diff --git a/static/js/collab_client.js b/static/js/collab_client.js
index fafe0fd2f..bb2351fc3 100644
--- a/static/js/collab_client.js
+++ b/static/js/collab_client.js
@@ -25,12 +25,20 @@ $(window).bind("load", function()
   getCollabClient.windowLoaded = true;
 });
 
+// Dependency fill on init. This exists for `pad.socket` only.
+// TODO: bind directly to the socket.
+var pad = undefined;
+function getSocket() {
+  return pad && pad.socket;
+}
+
 /** Call this when the document is ready, and a new Ace2Editor() has been created and inited.
     ACE's ready callback does not need to have fired yet.
     "serverVars" are from calling doc.getCollabClientVars() on the server. */
-function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options)
+function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options, _pad)
 {
   var editor = ace2editor;
+  pad = _pad; // Inject pad to avoid a circular dependency.
 
   var rev = serverVars.rev;
   var padId = serverVars.padId;
@@ -81,7 +89,7 @@ function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options)
 
   $(window).bind("unload", function()
   {
-    if (socket)
+    if (getSocket())
     {
       setChannelState("DISCONNECTED", "unload");
     }
@@ -111,7 +119,7 @@ function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options)
 
   function handleUserChanges()
   {
-    if ((!socket) || channelState == "CONNECTING")
+    if ((!getSocket()) || channelState == "CONNECTING")
     {
       if (channelState == "CONNECTING" && (((+new Date()) - initialStartConnectTime) > 20000))
       {
@@ -295,7 +303,7 @@ function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options)
 
   function sendMessage(msg)
   {
-    socket.json.send(
+    getSocket().json.send(
     {
       type: "COLLABROOM",
       component: "pad",
@@ -337,7 +345,7 @@ function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options)
   {
     if (window.console) console.log(evt);
 
-    if (!socket) return;
+    if (!getSocket()) return;
     if (!evt.data) return;
     var wrapper = evt;
     if (wrapper.type != "COLLABROOM") return;
@@ -442,7 +450,7 @@ function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options)
     userInfo.userId = userId;
     userSet[userId] = userInfo;
     tellAceActiveAuthorInfo(userInfo);
-    if (!socket) return;
+    if (!getSocket()) return;
     sendMessage(
     {
       type: "USERINFO_UPDATE",
diff --git a/static/js/pad2.js b/static/js/pad2.js
index ca4ef53fc..5872b7a11 100644
--- a/static/js/pad2.js
+++ b/static/js/pad2.js
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ function handshake()
   //find out in which subfolder we are
   var resource = loc.pathname.substr(1, loc.pathname.indexOf("/p/")) + "socket.io";
   //connect
-  socket = io.connect(url, {
+  socket = pad.socket = io.connect(url, {
     resource: resource,
     'max reconnection attempts': 3
   });
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ var pad = {
 
     pad.collabClient = getCollabClient(padeditor.ace, clientVars.collab_client_vars, pad.myUserInfo, {
       colorPalette: pad.getColorPalette()
-    });
+    }, pad);
     pad.collabClient.setOnUserJoin(pad.handleUserJoin);
     pad.collabClient.setOnUpdateUserInfo(pad.handleUserUpdate);
     pad.collabClient.setOnUserLeave(pad.handleUserLeave);