diff --git a/examples/websocket.py b/examples/websocket.py
index ecc14f8d..16cc4015 100644
--- a/examples/websocket.py
+++ b/examples/websocket.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ async def index(request):
     return await file('websocket.html')
 
 
-@app.ws('/feed')
+@app.websocket('/feed')
 async def feed(request, ws):
     while True:
         data = 'hello!'
diff --git a/sanic/app.py b/sanic/app.py
index b4f7fcb7..633fef17 100644
--- a/sanic/app.py
+++ b/sanic/app.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from sanic.server import serve, serve_multiple, HttpProtocol
 from sanic.static import register as static_register
 from sanic.testing import TestClient
 from sanic.views import CompositionView
-from sanic.ws import WebSocketProtocol, ConnectionClosed
+from sanic.websocket import WebSocketProtocol, ConnectionClosed
 
 
 class Sanic:
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class Sanic:
         self.sock = None
         self.listeners = defaultdict(list)
         self.is_running = False
-        self.needs_websocket = False
+        self.websocket_enabled = False
 
         # Register alternative method names
         self.go_fast = self.run
@@ -171,13 +171,13 @@ class Sanic:
         return handler
 
     # Decorator
-    def ws(self, uri, host=None):
+    def websocket(self, uri, host=None):
         """Decorate a function to be registered as a websocket route
         :param uri: path of the URL
         :param host:
         :return: decorated function
         """
-        self.needs_websocket = True
+        self.websocket_enabled = True
 
         # Fix case where the user did not prefix the URL with a /
         # and will probably get confused as to why it's not working
@@ -201,8 +201,17 @@ class Sanic:
 
         return response
 
-    def add_ws_route(self, handler, uri, host=None):
-        return self.ws(uri, host=host)(handler)
+    def add_websocket_route(self, handler, uri, host=None):
+        """A helper method to register a function as a websocket route."""
+        return self.websocket(uri, host=host)(handler)
+
+    def enable_websocket(self, enable=True):
+        """Enable or disable the support for websocket.
+
+        Websocket is enabled automatically if websocket routes are
+        added to the application.
+        """
+        self.websocket_enabled = enable
 
     def remove_route(self, uri, clean_cache=True, host=None):
         self.router.remove(uri, clean_cache, host)
@@ -501,8 +510,8 @@ class Sanic:
         :return: Nothing
         """
         if protocol is None:
-            protocol = WebSocketProtocol if self.needs_websocket \
-                else HttpProtocol
+            protocol = (WebSocketProtocol if self.websocket_enabled
+                        else HttpProtocol)
         server_settings = self._helper(
             host=host, port=port, debug=debug, before_start=before_start,
             after_start=after_start, before_stop=before_stop,
@@ -538,8 +547,8 @@ class Sanic:
               way to run a Sanic application.
         """
         if protocol is None:
-            protocol = WebSocketProtocol if self.needs_websocket \
-                else HttpProtocol
+            protocol = (WebSocketProtocol if self.websocket_enabled
+                        else HttpProtocol)
         server_settings = self._helper(
             host=host, port=port, debug=debug, before_start=before_start,
             after_start=after_start, before_stop=before_stop,
diff --git a/sanic/ws.py b/sanic/websocket.py
similarity index 68%
rename from sanic/ws.py
rename to sanic/websocket.py
index 8d0ddc70..3fc0a092 100644
--- a/sanic/ws.py
+++ b/sanic/websocket.py
@@ -1,18 +1,19 @@
+from sanic.exceptions import InvalidUsage
 from sanic.server import HttpProtocol
 from httptools import HttpParserUpgrade
-from websockets import handshake, WebSocketCommonProtocol
+from websockets import handshake, WebSocketCommonProtocol, InvalidHandshake
 from websockets import ConnectionClosed  # noqa
 
 
 class WebSocketProtocol(HttpProtocol):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
-        self.ws = None
+        self.websocket = None
 
     def data_received(self, data):
-        if self.ws is not None:
+        if self.websocket is not None:
             # pass the data to the websocket protocol
-            self.ws.data_received(data)
+            self.websocket.data_received(data)
         else:
             try:
                 super().data_received(data)
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ class WebSocketProtocol(HttpProtocol):
                 pass
 
     def write_response(self, response):
-        if self.ws is not None:
+        if self.websocket is not None:
             # websocket requests do not write a response
             self.transport.close()
         else:
@@ -37,8 +38,11 @@ class WebSocketProtocol(HttpProtocol):
         def set_header(k, v):
             headers.append((k, v))
 
-        key = handshake.check_request(get_header)
-        handshake.build_response(set_header, key)
+        try:
+            key = handshake.check_request(get_header)
+            handshake.build_response(set_header, key)
+        except InvalidHandshake:
+            raise InvalidUsage('Invalid websocket request')
 
         # write the 101 response back to the client
         rv = b'HTTP/1.1 101 Switching Protocols\r\n'
@@ -48,6 +52,6 @@ class WebSocketProtocol(HttpProtocol):
         request.transport.write(rv)
 
         # hook up the websocket protocol
-        self.ws = WebSocketCommonProtocol()
-        self.ws.connection_made(request.transport)
-        return self.ws
+        self.websocket = WebSocketCommonProtocol()
+        self.websocket.connection_made(request.transport)
+        return self.websocket
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 05276a43..33e4298f 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ python =
 deps =
     aiofiles
     aiohttp
+    websockets
     pytest
     beautifulsoup4
     coverage