diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectController.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectController.coffee
index 661273c976..712b2444f7 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectController.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectController.coffee
@@ -275,6 +275,10 @@ module.exports = ProjectController =
 		project_id = req.params.Project_id
 		logger.log project_id:project_id, anonymous:anonymous, user_id:user_id, "loading editor"
 
+		# record failures to load the custom websocket
+		if req.query?.ws is 'fallback'
+			metrics.inc "load-editor-ws-fallback"
+
 		async.auto {
 			project: (cb)->
 				ProjectGetter.getProject(
diff --git a/services/web/public/src/ide.js b/services/web/public/src/ide.js
index 60a227fa44..13ffe8ca36 100644
--- a/services/web/public/src/ide.js
+++ b/services/web/public/src/ide.js
@@ -185,7 +185,13 @@ define([
 
     ide.validFileRegex = '^[^*/]*$' // Don't allow * and /
 
-    ide.wsUrl = window.sharelatex.wsUrl || null // websocket url (if defined)
+    let useFallbackWebsocket =
+      window.location &&
+      window.location.search &&
+      window.location.search.match(/ws=fallback/)
+    // if we previously failed to load the websocket fall back to null (the siteUrl)
+    ide.wsUrl = useFallbackWebsocket ? null : window.sharelatex.wsUrl || null // websocket url (if defined)
+
     ide.project_id = $scope.project_id = window.project_id
     ide.$scope = $scope
 
diff --git a/services/web/public/src/ide/connection/ConnectionManager.js b/services/web/public/src/ide/connection/ConnectionManager.js
index b952d4ff44..7f67f51797 100644
--- a/services/web/public/src/ide/connection/ConnectionManager.js
+++ b/services/web/public/src/ide/connection/ConnectionManager.js
@@ -103,6 +103,23 @@ define([], function() {
           }
         )
 
+        // handle network-level websocket errors (e.g. failed dns lookups)
+
+        this.ide.socket.on('error', err => {
+          sl_console.log('socket.io error', err)
+          if (this.wsUrl && !window.location.href.match(/ws=fallback/)) {
+            // if we tried to load a custom websocket location and failed
+            // try reloading and falling back to the siteUrl
+            window.location = window.location.href + '?ws=fallback'
+          } else {
+            this.connected = false
+            return this.$scope.$apply(() => {
+              return (this.$scope.state.error =
+                "Unable to connect, please view the <u><a href='/learn/Kb/Connection_problems'>connection problems guide</a></u> to fix the issue.")
+            })
+          }
+        })
+
         // The "connect" event is the first event we get back. It only
         // indicates that the websocket is connected, we still need to
         // pass authentication to join a project.