diff --git a/packages/metro-inspector-proxy/src/Device.js b/packages/metro-inspector-proxy/src/Device.js
index cffa4f345d..a15856cdfe 100644
--- a/packages/metro-inspector-proxy/src/Device.js
+++ b/packages/metro-inspector-proxy/src/Device.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ const REACT_NATIVE_RELOADABLE_PAGE_ID = '-1';
  */
 class Device {
   // ID of the device.
-  _id: number;
+  _id: string;
 
   // Name of the device.
   _name: string;
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class Device {
   _projectRoot: string;
 
   constructor(
-    id: number,
+    id: string,
     name: string,
     app: string,
     socket: typeof WS,
@@ -134,6 +134,10 @@ class Device {
     return this._name;
   }
 
+  getApp(): string {
+    return this._app;
+  }
+
   getPagesList(): Array<Page> {
     if (this._lastConnectedReactNativePage) {
       const reactNativeReloadablePage = {
@@ -212,6 +216,37 @@ class Device {
     };
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Handles cleaning up a duplicate device connection, by client-side device ID.
+   * 1. Checks if the same device is attempting to reconnect for the same app.
+   * 2. If not, close both the device and debugger socket.
+   * 3. If the debugger connection can be reused, close the device socket only.
+   *
+   * This allows users to reload the app, either as result of a crash, or manually
+   * reloading, without having to restart the debugger.
+   */
+  handleDuplicateDeviceConnection(newDevice: Device) {
+    if (
+      this._app !== newDevice.getApp() ||
+      this._name !== newDevice.getName()
+    ) {
+      this._deviceSocket.close();
+      this._debuggerConnection?.socket.close();
+    }
+
+    const oldDebugger = this._debuggerConnection;
+    this._debuggerConnection = null;
+
+    if (oldDebugger) {
+      oldDebugger.socket.removeAllListeners();
+      this._deviceSocket.close();
+      newDevice.handleDebuggerConnection(
+        oldDebugger.socket,
+        oldDebugger.pageId,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
   // Handles messages received from device:
   // 1. For getPages responses updates local _pages list.
   // 2. All other messages are forwarded to debugger as wrappedEvent.
diff --git a/packages/metro-inspector-proxy/src/InspectorProxy.js b/packages/metro-inspector-proxy/src/InspectorProxy.js
index 96d4f0b19c..d9ee0ce18e 100644
--- a/packages/metro-inspector-proxy/src/InspectorProxy.js
+++ b/packages/metro-inspector-proxy/src/InspectorProxy.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class InspectorProxy {
   _projectRoot: string;
 
   // Maps device ID to Device instance.
-  _devices: Map<number, Device>;
+  _devices: Map<string, Device>;
 
   // Internal counter for device IDs -- just gets incremented for each new device.
   _deviceCounter: number = 0;
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class InspectorProxy {
   // Converts page information received from device into PageDescription object
   // that is sent to debugger.
   _buildPageDescription(
-    deviceId: number,
+    deviceId: string,
     device: Device,
     page: Page,
   ): PageDescription {
@@ -162,16 +162,31 @@ class InspectorProxy {
     // $FlowFixMe[value-as-type]
     wss.on('connection', async (socket: WS, req) => {
       try {
+        const fallbackDeviceId = String(this._deviceCounter++);
+
         const query = url.parse(req.url || '', true).query || {};
+        const deviceId = query.device || fallbackDeviceId;
         const deviceName = query.name || 'Unknown';
         const appName = query.app || 'Unknown';
-        const deviceId = this._deviceCounter++;
-        this._devices.set(
+
+        const oldDevice = this._devices.get(deviceId);
+        const newDevice = new Device(
           deviceId,
-          new Device(deviceId, deviceName, appName, socket, this._projectRoot),
+          deviceName,
+          appName,
+          socket,
+          this._projectRoot,
         );
 
-        debug(`Got new connection: device=${deviceName}, app=${appName}`);
+        if (oldDevice) {
+          oldDevice.handleDuplicateDeviceConnection(newDevice);
+        }
+
+        this._devices.set(deviceId, newDevice);
+
+        debug(
+          `Got new connection: name=${deviceName}, app=${appName}, device=${deviceId}`,
+        );
 
         socket.on('close', () => {
           this._devices.delete(deviceId);
@@ -206,7 +221,7 @@ class InspectorProxy {
           throw new Error('Incorrect URL - must provide device and page IDs');
         }
 
-        const device = this._devices.get(parseInt(deviceId, 10));
+        const device = this._devices.get(deviceId);
         if (device == null) {
           throw new Error('Unknown device with ID ' + deviceId);
         }