diff --git a/Emby.Server.Implementations/HttpServer/WebSocketConnection.cs b/Emby.Server.Implementations/HttpServer/WebSocketConnection.cs
index e9bf3b93a7..dc7f972c13 100644
--- a/Emby.Server.Implementations/HttpServer/WebSocketConnection.cs
+++ b/Emby.Server.Implementations/HttpServer/WebSocketConnection.cs
@@ -127,8 +127,12 @@ namespace Emby.Server.Implementations.HttpServer
                 {
                     receiveResult = await _socket.ReceiveAsync(memory, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 }
-                catch (WebSocketException ex)
+                catch (Exception ex) when (ex is WebSocketException or ObjectDisposedException or OperationCanceledException)
                 {
+                    // ObjectDisposedException/OperationCanceledException: the socket was torn
+                    // down underneath us (e.g. by the keep-alive watchdog after the connection
+                    // was declared lost). Fall through so Closed is still raised and the
+                    // session can release this connection.
                     _logger.LogWarning("WS {IP} error receiving data: {Message}", RemoteEndPoint, ex.Message);
                     break;
                 }
diff --git a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Session/SessionWebSocketListener.cs b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Session/SessionWebSocketListener.cs
index 6a26e92e14..2582ed9df0 100644
--- a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Session/SessionWebSocketListener.cs
+++ b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Session/SessionWebSocketListener.cs
@@ -246,8 +246,21 @@ namespace Emby.Server.Implementations.Session
                     _logger.LogInformation("Lost {0} WebSockets.", lost.Count);
                     foreach (var webSocket in lost)
                     {
-                        // TODO: handle session relative to the lost webSocket
                         RemoveWebSocket(webSocket);
+
+                        // The connection stopped answering keep-alives, so a close frame will
+                        // never arrive and the pending receive loop would hang forever, keeping
+                        // the session (and e.g. its SyncPlay group membership) alive. Disposing
+                        // the connection aborts the receive loop, which raises Closed and lets
+                        // the session end normally.
+                        try
+                        {
+                            webSocket.Dispose();
+                        }
+                        catch (Exception exception)
+                        {
+                            _logger.LogWarning(exception, "Error disposing lost WebSocket from {RemoteEndPoint}.", webSocket.RemoteEndPoint);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/tests/Jellyfin.Server.Integration.Tests/SyncPlayLostWebSocketTests.cs b/tests/Jellyfin.Server.Integration.Tests/SyncPlayLostWebSocketTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa15b33af6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Jellyfin.Server.Integration.Tests/SyncPlayLostWebSocketTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Net;
+using System.Net.Http;
+using System.Net.Http.Json;
+using System.Net.WebSockets;
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Text.Json;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Emby.Server.Implementations.Session;
+using Jellyfin.Api.Models.SyncPlayDtos;
+using Jellyfin.Extensions.Json;
+using MediaBrowser.Controller.Net;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Jellyfin.Server.Integration.Tests;
+
+public sealed class SyncPlayLostWebSocketTests : IClassFixture<JellyfinApplicationFactory>
+{
+    private readonly JellyfinApplicationFactory _factory;
+
+    public SyncPlayLostWebSocketTests(JellyfinApplicationFactory factory)
+    {
+        _factory = factory;
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task LostWebSocket_EndsSession_And_RemovesEmptySyncPlayGroup()
+    {
+        var cancellationToken = TestContext.Current.CancellationToken;
+        var client = _factory.CreateClient();
+        var accessToken = await AuthHelper.CompleteStartupAsync(client);
+        client.DefaultRequestHeaders.AddAuthHeader(accessToken);
+
+        var wsClient = _factory.Server.CreateWebSocketClient();
+        wsClient.ConfigureRequest = request =>
+            request.Headers.Authorization = AuthHelper.DummyAuthHeader + $", Token={accessToken}";
+
+        var webSocket = await wsClient.ConnectAsync(
+            new UriBuilder(_factory.Server.BaseAddress)
+            {
+                Scheme = "ws",
+                Path = "websocket"
+            }.Uri,
+            cancellationToken);
+
+        _ = DrainAsync(webSocket, cancellationToken);
+
+        var watched = await WaitForWatchedWebSocketsAsync(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10), cancellationToken);
+        var connection = Assert.Single(watched);
+
+        using var createResponse = await client.PostAsync(
+            "SyncPlay/New",
+            JsonContent.Create(new NewGroupRequestDto { GroupName = "ZombieGroupRepro" }, options: JsonDefaults.Options),
+            cancellationToken);
+        Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.OK, createResponse.StatusCode);
+        Assert.Equal(1, await WaitForGroupCountAsync(client, 1, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10), cancellationToken));
+
+        connection.LastKeepAliveDate = DateTime.UtcNow - TimeSpan.FromSeconds(180);
+
+        var groupCount = await WaitForGroupCountAsync(client, 0, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(45), cancellationToken);
+        Assert.True(
+            groupCount == 0,
+            $"SyncPlay group still listed {groupCount} group(s) after the WebSocket was lost: "
+            + "the keep-alive watchdog removed the socket from its watchlist without closing "
+            + "the session, leaving a zombie participant in the group (SessionWebSocketListener).");
+    }
+
+    private static async Task DrainAsync(WebSocket webSocket, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        var buffer = new byte[4096];
+        try
+        {
+            while (webSocket.State == WebSocketState.Open)
+            {
+                await webSocket.ReceiveAsync(buffer, cancellationToken);
+            }
+        }
+        catch
+        {
+            // The server tears the connection down once the watchdog gives up on it.
+        }
+    }
+
+    private async Task<IReadOnlyList<IWebSocketConnection>> WaitForWatchedWebSocketsAsync(TimeSpan timeout, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        var listener = _factory.Services.GetRequiredService<IEnumerable<IWebSocketListener>>()
+            .OfType<SessionWebSocketListener>()
+            .Single();
+        var watchlistField = typeof(SessionWebSocketListener)
+            .GetField("_webSockets", BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance);
+        Assert.NotNull(watchlistField);
+        var watchlist = (IEnumerable<IWebSocketConnection>)watchlistField.GetValue(listener)!;
+
+        var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
+        while (true)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var snapshot = watchlist.ToArray();
+                if (snapshot.Length > 0 || stopwatch.Elapsed >= timeout)
+                {
+                    return snapshot;
+                }
+            }
+            catch (InvalidOperationException)
+            {
+                // The watchdog mutated the set during enumeration; retry.
+            }
+
+            await Task.Delay(100, cancellationToken);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static async Task<int> WaitForGroupCountAsync(HttpClient client, int expected, TimeSpan timeout, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
+        var count = -1;
+        while (stopwatch.Elapsed < timeout)
+        {
+            using var response = await client.GetAsync("SyncPlay/List", cancellationToken);
+            response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
+            await using var stream = await response.Content.ReadAsStreamAsync(cancellationToken);
+            using var document = await JsonDocument.ParseAsync(stream, cancellationToken: cancellationToken);
+            count = document.RootElement.GetArrayLength();
+            if (count == expected)
+            {
+                return count;
+            }
+
+            await Task.Delay(500, cancellationToken);
+        }
+
+        return count;
+    }
+}