diff --git a/lib/kube/proxy/streamproto/proto.go b/lib/kube/proxy/streamproto/proto.go
index eeac7205b18..34a7c5c1317 100644
--- a/lib/kube/proxy/streamproto/proto.go
+++ b/lib/kube/proxy/streamproto/proto.go
@@ -215,12 +215,11 @@ func (s *SessionStream) Write(data []byte) (int, error) {
 	defer s.writeSync.Unlock()
 
 	err := s.conn.WriteMessage(websocket.BinaryMessage, data)
-
 	if err != nil {
-		return len(data), s.conn.WriteMessage(websocket.BinaryMessage, data)
+		return 0, trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
-	return 0, trace.Wrap(err)
+	return len(data), nil
 }
 
 // Resize sends a resize request to the other party.
diff --git a/lib/kube/proxy/streamproto/proto_test.go b/lib/kube/proxy/streamproto/proto_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..72231a07023
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/kube/proxy/streamproto/proto_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2022 Gravitational, Inc.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package streamproto
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
+	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/api/types"
+	"github.com/gravitational/trace"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+var upgrader = websocket.Upgrader{}
+
+func TestPingPong(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	runClient := func(conn *websocket.Conn) error {
+		client, err := NewSessionStream(conn, ClientHandshake{Mode: types.SessionPeerMode})
+		if err != nil {
+			return trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+
+		n, err := client.Write([]byte("ping"))
+		if err != nil {
+			return trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		if n != 4 {
+			return trace.Errorf("unexpected write size: %d", n)
+		}
+
+		out := make([]byte, 4)
+		_, err = io.ReadFull(client, out)
+		if err != nil {
+			return trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		if string(out) != "pong" {
+			return trace.BadParameter("expected pong, got %q", out)
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	runServer := func(conn *websocket.Conn) error {
+		server, err := NewSessionStream(conn, ServerHandshake{MFARequired: false})
+		if err != nil {
+			return trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+
+		out := make([]byte, 4)
+		_, err = io.ReadFull(server, out)
+		if err != nil {
+			return trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		if string(out) != "ping" {
+			return trace.BadParameter("expected ping, got %q", out)
+		}
+
+		n, err := server.Write([]byte("pong"))
+		if err != nil {
+			return trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		if n != 4 {
+			return trace.Errorf("unexpected write size: %d", n)
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	errCh := make(chan error, 2)
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		ws, err := upgrader.Upgrade(w, r, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		}
+
+		defer ws.WriteControl(websocket.CloseMessage, websocket.FormatCloseMessage(websocket.CloseNormalClosure, ""), time.Time{})
+		errCh <- runServer(ws)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	url := "ws" + strings.TrimPrefix(server.URL, "http")
+	ws, _, err := websocket.DefaultDialer.Dial(url, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	go func() {
+		defer ws.Close()
+		errCh <- runClient(ws)
+	}()
+
+	require.NoError(t, <-errCh)
+	require.NoError(t, <-errCh)
+}