diff --git a/environment/docker/stream.go b/environment/docker/stream.go
index 216018e..029fcce 100644
--- a/environment/docker/stream.go
+++ b/environment/docker/stream.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ type dockerLogLine struct {
 	Log string `json:"log"`
 }
 
+var ErrNotAttached = errors.New("not attached to instance")
+
 func (e *Environment) setStream(s *types.HijackedResponse) {
 	e.mu.Lock()
 	e.stream = s
@@ -24,13 +26,13 @@ func (e *Environment) setStream(s *types.HijackedResponse) {
 // Sends the specified command to the stdin of the running container instance. There is no
 // confirmation that this data is sent successfully, only that it gets pushed into the stdin.
 func (e *Environment) SendCommand(c string) error {
+	if !e.IsAttached() {
+		return ErrNotAttached
+	}
+
 	e.mu.RLock()
 	defer e.mu.RUnlock()
 
-	if !e.IsAttached() {
-		return errors.New("attempting to send command to non-attached instance")
-	}
-
 	if e.meta.Stop != nil {
 		// If the command being processed is the same as the process stop command then we want to mark
 		// the server as entering the stopping state otherwise the process will stop and Wings will think
diff --git a/router/websocket/websocket.go b/router/websocket/websocket.go
index fad208b..8d947a3 100644
--- a/router/websocket/websocket.go
+++ b/router/websocket/websocket.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/pterodactyl/wings/config"
 	"github.com/pterodactyl/wings/environment"
+	"github.com/pterodactyl/wings/environment/docker"
 	"github.com/pterodactyl/wings/router/tokens"
 	"github.com/pterodactyl/wings/server"
 	"net/http"
@@ -371,6 +372,18 @@ func (h *Handler) HandleInbound(m Message) error {
 				return nil
 			}
 
+			// TODO(dane): should probably add a new process state that is "booting environment" or something
+			//  so that we can better handle this and only set the environment to booted once we're attached.
+			//
+			//  Or maybe just an IsBooted function?
+			if h.server.GetState() == environment.ProcessStartingState {
+				if e, ok := h.server.Environment.(*docker.Environment); ok {
+					if !e.IsAttached() {
+						return nil
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
 			return h.server.Environment.SendCommand(strings.Join(m.Args, ""))
 		}
 	}