diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
index a7e581ce..c326982d 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ namespace ix
     WebSocket::WebSocket() :
         _onMessageCallback(OnMessageCallback()),
         _stop(false),
-        _backgroundThreadRunning(false),
         _automaticReconnection(true),
         _handshakeTimeoutSecs(kDefaultHandShakeTimeoutSecs),
         _enablePong(kDefaultEnablePong),
@@ -136,7 +135,6 @@ namespace ix
     {
         if (_thread.joinable()) return; // we've already been started
 
-        _backgroundThreadRunning = true;
         _thread = std::thread(&WebSocket::run, this);
     }
 
@@ -157,7 +155,6 @@ namespace ix
 
         _stop = true;
         _thread.join();
-        _backgroundThreadRunning = false;
         _stop = false;
 
         _automaticReconnection = automaticReconnection;