diff --git a/socketIO_client/__init__.py b/socketIO_client/__init__.py
index 6ad6c0e..d00b655 100644
--- a/socketIO_client/__init__.py
+++ b/socketIO_client/__init__.py
@@ -30,21 +30,20 @@ class EngineIO(LoggingMixin):
         self._http_session = prepare_http_session(kw)
         self._log_name = self._url
         self._wants_to_close = False
-        self._connected = False
+        self.connected = False
         if Namespace:
             self.define(Namespace)
-        # self._transport
 
     # Connect
 
     @property
     def _transport(self):
-        if self._connected:
+        if self.connected:
             return self._transport_instance
         self._engineIO_session = self._get_engineIO_session()
         self._transport_instance = self._negotiate_transport()
         self._connect_namespaces()
-        self._connected = True
+        self.connected = True
         self._reset_heartbeat()
         return self._transport_instance
 
@@ -134,11 +133,11 @@ class EngineIO(LoggingMixin):
 
     def _close(self):
         self._wants_to_close = True
-        if not self._connected:
+        if not self.connected:
             return
         engineIO_packet_type = 1
         self._transport.send_packet(engineIO_packet_type, '')
-        self._connected = False
+        self.connected = False
 
     def _ping(self, engineIO_packet_data=''):
         engineIO_packet_type = 2
@@ -315,7 +314,7 @@ class SocketIO(EngineIO):
         self._message(str(socketIO_packet_type) + socketIO_packet_data)
 
     def disconnect(self, path=''):
-        if not self._connected:
+        if not self.connected:
             return
         if path:
             socketIO_packet_type = 1
diff --git a/socketIO_client/tests/__init__.py b/socketIO_client/tests/__init__.py
index d0e7e8f..135215d 100644
--- a/socketIO_client/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/socketIO_client/tests/__init__.py
@@ -24,13 +24,14 @@ class BaseMixin(object):
 
     def test_disconnect(self):
         'Disconnect'
-        self.socketIO.define(LoggingNamespace)
+        self.socketIO.emit('whee')
         self.assertTrue(self.socketIO.connected)
         self.socketIO.disconnect()
         self.assertFalse(self.socketIO.connected)
         # Use context manager
         with SocketIO(HOST, PORT, Namespace) as self.socketIO:
             namespace = self.socketIO.get_namespace()
+            namespace.emit('whee')
             self.assertFalse(namespace.called_on_disconnect)
             self.assertTrue(self.socketIO.connected)
         self.assertTrue(namespace.called_on_disconnect)
@@ -65,14 +66,12 @@ class BaseMixin(object):
 
     def test_emit_with_callback(self):
         'Emit with callback'
-        self.socketIO.define(LoggingNamespace)
         self.socketIO.emit('emit_with_callback', self.on_response)
         self.socketIO.wait_for_callbacks(seconds=self.wait_time_in_seconds)
         self.assertTrue(self.called_on_response)
 
     def test_emit_with_callback_with_payload(self):
         'Emit with callback with payload'
-        self.socketIO.define(LoggingNamespace)
         self.socketIO.emit(
             'emit_with_callback_with_payload', self.on_response)
         self.socketIO.wait_for_callbacks(seconds=self.wait_time_in_seconds)
@@ -80,7 +79,6 @@ class BaseMixin(object):
 
     def test_emit_with_callback_with_multiple_payloads(self):
         'Emit with callback with multiple payloads'
-        self.socketIO.define(LoggingNamespace)
         self.socketIO.emit(
             'emit_with_callback_with_multiple_payloads', self.on_response)
         self.socketIO.wait_for_callbacks(seconds=self.wait_time_in_seconds)
@@ -162,7 +160,8 @@ class Test_XHR_PollingTransport(BaseMixin, TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         super(Test_XHR_PollingTransport, self).setUp()
-        self.socketIO = SocketIO(HOST, PORT, transports=['xhr-polling'])
+        self.socketIO = SocketIO(HOST, PORT, LoggingNamespace, transports=[
+            'xhr-polling'])
         self.wait_time_in_seconds = 1