diff --git a/.changeset/real-pants-lie.md b/.changeset/real-pants-lie.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c2422d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/real-pants-lie.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@livekit/react-components': minor
+'@livekit/react-core': minor
+---
+
+Breaking: useRoom().room could be undefined on first render! Fix auto-disconnect when LiveKitRoom component unmounts"
diff --git a/packages/components/src/LiveKitRoom.tsx b/packages/components/src/LiveKitRoom.tsx
index 98cb034..4f61e59 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/LiveKitRoom.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/LiveKitRoom.tsx
@@ -34,21 +34,22 @@ export const LiveKitRoom = ({
   const roomState = useRoom(roomOptions);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    roomState.connect(url, token, connectOptions).then((room) => {
-      if (!room) {
-        return;
-      }
-      if (onConnected && room.state === ConnectionState.Connected) {
-        onConnected(room);
-      }
-    });
-
+    if (roomState.room) {
+      roomState.connect(url, token, connectOptions).then((room) => {
+        if (!room) {
+          return;
+        }
+        if (onConnected && room.state === ConnectionState.Connected) {
+          onConnected(room);
+        }
+      });
+    }
     return () => {
-      if (roomState.connectionState !== ConnectionState.Disconnected) {
+      if (roomState.room?.state !== ConnectionState.Disconnected) {
         roomState.room?.disconnect();
       }
     };
-  }, []);
+  }, [roomState.room]);
 
   const selectedStageRenderer = stageRenderer ?? StageView;
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/hooks/useRoom.ts b/packages/core/src/hooks/useRoom.ts
index e981317..cfdc497 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/hooks/useRoom.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/hooks/useRoom.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   RoomConnectOptions,
   ConnectionState,
 } from 'livekit-client';
-import { useCallback, useState } from 'react';
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 
 export interface RoomState {
   connect: (url: string, token: string, options?: RoomConnectOptions) => Promise<Room | undefined>;
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export interface RoomState {
 }
 
 export function useRoom(roomOptions?: RoomOptions): RoomState {
-  const [room] = useState<Room>(new Room(roomOptions));
+  const [room, setRoom] = useState<Room | undefined>();
   const [isConnecting, setIsConnecting] = useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = useState<Error>();
   const [participants, setParticipants] = useState<Participant[]>([]);
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ export function useRoom(roomOptions?: RoomOptions): RoomState {
     ConnectionState.Disconnected,
   );
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setRoom(new Room(roomOptions));
+  }, []);
+
   const connectFn = useCallback(
     async (url: string, token: string, options?: RoomConnectOptions) => {
       setIsConnecting(true);
@@ -65,6 +69,11 @@ export function useRoom(roomOptions?: RoomOptions): RoomState {
           setConnectionState(state);
         };
 
+        if (!room) {
+          setError(new Error('room is not ready yet'));
+          return;
+        }
+
         room.once(RoomEvent.Disconnected, () => {
           room
             .off(RoomEvent.ParticipantConnected, onParticipantsChanged)
@@ -89,7 +98,7 @@ export function useRoom(roomOptions?: RoomOptions): RoomState {
           .on(RoomEvent.AudioPlaybackStatusChanged, onParticipantsChanged)
           .on(RoomEvent.ConnectionStateChanged, onConnectionStateChanged);
 
-        await room?.connect(url, token, options);
+        await room.connect(url, token, options);
         setIsConnecting(false);
         onSubscribedTrackChanged();
         setError(undefined);
@@ -105,13 +114,13 @@ export function useRoom(roomOptions?: RoomOptions): RoomState {
         return undefined;
       }
     },
-    [],
+    [room],
   );
 
   return {
     connect: connectFn,
     isConnecting,
-    room: room,
+    room,
     error,
     participants,
     audioTracks,