diff --git a/pkg/engine/datasource/graphql_datasource/graphql_subscription_client.go b/pkg/engine/datasource/graphql_datasource/graphql_subscription_client.go
index f3432a9a6..ed729f981 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/datasource/graphql_datasource/graphql_subscription_client.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/datasource/graphql_datasource/graphql_subscription_client.go
@@ -15,15 +15,13 @@ import (
 	"nhooyr.io/websocket"
 )
 
-var (
-	connectionInitMessage = []byte(`{"type":"connection_init"}`)
-)
-
 const (
-	startMessage    = `{"type":"start","id":"%s","payload":%s}`
-	stopMessage     = `{"type":"stop","id":"%s"}`
-	internalError   = `{"errors":[{"message":"connection error"}]}`
-	connectionError = `{"errors":[{"message":"connection error"}]}`
+	initMessageWithPayload = `{"type":"connection_init", "payload":%s}`
+	initMessageNoPayload   = `{"type":"connection_init"}`
+	startMessage           = `{"type":"start","id":"%s","payload":%s}`
+	stopMessage            = `{"type":"stop","id":"%s"}`
+	internalError          = `{"errors":[{"message":"connection error"}]}`
+	connectionError        = `{"errors":[{"message":"connection error"}]}`
 )
 
 // WebSocketGraphQLSubscriptionClient is a WebSocket client that allows running multiple subscriptions via the same WebSocket Connection
@@ -86,7 +84,6 @@ func NewWebSocketGraphQLSubscriptionClient(httpClient *http.Client, ctx context.
 // If an existing WS with the same ID (Hash) exists, it is being re-used
 // If no connection exists, the client initiates a new one and sends the "init" and "connection ack" messages
 func (c *WebSocketGraphQLSubscriptionClient) Subscribe(ctx context.Context, options GraphQLSubscriptionOptions, next chan<- []byte) error {
-
 	handlerID, err := c.generateHandlerIDHash(options)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -112,6 +109,12 @@ func (c *WebSocketGraphQLSubscriptionClient) Subscribe(ctx context.Context, opti
 	if options.Header == nil {
 		options.Header = http.Header{}
 	}
+
+	initMessage, err := connectionInitMessage(options.Header)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	options.Header.Set("Sec-WebSocket-Protocol", "graphql-ws")
 	options.Header.Set("Sec-WebSocket-Version", "13")
 
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ func (c *WebSocketGraphQLSubscriptionClient) Subscribe(ctx context.Context, opti
 		return fmt.Errorf("upgrade unsuccessful")
 	}
 	// init + ack
-	err = conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText, connectionInitMessage)
+	err = conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText, []byte(initMessage))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -181,6 +184,21 @@ func (c *WebSocketGraphQLSubscriptionClient) generateHandlerIDHash(options Graph
 	return xxh.Sum64(), nil
 }
 
+func connectionInitMessage(header http.Header) (string, error) {
+	if len(header) == 0 {
+		return initMessageNoPayload, nil
+	}
+	payload := make(map[string]string, len(header))
+	for name := range header {
+		payload[name] = header.Get(name)
+	}
+	payloadBytes, err := json.Marshal(payload)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf(initMessageWithPayload, payloadBytes), nil
+}
+
 func newConnectionHandler(ctx context.Context, conn *websocket.Conn, readTimeout time.Duration, log abstractlogger.Logger) *connectionHandler {
 	return &connectionHandler{
 		conn:               conn,
diff --git a/pkg/engine/datasource/graphql_datasource/graphql_subscription_client_test.go b/pkg/engine/datasource/graphql_datasource/graphql_subscription_client_test.go
index 4ed9b800e..2ec1eeec7 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/datasource/graphql_datasource/graphql_subscription_client_test.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/datasource/graphql_datasource/graphql_subscription_client_test.go
@@ -420,3 +420,92 @@ func TestWebsocketSubscriptionClientDeDuplication(t *testing.T) {
 		return connectedClients.Load() == 0
 	}, time.Second, time.Millisecond, "clients not 0")
 }
+
+func TestWebsocketSubscriptionClientWithInitPayload(t *testing.T) {
+	assertInitAck := func(ctx context.Context, conn *websocket.Conn) {
+		msgType, data, err := conn.Read(ctx)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, websocket.MessageText, msgType)
+		assert.Equal(t, `{"type":"connection_init", "payload":{"Authorization":"Bearer XXX"}}`, string(data))
+		err = conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageText, []byte(`{"type":"connection_ack"}`))
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+
+	handshakeHappened := false
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		conn, err := websocket.Accept(w, r, nil)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assertInitAck(r.Context(), conn)
+		handshakeHappened = true
+		<-conn.CloseRead(r.Context()).Done()
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	clientCtx, clientCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer clientCancel()
+	client := NewWebSocketGraphQLSubscriptionClient(http.DefaultClient, clientCtx,
+		WithReadTimeout(time.Millisecond),
+		WithLogger(logger()),
+	)
+
+	subscribeHeaders := http.Header{}
+	subscribeHeaders.Add("Authorization", "Bearer XXX")
+	next := make(chan []byte)
+	subCtx, subCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer subCancel()
+	err := client.Subscribe(subCtx, GraphQLSubscriptionOptions{
+		URL: strings.Replace(server.URL, "http", "ws", -1),
+		Body: GraphQLBody{
+			Query: `subscription {messageAdded(roomName: "room"){text}}`,
+		},
+		Header: subscribeHeaders,
+	}, next)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Len(t, client.handlers, 1, "handler not registered")
+	assert.Eventuallyf(t, func() bool {
+		return handshakeHappened
+	}, time.Second, time.Millisecond, "handshake was not performed")
+}
+
+func TestConnectionInitMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, tc := range []struct {
+		header          http.Header
+		expectedMessage string
+	}{
+		{
+			header:          http.Header{},
+			expectedMessage: `{"type":"connection_init"}`,
+		},
+		{
+			header:          nil,
+			expectedMessage: `{"type":"connection_init"}`,
+		},
+		{
+			header:          http.Header{"Foo": []string{"bar"}},
+			expectedMessage: `{"type":"connection_init", "payload":{"Foo":"bar"}}`,
+		},
+		{
+			header:          http.Header{"Foo": []string{"bar", "baz"}},
+			expectedMessage: `{"type":"connection_init", "payload":{"Foo":"bar"}}`,
+		},
+		{
+			header:          http.Header{"Foo": []string{""}},
+			expectedMessage: `{"type":"connection_init", "payload":{"Foo":""}}`,
+		},
+		{
+			header:          http.Header{"Foo": []string{}},
+			expectedMessage: `{"type":"connection_init", "payload":{"Foo":""}}`,
+		},
+		{
+			header:          http.Header{"Foo": nil},
+			expectedMessage: `{"type":"connection_init", "payload":{"Foo":""}}`,
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprint(i), func(t *testing.T) {
+			msg, err := connectionInitMessage(tc.header)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedMessage, msg)
+		})
+	}
+}