diff --git a/packages/transport-commons/src/socket/index.ts b/packages/transport-commons/src/socket/index.ts
index 83b0ee2af0..89c1f57105 100644
--- a/packages/transport-commons/src/socket/index.ts
+++ b/packages/transport-commons/src/socket/index.ts
@@ -11,10 +11,11 @@ export interface SocketOptions {
   done: Promise<any>;
   emit: string;
   socketMap: WeakMap<RealTimeConnection, any>;
+  socketKey?: any;
   getParams: (socket: any) => RealTimeConnection;
 }
 
-export function socket ({ done, emit, socketMap, getParams }: SocketOptions) {
+export function socket ({ done, emit, socketMap, socketKey, getParams }: SocketOptions) {
   return (app: Application) => {
     const leaveChannels = (connection: RealTimeConnection) => {
       const { channels } = app;
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ export function socket ({ done, emit, socketMap, getParams }: SocketOptions) {
     app.configure(channels());
     app.configure(routing());
 
-    app.on('publish', getDispatcher(emit, socketMap));
+    app.on('publish', getDispatcher(emit, socketMap, socketKey));
     app.on('disconnect', leaveChannels);
     app.on('logout', (_authResult: any, params: Params) => {
       const { connection } = params;
diff --git a/packages/transport-commons/src/socket/utils.ts b/packages/transport-commons/src/socket/utils.ts
index 73d6dc1995..eccf5f5cfa 100644
--- a/packages/transport-commons/src/socket/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/transport-commons/src/socket/utils.ts
@@ -35,13 +35,13 @@ export function normalizeError (e: any) {
   return result;
 }
 
-export function getDispatcher (emit: string, socketMap: WeakMap<RealTimeConnection, any>) {
-  return function (event: string, channel: CombinedChannel, context: HookContext, data: any) {
+export function getDispatcher (emit: string, socketMap: WeakMap<RealTimeConnection, any>, socketKey?: any) {
+  return function (event: string, channel: CombinedChannel, context: HookContext, data?: any) {
     debug(`Dispatching '${event}' to ${channel.length} connections`);
 
     channel.connections.forEach(connection => {
       // The reference between connection and socket is set in `app.setup`
-      const socket = socketMap.get(connection);
+      const socket = socketKey ? connection[socketKey] : socketMap.get(connection);
 
       if (socket) {
         const eventName = `${context.path || ''} ${event}`.trim();
diff --git a/packages/transport-commons/test/socket/utils.test.ts b/packages/transport-commons/test/socket/utils.test.ts
index b7bba8faba..b2bc57d3aa 100644
--- a/packages/transport-commons/test/socket/utils.test.ts
+++ b/packages/transport-commons/test/socket/utils.test.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,28 @@ describe('socket commons utils', () => {
       assert.strictEqual(typeof getDispatcher('test', new WeakMap()), 'function')
     );
 
+    it('works with backwards compatible socketKey', done => {
+      const socketKey = Symbol('@feathersjs/test');
+      const dispatcher = getDispatcher('emit', undefined, socketKey);
+      const socket = new EventEmitter();
+      const connection = {
+        [socketKey]: socket
+      };
+      const channel: any = {
+        connections: [ connection ],
+        dataFor (): null {
+          return null;
+        }
+      };
+
+      socket.once('testing', data => {
+        assert.strictEqual(data, 'hi');
+        done();
+      });
+
+      dispatcher('testing', channel, { result: 'hi' } as any);
+    });
+
     describe('dispatcher logic', () => {
       let dispatcher: any;
       let dummySocket: EventEmitter;