diff --git a/packages/ddp-client/common/livedata_connection.js b/packages/ddp-client/common/livedata_connection.js
index ce66379ac8..08bc3ebce0 100644
--- a/packages/ddp-client/common/livedata_connection.js
+++ b/packages/ddp-client/common/livedata_connection.js
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ class MongoIDMap extends IdMap {
 export class Connection {
   constructor(url, options) {
     var self = this;
-    options = {
+
+    this.options = options = {
       onConnected() {},
       onDDPVersionNegotiationFailure(description) {
         Meteor._debug(description);
@@ -247,58 +248,6 @@ export class Connection {
       });
     }
 
-    var onMessage = function(raw_msg) {
-      try {
-        var msg = DDPCommon.parseDDP(raw_msg);
-      } catch (e) {
-        Meteor._debug('Exception while parsing DDP', e);
-        return;
-      }
-
-      // Any message counts as receiving a pong, as it demonstrates that
-      // the server is still alive.
-      if (self._heartbeat) {
-        self._heartbeat.messageReceived();
-      }
-
-      if (msg === null || !msg.msg) {
-        // XXX COMPAT WITH 0.6.6. ignore the old welcome message for back
-        // compat.  Remove this 'if' once the server stops sending welcome
-        // messages (stream_server.js).
-        if (!(msg && msg.server_id))
-          Meteor._debug('discarding invalid livedata message', msg);
-        return;
-      }
-
-      if (msg.msg === 'connected') {
-        self._version = self._versionSuggestion;
-        self._livedata_connected(msg);
-        options.onConnected();
-      } else if (msg.msg === 'failed') {
-        if (_.contains(self._supportedDDPVersions, msg.version)) {
-          self._versionSuggestion = msg.version;
-          self._stream.reconnect({ _force: true });
-        } else {
-          var description =
-            'DDP version negotiation failed; server requested version ' +
-            msg.version;
-          self._stream.disconnect({ _permanent: true, _error: description });
-          options.onDDPVersionNegotiationFailure(description);
-        }
-      } else if (msg.msg === 'ping' && options.respondToPings) {
-        self._send({ msg: 'pong', id: msg.id });
-      } else if (msg.msg === 'pong') {
-        // noop, as we assume everything's a pong
-      } else if (
-        _.include(['added', 'changed', 'removed', 'ready', 'updated'], msg.msg)
-      )
-        self._livedata_data(msg);
-      else if (msg.msg === 'nosub') self._livedata_nosub(msg);
-      else if (msg.msg === 'result') self._livedata_result(msg);
-      else if (msg.msg === 'error') self._livedata_error(msg);
-      else Meteor._debug('discarding unknown livedata message type', msg);
-    };
-
     var onReset = function() {
       // Send a connect message at the beginning of the stream.
       // NOTE: reset is called even on the first connection, so this is
@@ -396,7 +345,7 @@ export class Connection {
     if (Meteor.isServer) {
       self._stream.on(
         'message',
-        Meteor.bindEnvironment(onMessage, 'handling DDP message')
+        Meteor.bindEnvironment(this.onMessage.bind(this), 'handling DDP message')
       );
       self._stream.on(
         'reset',
@@ -407,7 +356,7 @@ export class Connection {
         Meteor.bindEnvironment(onDisconnect, 'handling DDP disconnect')
       );
     } else {
-      self._stream.on('message', onMessage);
+      self._stream.on('message', this.onMessage.bind(this));
       self._stream.on('reset', onReset);
       self._stream.on('disconnect', onDisconnect);
     }
@@ -1697,4 +1646,56 @@ export class Connection {
       self._retryMigrate = null;
     }
   }
+
+  onMessage(raw_msg) {
+    try {
+      var msg = DDPCommon.parseDDP(raw_msg);
+    } catch (e) {
+      Meteor._debug('Exception while parsing DDP', e);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Any message counts as receiving a pong, as it demonstrates that
+    // the server is still alive.
+    if (this._heartbeat) {
+      this._heartbeat.messageReceived();
+    }
+
+    if (msg === null || !msg.msg) {
+      // XXX COMPAT WITH 0.6.6. ignore the old welcome message for back
+      // compat.  Remove this 'if' once the server stops sending welcome
+      // messages (stream_server.js).
+      if (!(msg && msg.server_id))
+        Meteor._debug('discarding invalid livedata message', msg);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (msg.msg === 'connected') {
+      this._version = this._versionSuggestion;
+      this._livedata_connected(msg);
+      this.options.onConnected();
+    } else if (msg.msg === 'failed') {
+      if (_.contains(this._supportedDDPVersions, msg.version)) {
+        this._versionSuggestion = msg.version;
+        this._stream.reconnect({ _force: true });
+      } else {
+        var description =
+          'DDP version negotiation failed; server requested version ' +
+          msg.version;
+        this._stream.disconnect({ _permanent: true, _error: description });
+        options.onDDPVersionNegotiationFailure(description);
+      }
+    } else if (msg.msg === 'ping' && this.options.respondToPings) {
+      this._send({ msg: 'pong', id: msg.id });
+    } else if (msg.msg === 'pong') {
+      // noop, as we assume everything's a pong
+    } else if (
+      _.include(['added', 'changed', 'removed', 'ready', 'updated'], msg.msg)
+    )
+      this._livedata_data(msg);
+    else if (msg.msg === 'nosub') this._livedata_nosub(msg);
+    else if (msg.msg === 'result') this._livedata_result(msg);
+    else if (msg.msg === 'error') this._livedata_error(msg);
+    else Meteor._debug('discarding unknown livedata message type', msg);
+  }
 }