Prevent duplicate socket reconnects caused by accumulated token refresh listeners

[MiniduOshan]

I can Fix This..Please assign me

Describe the bug

MessageContext registers token refresh listeners whenever a new socket instance is created, but the listeners are never removed during cleanup or component unmount.

After multiple login/logout cycles or repeated remounts, multiple listeners remain active. As a result, a single token refresh event can trigger multiple socket reconnects and duplicate event handling.

Affected file:

• frontend/src/app/MessageContext.tsx

To Reproduce

1. Start the frontend and backend servers
2. Log in to the application
3. Navigate between pages or trigger socket reconnects
4. Log out and log in again multiple times
5. Trigger a token refresh event (or wait for automatic token refresh)
6. Observe multiple reconnect attempts or duplicated socket events

Expected behavior

Only one token refresh listener should exist for the active socket lifecycle.

A token refresh event should:

• trigger a single reconnect attempt
• Avoid duplicate socket event handling
• properly clean up listeners during unmount/logout

Actual behaviour

Listeners accumulate over time because cleanup does not unregister them.

This can lead to:

• duplicate reconnect attempts
• stale socket instances
• repeated message/event handling
• increased memory usage

Possible Fix

• Remove token refresh listeners during cleanup/unmount
• Ensure listener registration happens only once per socket lifecycle
• Add unsubscribe handling for addTokenRefreshListener

Additional context

Relevant section:

• frontend/src/app/MessageContext.tsx

Potential impact becomes more visible after:

• repeated authentication changes
• hot reloads during development
• prolonged app sessions
• reconnect-heavy network conditions

Suggested labels

• bug
• frontend
• websocket
• performance

[sanudking]

Hi @ThePlator, I'd like to contribute to this! I'm familiar with Typescript and this seems like a good fit for my skill set. Please assign it to me — I'll post a plan before opening a PR.

[sanudking]

Hey! This looks like a great issue to work on. I'm a first-year CSE student at NIT Jalandhar participating in GSSoC 2026. I have knowledge in Typescript and would like to take this up. Can I get assigned? I'll submit a PR within a day or two. 🙏

[saurabhhhcodes]

I can take this with a narrow fix. Plan: inspect MessageContext token-refresh listener registration, make addTokenRefreshListener return/consume an unsubscribe cleanup for the active socket lifecycle, ensure logout/unmount removes the listener, and add a focused regression check if the repo has a practical test setup. I will keep the PR limited to the listener cleanup path.

[sanudking]

Hi @ThePlator, I'd like to contribute to this! I'm familiar with Typescript and this seems like a good fit for my skill set. Please assign it to me — I'll post a plan before opening a PR.

[sanudking]

Hello @ThePlator! I'd like to contribute to this issue. I'm a GSSoC 2026 contributor with skills in Typescript. Would you assign this to me? I'll keep you updated on progress.

[sanudking]

Hello @ThePlator! I'd like to contribute to this issue. I'm a GSSoC 2026 contributor with skills in Typescript. Would you assign this to me? I'll keep you updated on progress.

[vipul674]

I would like to work on this under GSSoC'26. Please assign it to me.