diff --git a/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.ts b/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.ts
index a121e3f0e2..cc367cec59 100644
--- a/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.ts
+++ b/spec/observables/dom/webSocket-spec.ts
@@ -416,6 +416,52 @@ describe('webSocket', () => {
       subject.unsubscribe();
     });
 
+    it('should take a serializer', () => {
+      const subject = webSocket<{ data: string}>({
+        url: 'ws://mysocket',
+        serializer: (e: any) => {
+          return e.data + '!';
+        }
+      });
+
+      subject.subscribe();
+
+      const socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket;
+      socket.open();
+
+
+      ['ahoy', 'yarr', 'shove off'].forEach(x => {
+        subject.next({ data: x });
+        expect(socket.lastMessageSent).to.equal(x + '!');
+      });
+
+      subject.unsubscribe();
+    });
+
+    it('if the serializer fails it should go down the error path', () => {
+      const subject = webSocket<string>({
+        url: 'ws://mysocket',
+        serializer: (e: any) => {
+          throw new Error('I am a bad error');
+        }
+      });
+
+      const error = sinon.spy();
+      subject.subscribe({ next: (x: any) => {
+        expect(x).to.equal('this should not happen');
+      }, error });
+
+      const socket = MockWebSocket.lastSocket;
+      socket.open();
+
+      subject.next('weee!');
+      expect(error).to.have.been.calledWithMatch({ message: 'I am a bad error' });
+      expect(socket.readyState).to.equal(WebSocketState.CLOSING);
+      expect(socket.closeCode).to.equal(1000);
+
+      subject.unsubscribe();
+    });
+
     it('should accept a closingObserver', () => {
       let calls = 0;
       const subject = webSocket<string>(<any>{
diff --git a/src/internal/observable/dom/WebSocketSubject.ts b/src/internal/observable/dom/WebSocketSubject.ts
index 9eecbf5ec5..ab62b4ece2 100644
--- a/src/internal/observable/dom/WebSocketSubject.ts
+++ b/src/internal/observable/dom/WebSocketSubject.ts
@@ -303,7 +303,10 @@ export class WebSocketSubject<T> extends AnonymousSubject<T> {
               const { serializer } = this._config;
               socket!.send(serializer!(x!));
             } catch (e) {
-              this.destination!.error(e);
+              this.destination!.error({
+                code: 1000,
+              });
+              observer.error(e);
             }
           }
         },