diff --git a/assets/providers/ijulia_setup.js b/assets/providers/ijulia_setup.js
index fc8a48e4..7821ef2d 100644
--- a/assets/providers/ijulia_setup.js
+++ b/assets/providers/ijulia_setup.js
@@ -6,15 +6,23 @@
 
         // Register a "target" so that Julia can create a Comm
         // to communicate.
-        commManager.register_target("webio_comm",
-            function (comm) {
-                WebIO.triggerConnected();
-                WebIO.sendCallback = function (msg) { comm.send(msg); }
-                comm.on_msg(function (msg) {
-                    WebIO.dispatch(msg.content.data);
-                });
-            }
-        );
+        commManager.register_target("webio_comm", function (comm) { })
+
+        // Create a comm -- this will be receprocated by Julia, and will trigger the
+        // method IJulia.CommManager.register_comm(Comm{:webio_comm}, x) which will
+        // set up forwarding of messages
+        var comm = commManager.new_comm("webio_comm", {})
+
+        // Set how WebIO communicates with Julia
+        WebIO.sendCallback = function (msg) { comm.send(msg) }
+
+        // dispatch messages from Julia to WebIO
+        comm.on_msg(function (msg) {
+            WebIO.dispatch(msg.content.data)
+        });
+
+        // Get existing Scopes ready
+        WebIO.triggerConnected()
     }
 
     $(document).ready(function() {
diff --git a/src/providers/ijulia.jl b/src/providers/ijulia.jl
index cfc4d7c4..f2f3d805 100644
--- a/src/providers/ijulia.jl
+++ b/src/providers/ijulia.jl
@@ -13,6 +13,14 @@ Base.isopen(c::IJuliaConnection) = haskey(IJulia.CommManager.comms, c.comm.id)
 
 WebIO.register_renderable(T::Type, ::Val{:ijulia}) = nothing
 
+function IJulia.CommManager.register_comm(comm::IJulia.CommManager.Comm{:webio_comm}, x)
+    conn = IJuliaConnection(comm)
+    comm.on_msg = function (msg)
+        data = msg.content["data"]
+        WebIO.dispatch(conn, data)
+    end
+end
+
 function main()
     if !IJulia.inited
         # If IJulia has not been initialized and connected to Jupyter itself,
@@ -48,14 +56,6 @@ function main()
         \$('.js-collapse-script').parent('.output_subarea').css('padding', '0');
       </script>
     """))
-
-    comm = IJulia.CommManager.Comm(:webio_comm)
-    conn = IJuliaConnection(comm)
-    comm.on_msg = function (msg)
-        data = msg.content["data"]
-        WebIO.dispatch(conn, data)
-    end
-    nothing
 end
 
 WebIO.setup_provider(::Val{:ijulia}) = main() # calling setup_provider(Val(:ijulia)) will display the setup javascript