured, reconnecting after %d seconds: %s' % ('niconico:live', video_id, self._WEBSOCKET_RECONNECT_DELAY, str_or_none(e)))
                     time.sleep(self._WEBSOCKET_RECONNECT_DELAY)
 
-                    reconnect = True
-
             self.m3u8_lock.set()  # Release possible locks
 
         thread = threading.Thread(target=ws_main, daemon=True)
diff --git a/yt_dlp/extractor/niconico.py b/yt_dlp/extractor/niconico.py
index cba25b532..5eee857f5 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/extractor/niconico.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/extractor/niconico.py
@@ -956,7 +956,10 @@ class NiconicoLiveIE(InfoExtractor):
 
     _KNOWN_LATENCY = ('high', 'low')
 
-    def _yield_formats(self, ws, video_id, latency, is_live):
+    def _yield_formats(self, ws_url, headers, latency, video_id, is_live):
+        ws = self._request_webpage(
+            Request(ws_url, headers=headers), video_id, note='Connecting to WebSocket server')
+
         self.write_debug('[debug] Sending HLS server request')
         ws.send(json.dumps({
             'type': 'startWatching',
@@ -998,6 +1001,8 @@ class NiconicoLiveIE(InfoExtractor):
                     recv = recv[:100] + '...'
                 self.write_debug('Server said: %s' % recv)
 
+        ws.close()
+
         formats = self._extract_m3u8_formats(m3u8_url, video_id, ext='mp4', live=is_live)
         for fmt, q in zip(formats, reversed(qualities[1:])):
             fmt.update({
@@ -1014,14 +1019,11 @@ class NiconicoLiveIE(InfoExtractor):
         embedded_data = self._parse_json(unescapeHTML(self._search_regex(
             r'<script\s+id="embedded-data"\s*data-props="(.+?)"', webpage, 'embedded data')), video_id)
 
-        ws = None
         ws_url = traverse_obj(embedded_data, ('site', 'relive', 'webSocketUrl'))
         if ws_url:
             ws_url = update_url_query(ws_url, {
                 'frontend_id': traverse_obj(embedded_data, ('site', 'frontendId')) or '9',
             })
-            ws = self._request_webpage(
-                Request(ws_url, headers=headers), video_id, note='Connecting to WebSocket server')
         else:
             self.raise_no_formats('The live hasn\'t started yet or already ended.', expected=True)
 
@@ -1074,10 +1076,11 @@ class NiconicoLiveIE(InfoExtractor):
             'timestamp': int_or_none(traverse_obj(embedded_data, ('program', 'openTime'))),
             'live_status': live_status,
             'thumbnails': thumbnails,
-            'formats': [*self._yield_formats(ws, video_id, latency, live_status == 'is_live')] if ws else None,
+            'formats': [*self._yield_formats(
+                ws_url, headers, latency, video_id, live_status == 'is_live')] if ws_url else None,
             'http_headers': headers,
             'downloader_options': {
                 'live_latency': latency,
-                'ws': ws,
+                'ws_url': ws_url,
             },
         }