diff --git a/jetty-websocket/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketClientFactory.java b/jetty-websocket/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketClientFactory.java
index 92407cd2eab..c7c73bc6524 100644
--- a/jetty-websocket/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketClientFactory.java
+++ b/jetty-websocket/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketClientFactory.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import org.eclipse.jetty.io.nio.SslConnection;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.B64Code;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.QuotedStringTokenizer;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.component.AggregateLifeCycle;
+import org.eclipse.jetty.util.component.LifeCycle;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.log.Logger;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.ssl.SslContextFactory;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.thread.QueuedThreadPool;
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ public class WebSocketClientFactory extends AggregateLifeCycle
     private final Queue<WebSocketConnection> connections = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<WebSocketConnection>();
     private final SslContextFactory _sslContextFactory = new SslContextFactory();
     private final ThreadPool _threadPool;
+    private final boolean _shutdownThreadPool;
     private final WebSocketClientSelector _selector;
     private MaskGen _maskGen;
     private WebSocketBuffers _buffers;
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@ public class WebSocketClientFactory extends AggregateLifeCycle
      */
     public WebSocketClientFactory()
     {
-        this(new QueuedThreadPool());
+        this(null);
     }
 
     /* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
@@ -114,14 +116,27 @@ public class WebSocketClientFactory extends AggregateLifeCycle
      */
     public WebSocketClientFactory(ThreadPool threadPool, MaskGen maskGen, int bufferSize)
     {
-        _threadPool = threadPool;
-        addBean(threadPool);
+        if (threadPool == null)
+        {
+            _threadPool = new QueuedThreadPool();
+            addBean(_threadPool);
+            _shutdownThreadPool = true;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            _threadPool = threadPool;
+            _shutdownThreadPool = false;
+        }
+
         _buffers = new WebSocketBuffers(bufferSize);
         addBean(_buffers);
+
         _maskGen = maskGen;
         addBean(_maskGen);
+
         _selector = new WebSocketClientSelector();
         addBean(_selector);
+
         addBean(_sslContextFactory);
     }
 
@@ -209,6 +224,8 @@ public class WebSocketClientFactory extends AggregateLifeCycle
     {
         closeConnections();
         super.doStop();
+        if (_shutdownThreadPool && _threadPool instanceof LifeCycle)
+            ((LifeCycle)_threadPool).stop();
     }
 
     /* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
diff --git a/jetty-websocket/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketClientTest.java b/jetty-websocket/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketClientTest.java
index 571a454e0da..07a9060baa0 100644
--- a/jetty-websocket/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketClientTest.java
+++ b/jetty-websocket/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketClientTest.java
@@ -74,8 +74,10 @@ public class WebSocketClientTest
     @Test
     public void testMessageBiggerThanBufferSize() throws Exception
     {
+        QueuedThreadPool threadPool = new QueuedThreadPool();
         int bufferSize = 512;
-        WebSocketClientFactory factory = new WebSocketClientFactory(new QueuedThreadPool(), new ZeroMaskGen(), bufferSize);
+        WebSocketClientFactory factory = new WebSocketClientFactory(threadPool, new ZeroMaskGen(), bufferSize);
+        threadPool.start();
         factory.start();
         WebSocketClient client = new WebSocketClient(factory);
 
@@ -118,6 +120,7 @@ public class WebSocketClientTest
         Assert.assertTrue(dataLatch.await(1000, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
 
         factory.stop();
+        threadPool.stop();
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/jetty-websocket/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketOverSSLTest.java b/jetty-websocket/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketOverSSLTest.java
index 80b262d6392..524d8d0ece3 100644
--- a/jetty-websocket/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketOverSSLTest.java
+++ b/jetty-websocket/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/WebSocketOverSSLTest.java
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ public class WebSocketOverSSLTest
 {
     private Server _server;
     private int _port;
+    private QueuedThreadPool _threadPool;
+    private WebSocketClientFactory _wsFactory;
     private WebSocket.Connection _connection;
 
     private void startServer(final WebSocket webSocket) throws Exception
@@ -61,13 +63,18 @@ public class WebSocketOverSSLTest
     {
         Assert.assertTrue(_server.isStarted());
 
-        WebSocketClientFactory factory = new WebSocketClientFactory(new QueuedThreadPool(), new ZeroMaskGen());
-        SslContextFactory cf = factory.getSslContextFactory();
+        _threadPool = new QueuedThreadPool();
+        _threadPool.setName("wsc-" + _threadPool.getName());
+        _threadPool.start();
+
+        _wsFactory = new WebSocketClientFactory(_threadPool, new ZeroMaskGen());
+        SslContextFactory cf = _wsFactory.getSslContextFactory();
         cf.setKeyStorePath(MavenTestingUtils.getTestResourceFile("keystore").getAbsolutePath());
         cf.setKeyStorePassword("storepwd");
         cf.setKeyManagerPassword("keypwd");
-        factory.start();
-        WebSocketClient client = new WebSocketClient(factory);
+        _wsFactory.start();
+
+        WebSocketClient client = new WebSocketClient(_wsFactory);
         _connection = client.open(new URI("wss://localhost:" + _port), webSocket).get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
     }
 
@@ -76,6 +83,13 @@ public class WebSocketOverSSLTest
     {
         if (_connection != null)
             _connection.close();
+
+        if (_wsFactory != null)
+            _wsFactory.stop();
+
+        if (_threadPool != null)
+            _threadPool.stop();
+
         if (_server != null)
         {
             _server.stop();