diff --git a/ghost/admin/package.json b/ghost/admin/package.json
index e844220b902..50148adcb4f 100644
--- a/ghost/admin/package.json
+++ b/ghost/admin/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ghost-admin",
-  "version": "6.44.1-rc.0",
+  "version": "6.44.2-rc.0",
   "description": "Ember.js admin client for Ghost",
   "author": "Ghost Foundation",
   "homepage": "http://ghost.org",
diff --git a/ghost/core/core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.js b/ghost/core/core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.ts
similarity index 59%
rename from ghost/core/core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.js
rename to ghost/core/core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.ts
index 7b00df3d9c6..2c0681f63e6 100644
--- a/ghost/core/core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.js
+++ b/ghost/core/core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,44 @@
-const logging = require('@tryghost/logging');
-
-module.exports.connectAndSend = (socketAddress, message) => {
+import net from 'node:net';
+import logging from '@tryghost/logging';
+import type {JsonValue} from 'type-fest';
+
+type SocketAddress = Readonly<{
+    host: string;
+    port: number;
+}>;
+
+type ConnectOptions = Readonly<{
+    tries: number;
+}>;
+
+const getErrorCode = (err: unknown): undefined | string => (
+    err && typeof err === 'object' && 'code' in err && typeof err.code === 'string'
+        ? err.code
+        : undefined
+);
+
+const isValidPort = (port: unknown): port is number => (
+    typeof port === 'number' &&
+    Number.isInteger(port) &&
+    port >= 1 &&
+    port <= 65535
+);
+
+const hasSocketAddress = (socketAddress?: Partial<SocketAddress>): socketAddress is SocketAddress => (
+    typeof socketAddress?.host === 'string' && Boolean(socketAddress.host) &&
+    isValidPort(socketAddress.port)
+);
+
+export const connectAndSend = (socketAddress?: Partial<SocketAddress>, message?: JsonValue): Promise<void> => {
     // Very basic guard against bad calls
-    if (!socketAddress || !socketAddress.host || !socketAddress.port || !logging || !logging.info || !logging.warn || !message) {
+    if (!hasSocketAddress(socketAddress) || !logging || !logging.info || !logging.warn || message === undefined) {
         return Promise.resolve();
     }
 
-    const net = require('net');
     const client = new net.Socket();
 
-    return new Promise((resolve) => {
-        const connect = (options = {}) => {
+    return new Promise((resolve: () => void) => {
+        const connect = (options: ConnectOptions) => {
             let wasResolved = false;
 
             const waitTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
@@ -51,8 +79,8 @@ module.exports.connectAndSend = (socketAddress, message) => {
                 }
             });
 
-            client.on('error', (err) => {
-                logging.warn(`Can't connect to the bootstrap socket (${socketAddress.host} ${socketAddress.port}) ${err.code}.`);
+            client.on('error', (err: Error) => {
+                logging.warn(`Can't connect to the bootstrap socket (${socketAddress.host} ${socketAddress.port}) ${getErrorCode(err)}.`);
 
                 client.removeAllListeners();
 
@@ -66,10 +94,9 @@ module.exports.connectAndSend = (socketAddress, message) => {
                     // retry
                     logging.warn('Retrying...');
 
-                    options.tries = options.tries + 1;
                     const retryTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
                         clearTimeout(retryTimeout);
-                        connect(options);
+                        connect({tries: options.tries + 1});
                     }, 150);
                 } else {
                     if (wasResolved) {
diff --git a/ghost/core/package.json b/ghost/core/package.json
index 13b53c73aad..f73280e9f9c 100644
--- a/ghost/core/package.json
+++ b/ghost/core/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ghost",
-  "version": "6.44.1-rc.0",
+  "version": "6.44.2-rc.0",
   "description": "The professional publishing platform",
   "author": "Ghost Foundation",
   "homepage": "https://ghost.org",
diff --git a/ghost/core/test/unit/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.test.js b/ghost/core/test/unit/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.test.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 4831798212d..00000000000
--- a/ghost/core/test/unit/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.test.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-const bootstrapSocket = require('../../../../core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket');
-
-describe('Connect and send', function () {
-    it('Resolves a promise for a bad call', async function () {
-        await bootstrapSocket.connectAndSend();
-    });
-});
diff --git a/ghost/core/test/unit/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.test.ts b/ghost/core/test/unit/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0d99dfd194a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ghost/core/test/unit/server/lib/bootstrap-socket.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import {connectAndSend} from '../../../../core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket';
+
+describe('Connect and send', function () {
+    it('Resolves a promise for a bad call', async function () {
+        await connectAndSend();
+    });
+});
diff --git a/ghost/core/test/unit/server/notify.test.js b/ghost/core/test/unit/server/notify.test.js
index 9eeaae13dfe..90362028b0f 100644
--- a/ghost/core/test/unit/server/notify.test.js
+++ b/ghost/core/test/unit/server/notify.test.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const rewire = require('rewire');
 const sinon = require('sinon');
 
 const configUtils = require('../../utils/config-utils');
 const events = require('../../../core/server/lib/common/events');
-const bootstrapSocket = require('../../../core/server/lib/bootstrap-socket');
 
 describe('Notify', function () {
     describe('notifyServerStarted', function () {
@@ -14,14 +14,22 @@ describe('Notify', function () {
         beforeEach(function () {
             // Have to re-require each time to clear the internal flag
             delete require.cache[require.resolve('../../../core/server/notify')];
-            notify = require('../../../core/server/notify');
+
+            socketStub = sinon.stub();
+            notify = rewire('../../../core/server/notify');
+            notify.__set__('require', (path) => {
+                if (path === './lib/bootstrap-socket') {
+                    return {
+                        connectAndSend: socketStub
+                    };
+                }
+
+                return require(path);
+            });
 
             // process.send isn't set for tests, we can safely override;
             process.send = sinon.stub();
 
-            // stub socket connectAndSend method
-            socketStub = sinon.stub(bootstrapSocket, 'connectAndSend');
-
             // Spy for the events that get called
             eventSpy = sinon.spy(events, 'emit');
         });
@@ -29,7 +37,6 @@ describe('Notify', function () {
         afterEach(async function () {
             process.send = undefined;
             await configUtils.restore();
-            socketStub.restore();
             eventSpy.restore();
         });