diff --git a/_examples/websocket-initfunc/server/server.go b/_examples/websocket-initfunc/server/server.go
index 4704708dab0..64c3010f81c 100644
--- a/_examples/websocket-initfunc/server/server.go
+++ b/_examples/websocket-initfunc/server/server.go
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rs/cors"
 )
 
-func webSocketInit(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, error) {
+func webSocketInit(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, *transport.InitPayload, error) {
 	// Get the token from payload
 	payload := initPayload["authToken"]
 	token, ok := payload.(string)
 	if !ok || token == "" {
-		return nil, errors.New("authToken not found in transport payload")
+		return nil, nil, errors.New("authToken not found in transport payload")
 	}
 
 	// Perform token verification and authentication...
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func webSocketInit(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (cont
 	// put it in context
 	ctxNew := context.WithValue(ctx, "username", userId)
 
-	return ctxNew, nil
+	return ctxNew, nil, nil
 }
 
 const defaultPort = "8080"
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func main() {
 				return true
 			},
 		},
-		InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, error) {
+		InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (*transport.InitPayload, context.Context, error) {
 			return webSocketInit(ctx, initPayload)
 		},
 	})
diff --git a/graphql/handler/transport/websocket.go b/graphql/handler/transport/websocket.go
index acd124fe8e5..ed1d9588c9c 100644
--- a/graphql/handler/transport/websocket.go
+++ b/graphql/handler/transport/websocket.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ type (
 		initPayload InitPayload
 	}
 
-	WebsocketInitFunc  func(ctx context.Context, initPayload InitPayload) (context.Context, error)
+	WebsocketInitFunc  func(ctx context.Context, initPayload InitPayload) (context.Context, *InitPayload, error)
 	WebsocketErrorFunc func(ctx context.Context, err error)
 
 	// Callback called when websocket is closed.
@@ -179,8 +179,10 @@ func (c *wsConnection) init() bool {
 			}
 		}
 
+		var initAckPayload *InitPayload = nil
 		if c.InitFunc != nil {
-			ctx, err := c.InitFunc(c.ctx, c.initPayload)
+			var ctx context.Context
+			ctx, initAckPayload, err = c.InitFunc(c.ctx, c.initPayload)
 			if err != nil {
 				c.sendConnectionError(err.Error())
 				c.close(websocket.CloseNormalClosure, "terminated")
@@ -189,7 +191,15 @@ func (c *wsConnection) init() bool {
 			c.ctx = ctx
 		}
 
-		c.write(&message{t: connectionAckMessageType})
+		if initAckPayload != nil {
+			initJsonAckPayload, err := json.Marshal(*initAckPayload)
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			c.write(&message{t: connectionAckMessageType, payload: initJsonAckPayload})
+		} else {
+			c.write(&message{t: connectionAckMessageType})
+		}
 		c.write(&message{t: keepAliveMessageType})
 	case connectionCloseMessageType:
 		c.close(websocket.CloseNormalClosure, "terminated")
diff --git a/graphql/handler/transport/websocket_test.go b/graphql/handler/transport/websocket_test.go
index 9ac8ad65cc8..678bfeab25c 100644
--- a/graphql/handler/transport/websocket_test.go
+++ b/graphql/handler/transport/websocket_test.go
@@ -207,8 +207,8 @@ func TestWebsocketInitFunc(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("accept connection if WebsocketInitFunc is provided and is accepting connection", func(t *testing.T) {
 		h := testserver.New()
 		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
-			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, error) {
-				return context.WithValue(ctx, ckey("newkey"), "newvalue"), nil
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, *transport.InitPayload, error) {
+				return context.WithValue(ctx, ckey("newkey"), "newvalue"), nil, nil
 			},
 		})
 		srv := httptest.NewServer(h)
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ func TestWebsocketInitFunc(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("reject connection if WebsocketInitFunc is provided and is accepting connection", func(t *testing.T) {
 		h := testserver.New()
 		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
-			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, error) {
-				return ctx, errors.New("invalid init payload")
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, *transport.InitPayload, error) {
+				return ctx, nil, errors.New("invalid init payload")
 			},
 		})
 		srv := httptest.NewServer(h)
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@ func TestWebsocketInitFunc(t *testing.T) {
 		h := handler.New(es)
 
 		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
-			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, error) {
-				return context.WithValue(ctx, ckey("newkey"), "newvalue"), nil
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, *transport.InitPayload, error) {
+				return context.WithValue(ctx, ckey("newkey"), "newvalue"), nil, nil
 			},
 		})
 
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ func TestWebsocketInitFunc(t *testing.T) {
 		h := testserver.New()
 		var cancel func()
 		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
-			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (newCtx context.Context, _ error) {
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (newCtx context.Context, _ *transport.InitPayload, _ error) {
 				newCtx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(transport.AppendCloseReason(ctx, "beep boop"), time.Millisecond*5)
 				return
 			},
@@ -303,6 +303,33 @@ func TestWebsocketInitFunc(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, m.Type, connectionErrorMsg)
 		assert.Equal(t, string(m.Payload), `{"message":"beep boop"}`)
 	})
+	t.Run("accept connection if WebsocketInitFunc is provided and is accepting connection", func(t *testing.T) {
+		h := testserver.New()
+		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, initPayload transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, *transport.InitPayload, error) {
+				initResponsePayload := transport.InitPayload{"trackingId": "123-456"}
+				return context.WithValue(ctx, ckey("newkey"), "newvalue"), &initResponsePayload, nil
+			},
+		})
+		srv := httptest.NewServer(h)
+		defer srv.Close()
+
+		c := wsConnect(srv.URL)
+		defer c.Close()
+
+		require.NoError(t, c.WriteJSON(&operationMessage{Type: connectionInitMsg}))
+
+		connAck := readOp(c)
+		assert.Equal(t, connectionAckMsg, connAck.Type)
+
+		var payload map[string]interface{}
+		err := json.Unmarshal(connAck.Payload, &payload)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal("Unexpected Error", err)
+		}
+		assert.EqualValues(t, "123-456", payload["trackingId"])
+		assert.Equal(t, connectionKeepAliveMsg, readOp(c).Type)
+	})
 }
 
 func TestWebSocketInitTimeout(t *testing.T) {
@@ -382,8 +409,8 @@ func TestWebSocketErrorFunc(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("init func errors do not call the error handler", func(t *testing.T) {
 		h := testserver.New()
 		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
-			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, error) {
-				return ctx, errors.New("this is not what we agreed upon")
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, *transport.InitPayload, error) {
+				return ctx, nil, errors.New("this is not what we agreed upon")
 			},
 			ErrorFunc: func(_ context.Context, err error) {
 				assert.Fail(t, "the error handler got called when it shouldn't have", "error: "+err.Error())
@@ -400,10 +427,10 @@ func TestWebSocketErrorFunc(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("init func context closes do not call the error handler", func(t *testing.T) {
 		h := testserver.New()
 		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
-			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, error) {
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, *transport.InitPayload, error) {
 				newCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 				time.AfterFunc(time.Millisecond*5, cancel)
-				return newCtx, nil
+				return newCtx, nil, nil
 			},
 			ErrorFunc: func(_ context.Context, err error) {
 				assert.Fail(t, "the error handler got called when it shouldn't have", "error: "+err.Error())
@@ -423,9 +450,9 @@ func TestWebSocketErrorFunc(t *testing.T) {
 		h := testserver.New()
 		var cancel func()
 		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
-			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (newCtx context.Context, _ error) {
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (newCtx context.Context, _ *transport.InitPayload, _ error) {
 				newCtx, cancel = context.WithDeadline(ctx, time.Now().Add(time.Millisecond*5))
-				return newCtx, nil
+				return newCtx, nil, nil
 			},
 			ErrorFunc: func(_ context.Context, err error) {
 				assert.Fail(t, "the error handler got called when it shouldn't have", "error: "+err.Error())
@@ -477,8 +504,8 @@ func TestWebSocketCloseFunc(t *testing.T) {
 		h := testserver.New()
 		closeFuncCalled := make(chan bool, 1)
 		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
-			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, error) {
-				return ctx, errors.New("error during init")
+			InitFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ transport.InitPayload) (context.Context, *transport.InitPayload, error) {
+				return ctx, nil, errors.New("error during init")
 			},
 			CloseFunc: func(_ context.Context, _closeCode int) {
 				closeFuncCalled <- true