diff --git a/crates/ark/src/reticulate.rs b/crates/ark/src/reticulate.rs
index c3fb09b83..1e43f980a 100644
--- a/crates/ark/src/reticulate.rs
+++ b/crates/ark/src/reticulate.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use amalthea::comm::event::CommManagerEvent;
 use amalthea::socket::comm::CommInitiator;
 use amalthea::socket::comm::CommSocket;
 use crossbeam::channel::Sender;
+use harp::utils::r_is_null;
 use harp::RObject;
 use libr::R_NilValue;
 use libr::SEXP;
@@ -18,21 +19,28 @@ use uuid::Uuid;
 
 use crate::interface::RMain;
 
-static RETICULATE_COMM_ID: LazyLock<Mutex<Option<String>>> = LazyLock::new(|| Mutex::new(None));
+static RETICULATE_OUTGOING_TX: LazyLock<Mutex<Option<Sender<CommMsg>>>> =
+    LazyLock::new(|| Mutex::new(None));
 
+#[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct ReticulateService {
     comm: CommSocket,
     comm_manager_tx: Sender<CommManagerEvent>,
 }
 
 impl ReticulateService {
-    fn start(comm_id: String, comm_manager_tx: Sender<CommManagerEvent>) -> anyhow::Result<String> {
+    fn start(comm_id: String, comm_manager_tx: Sender<CommManagerEvent>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let comm = CommSocket::new(
             CommInitiator::BackEnd,
             comm_id.clone(),
             String::from("positron.reticulate"),
         );
 
+        {
+            let mut outgoing_tx_guard = RETICULATE_OUTGOING_TX.lock().unwrap();
+            *outgoing_tx_guard = Some(comm.outgoing_tx.clone());
+        }
+
         let service = Self {
             comm,
             comm_manager_tx,
@@ -50,16 +58,18 @@ impl ReticulateService {
                 .or_log_error("Reticulate: Error handling messages");
         });
 
-        Ok(comm_id)
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     fn handle_messages(&self) -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
         loop {
-            let msg = unwrap!(self.comm.incoming_rx.recv(), Err(err) => {
+            let msg: CommMsg = unwrap!(self.comm.incoming_rx.recv(), Err(err) => {
                 log::error!("Reticulate: Error while receiving message from frontend: {err:?}");
                 break;
             });
 
+            log::trace!("Reticulate: Received message from front end: {msg:?}");
+
             if let CommMsg::Close = msg {
                 break;
             }
@@ -71,10 +81,12 @@ impl ReticulateService {
             .send(CommMsg::Close)
             .or_log_error("Reticulate: Could not send close message to the front-end");
 
-        // Reset the global comm_id before closing
-        let mut comm_id_guard = RETICULATE_COMM_ID.lock().unwrap();
-        log::info!("Reticulate Thread closing {:?}", (*comm_id_guard).clone());
-        *comm_id_guard = None;
+        // Reset the global soccket before closing
+        log::info!("Reticulate Thread closing {:?}", self.comm.comm_id);
+        {
+            let mut outgoing_tx_guard = RETICULATE_OUTGOING_TX.lock().unwrap();
+            *outgoing_tx_guard = None;
+        }
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -89,28 +101,27 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn ps_reticulate_open(input: SEXP) -> Result<SEXP, anyhow:
     let main = RMain::get();
 
     let input: RObject = input.try_into()?;
-    let input_code: Option<String> = input.try_into()?;
-
-    let mut comm_id_guard = RETICULATE_COMM_ID.lock().unwrap();
+    // Reticulate sends `NULL` or a string with the code to be executed in the Python console.
+    let input_code: Option<String> = if r_is_null(input.sexp) {
+        None
+    } else {
+        Some(input.try_into()?)
+    };
 
     // If there's an id already registered, we just need to send the focus event
-    if let Some(id) = comm_id_guard.deref() {
+    let outgoing_tx_guard = RETICULATE_OUTGOING_TX.lock().unwrap();
+    if let Some(outgoing_tx) = outgoing_tx_guard.deref() {
         // There's a comm_id registered, we just send the focus event
-        main.get_comm_manager_tx().send(CommManagerEvent::Message(
-            id.clone(),
-            CommMsg::Data(json!({
-                "method": "focus",
-                "params": {
-                    "input": input_code
-                }
-            })),
-        ))?;
+        outgoing_tx.send(CommMsg::Data(json!({
+            "method": "focus",
+            "params": {
+                "input": input_code
+            }
+        })))?;
         return Ok(R_NilValue);
     }
 
-    let id = Uuid::new_v4().to_string();
-    *comm_id_guard = Some(id.clone());
-
+    let id = format!("reticulate-{}", Uuid::new_v4().to_string());
     ReticulateService::start(id, main.get_comm_manager_tx().clone())?;
 
     Ok(R_NilValue)