diff --git a/app/soapbox/actions/streaming.ts b/app/soapbox/actions/streaming.ts
index 8173752cf..1d71d8d98 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/actions/streaming.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/actions/streaming.ts
@@ -193,9 +193,6 @@ const connectTimelineStream = (
 const connectHashtagStream   = (id: string, tag: string, accept: (status: APIEntity) => boolean) =>
   connectTimelineStream(`hashtag:${id}`, `hashtag&tag=${tag}`, null, accept);
 
-const connectDirectStream    = () =>
-  connectTimelineStream('direct', 'direct');
-
 const connectListStream      = (id: string) =>
   connectTimelineStream(`list:${id}`, `list&list=${id}`);
 
@@ -207,7 +204,6 @@ export {
   STREAMING_FOLLOW_RELATIONSHIPS_UPDATE,
   connectTimelineStream,
   connectHashtagStream,
-  connectDirectStream,
   connectListStream,
   connectGroupStream,
   type TimelineStreamOpts,
diff --git a/app/soapbox/api/hooks/index.ts b/app/soapbox/api/hooks/index.ts
index 9569318a7..214607f6d 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/api/hooks/index.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/api/hooks/index.ts
@@ -48,5 +48,6 @@ export { useUpdateGroupTag } from './groups/useUpdateGroupTag';
 export { useUserStream } from './streaming/useUserStream';
 export { useCommunityStream } from './streaming/useCommunityStream';
 export { usePublicStream } from './streaming/usePublicStream';
+export { useDirectStream } from './streaming/useDirectStream';
 export { useRemoteStream } from './streaming/useRemoteStream';
 export { useNostrStream } from './streaming/useNostrStream';
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/soapbox/api/hooks/streaming/useDirectStream.ts b/app/soapbox/api/hooks/streaming/useDirectStream.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e97fc8860
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/soapbox/api/hooks/streaming/useDirectStream.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { useTimelineStream } from './useTimelineStream';
+
+function useDirectStream() {
+  return useTimelineStream('direct', 'direct');
+}
+
+export { useDirectStream };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/conversations/index.tsx b/app/soapbox/features/conversations/index.tsx
index 12b418eb0..1f6774ab9 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/conversations/index.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/conversations/index.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { defineMessages, useIntl } from 'react-intl';
 
 import { directComposeById } from 'soapbox/actions/compose';
 import { mountConversations, unmountConversations, expandConversations } from 'soapbox/actions/conversations';
-import { connectDirectStream } from 'soapbox/actions/streaming';
+import { useDirectStream } from 'soapbox/api/hooks';
 import AccountSearch from 'soapbox/components/account-search';
 import { Column } from 'soapbox/components/ui';
 import { useAppDispatch } from 'soapbox/hooks';
@@ -19,15 +19,14 @@ const ConversationsTimeline = () => {
   const intl = useIntl();
   const dispatch = useAppDispatch();
 
+  useDirectStream();
+
   useEffect(() => {
     dispatch(mountConversations());
     dispatch(expandConversations());
 
-    const disconnect = dispatch(connectDirectStream());
-
     return () => {
       dispatch(unmountConversations());
-      disconnect();
     };
   }, []);
 
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/direct-timeline/index.tsx b/app/soapbox/features/direct-timeline/index.tsx
index eee31a829..ba8ba1cb0 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/direct-timeline/index.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/direct-timeline/index.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
 import { defineMessages, FormattedMessage, useIntl } from 'react-intl';
 
 import { directComposeById } from 'soapbox/actions/compose';
-import { connectDirectStream } from 'soapbox/actions/streaming';
 import { expandDirectTimeline } from 'soapbox/actions/timelines';
+import { useDirectStream } from 'soapbox/api/hooks';
 import AccountSearch from 'soapbox/components/account-search';
 import { Column } from 'soapbox/components/ui';
 import { useAppSelector, useAppDispatch } from 'soapbox/hooks';
@@ -20,13 +20,10 @@ const DirectTimeline = () => {
   const dispatch = useAppDispatch();
   const next = useAppSelector(state => state.timelines.get('direct')?.next);
 
+  useDirectStream();
+
   useEffect(() => {
     dispatch(expandDirectTimeline());
-    const disconnect = dispatch(connectDirectStream());
-
-    return (() => {
-      disconnect();
-    });
   }, []);
 
   const handleSuggestion = (accountId: string) => {