diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/DevServerHelper.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/DevServerHelper.java
index ded3ba9ec..45363bb5f 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/DevServerHelper.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/DevServerHelper.java
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ import okhttp3.OkHttpClient;
 import okhttp3.Request;
 import okhttp3.Response;
 import okhttp3.ResponseBody;
-import okhttp3.ws.WebSocket;
 import okio.Okio;
 import okio.Sink;
 
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ public class DevServerHelper {
   public interface PackagerCommandListener {
     void onPackagerReloadCommand();
     void onCaptureHeapCommand();
-    void onPokeSamplingProfilerCommand(@Nullable final WebSocket webSocket);
+    void onPokeSamplingProfilerCommand(@Nullable final JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender webSocket);
   }
 
   public interface PackagerStatusCallback {
@@ -125,7 +124,10 @@ public class DevServerHelper {
         mPackagerConnection = new JSPackagerWebSocketClient(getPackagerConnectionURL(),
           new JSPackagerWebSocketClient.JSPackagerCallback() {
             @Override
-            public void onMessage(@Nullable WebSocket webSocket, String target, String action) {
+            public void onMessage(
+                @Nullable JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender webSocket,
+                String target,
+                String action) {
               if (commandListener != null && "bridge".equals(target)) {
                 if ("reload".equals(action)) {
                   commandListener.onPackagerReloadCommand();
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/DevSupportManagerImpl.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/DevSupportManagerImpl.java
index 40adde916..6097bb351 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/DevSupportManagerImpl.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/DevSupportManagerImpl.java
@@ -689,7 +689,8 @@ public class DevSupportManagerImpl implements
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void onPokeSamplingProfilerCommand(@Nullable final WebSocket webSocket) {
+  public void onPokeSamplingProfilerCommand(
+      @Nullable final JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender webSocket) {
     UiThreadUtil.runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
       @Override
       public void run() {
@@ -704,7 +705,8 @@ public class DevSupportManagerImpl implements
       JSCHeapUpload.captureCallback(mDevServerHelper.getHeapCaptureUploadUrl()));
   }
 
-  private void handlePokeSamplingProfiler(@Nullable WebSocket webSocket) {
+  private void handlePokeSamplingProfiler(
+      @Nullable JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender webSocket) {
     try {
       List<String> pokeResults = JSCSamplingProfiler.poke(60000);
       for (String result : pokeResults) {
@@ -716,7 +718,12 @@ public class DevSupportManagerImpl implements
           Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
         if (webSocket != null) {
           // WebSocket is provided, so there is a client waiting our response
-          webSocket.sendMessage(RequestBody.create(WebSocket.TEXT, result == null ? "" : result));
+          webSocket.sendMessage(
+            RequestBody.create(
+              WebSocket.TEXT,
+              result == null
+                ? "{\"target\":\"profiler\", \"action\":\"started\"}"
+                : result));
         } else if (result != null) {
           // The profile was not initiated by external client, so process the
           // profile if there is one in the result
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/JSPackagerWebSocketClient.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/JSPackagerWebSocketClient.java
index 97a7e5e4d..63764b790 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/JSPackagerWebSocketClient.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/JSPackagerWebSocketClient.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import com.facebook.common.logging.FLog;
 
 import okhttp3.OkHttpClient;
 import okhttp3.Request;
+import okhttp3.RequestBody;
 import okhttp3.Response;
 import okhttp3.ResponseBody;
 import okhttp3.ws.WebSocket;
@@ -42,8 +43,20 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClient implements WebSocketListener {
   private boolean mClosed = false;
   private boolean mSuppressConnectionErrors;
 
+  final public class WebSocketSender {
+    private WebSocket mWebSocket;
+
+    public WebSocketSender(WebSocket webSocket) {
+      mWebSocket = webSocket;
+    }
+
+    public void sendMessage(RequestBody requestBody) throws IOException {
+      mWebSocket.sendMessage(requestBody);
+    }
+  }
+
   public interface JSPackagerCallback {
-    void onMessage(@Nullable WebSocket webSocket, String target, String action);
+    void onMessage(@Nullable WebSocketSender webSocket, String target, String action);
   }
 
   private @Nullable WebSocket mWebSocket;
@@ -110,7 +123,10 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClient implements WebSocketListener {
 
   private void triggerMessageCallback(String target, String action) {
     if (mCallback != null) {
-      mCallback.onMessage(mWebSocket, target, action);
+      WebSocketSender webSocketSender = mWebSocket == null
+        ? null
+        : new WebSocketSender(mWebSocket);
+      mCallback.onMessage(webSocketSender, target, action);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/test/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest.java b/ReactAndroid/src/test/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest.java
index 4cb40ce72..f3d40e4a7 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/test/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/test/java/com/facebook/react/devsupport/JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest.java
@@ -34,7 +34,10 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest {
     final JSPackagerWebSocketClient client = new JSPackagerWebSocketClient("ws://not_needed", callback);
     client.onMessage(ResponseBody.create(WebSocket.TEXT,
       "{\"version\": 1, \"target\": \"targetValue\", \"action\": \"actionValue\"}"));
-    verify(callback).onMessage(any(WebSocket.class), eq("targetValue"), eq("actionValue"));
+    verify(callback).onMessage(
+        any(JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender.class),
+        eq("targetValue"),
+        eq("actionValue"));
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -44,7 +47,10 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest {
     final JSPackagerWebSocketClient client = new JSPackagerWebSocketClient("ws://not_needed", callback);
     client.onMessage(ResponseBody.create(WebSocket.BINARY,
       "{\"version\": 1, \"target\": \"targetValue\", \"action\": \"actionValue\"}"));
-    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(any(WebSocket.class), anyString(), anyString());
+    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(
+        any(JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender.class),
+        anyString(),
+        anyString());
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -54,7 +60,10 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest {
     final JSPackagerWebSocketClient client = new JSPackagerWebSocketClient("ws://not_needed", callback);
     client.onMessage(ResponseBody.create(WebSocket.TEXT,
       "{\"version\": 1, \"action\": \"actionValue\"}"));
-    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(any(WebSocket.class), anyString(), anyString());
+    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(
+        any(JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender.class),
+        anyString(),
+        anyString());
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -64,7 +73,10 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest {
     final JSPackagerWebSocketClient client = new JSPackagerWebSocketClient("ws://not_needed", callback);
     client.onMessage(ResponseBody.create(WebSocket.TEXT,
       "{\"version\": 1, \"target\": null, \"action\": \"actionValue\"}"));
-    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(any(WebSocket.class), anyString(), anyString());
+    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(
+        any(JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender.class),
+        anyString(),
+        anyString());
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -74,7 +86,10 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest {
     final JSPackagerWebSocketClient client = new JSPackagerWebSocketClient("ws://not_needed", callback);
     client.onMessage(ResponseBody.create(WebSocket.TEXT,
       "{\"version\": 1, \"target\": \"targetValue\"}"));
-    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(any(WebSocket.class), anyString(), anyString());
+    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(
+        any(JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender.class),
+        anyString(),
+        anyString());
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -84,7 +99,10 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest {
     final JSPackagerWebSocketClient client = new JSPackagerWebSocketClient("ws://not_needed", callback);
     client.onMessage(ResponseBody.create(WebSocket.TEXT,
       "{\"version\": 1, \"target\": \"targetValue\", \"action\": null}"));
-    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(any(WebSocket.class), anyString(), anyString());
+    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(
+        any(JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender.class),
+        anyString(),
+        anyString());
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -94,6 +112,9 @@ public class JSPackagerWebSocketClientTest {
     final JSPackagerWebSocketClient client = new JSPackagerWebSocketClient("ws://not_needed", callback);
     client.onMessage(ResponseBody.create(WebSocket.TEXT,
       "{\"version\": 2, \"target\": \"targetValue\", \"action\": \"actionValue\"}"));
-    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(any(WebSocket.class), anyString(), anyString());
+    verify(callback, never()).onMessage(
+        any(JSPackagerWebSocketClient.WebSocketSender.class),
+        anyString(),
+        anyString());
   }
 }