diff --git a/spring-integration-rsocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rsocket/ClientRSocketConnector.java b/spring-integration-rsocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rsocket/ClientRSocketConnector.java
index 74c06ba6ea..30a650f035 100644
--- a/spring-integration-rsocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rsocket/ClientRSocketConnector.java
+++ b/spring-integration-rsocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rsocket/ClientRSocketConnector.java
@@ -26,12 +26,11 @@ import org.springframework.messaging.rsocket.RSocketRequester;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.MimeType;
 
-import io.rsocket.core.RSocketConnector;
 import io.rsocket.transport.ClientTransport;
 import io.rsocket.transport.netty.client.TcpClientTransport;
 import io.rsocket.transport.netty.client.WebsocketClientTransport;
+import reactor.core.Disposable;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
-import reactor.core.publisher.Sinks;
 
 /**
  * A client {@link AbstractRSocketConnector} extension to the RSocket connection.
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ import reactor.core.publisher.Sinks;
  *
  * @since 5.2
  *
- * @see io.rsocket.RSocketFactory.ClientRSocketFactory
+ * @see io.rsocket.core.RSocketConnector
  * @see RSocketRequester
  */
 public class ClientRSocketConnector extends AbstractRSocketConnector {
@@ -176,27 +175,21 @@ public class ClientRSocketConnector extends AbstractRSocketConnector {
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() {
 		super.afterPropertiesSet();
 
-		Sinks.StandaloneMonoSink<RSocketConnector> rsocketConnector = Sinks.promise();
-
-		RSocketRequester rsocketRequester =
-				RSocketRequester.builder()
-						.dataMimeType(getDataMimeType())
-						.metadataMimeType(getMetadataMimeType())
-						.rsocketStrategies(getRSocketStrategies())
-						.setupData(this.setupData)
-						.setupRoute(this.setupRoute, this.setupRouteVars)
-						.apply((builder) -> this.setupMetadata.forEach(builder::setupMetadata))
-						.rsocketConnector(this.connectorConfigurer)
-						.rsocketConnector((connector) -> {
-							connector.acceptor(this.rSocketMessageHandler.responder());
-							rsocketConnector.success(connector);
-						})
-						.transport(this.clientTransport);
+		RSocketRequester rsocketRequester = RSocketRequester.builder()
+				.dataMimeType(getDataMimeType())
+				.metadataMimeType(getMetadataMimeType())
+				.rsocketStrategies(getRSocketStrategies())
+				.setupData(this.setupData)
+				.setupRoute(this.setupRoute, this.setupRouteVars)
+				.rsocketConnector(this.connectorConfigurer)
+				.rsocketConnector((connector) ->
+						connector.acceptor(this.rSocketMessageHandler.responder()))
+				.apply((builder) -> this.setupMetadata.forEach(builder::setupMetadata))
+				.transport(this.clientTransport);
 
 		this.rsocketRequesterMono =
-				rsocketConnector.asMono()
-						.flatMap(rSocketConnector -> rSocketConnector.connect(this.clientTransport))
-						.thenReturn(rsocketRequester)
+				Mono.just(rsocketRequester)
+						.doOnSubscribe((sub) -> rsocketRequester.rsocketClient().source().subscribe())
 						.cache();
 	}
 
@@ -215,7 +208,8 @@ public class ClientRSocketConnector extends AbstractRSocketConnector {
 	@Override
 	public void destroy() {
 		this.rsocketRequesterMono
-				.doOnNext(RSocketRequester::dispose)
+				.flatMap((requester) -> requester.rsocketClient().source())
+				.doOnNext(Disposable::dispose)
 				.subscribe();
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-integration-rsocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/rsocket/outbound/RSocketOutboundGatewayIntegrationTests.java b/spring-integration-rsocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/rsocket/outbound/RSocketOutboundGatewayIntegrationTests.java
index 1cf39595ed..43ac203ae1 100644
--- a/spring-integration-rsocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/rsocket/outbound/RSocketOutboundGatewayIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-rsocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/rsocket/outbound/RSocketOutboundGatewayIntegrationTests.java
@@ -59,10 +59,8 @@ import org.springframework.test.annotation.DirtiesContext;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit.jupiter.SpringJUnitConfig;
 
 import io.rsocket.RSocket;
-import io.rsocket.core.RSocketConnector;
 import io.rsocket.core.RSocketServer;
 import io.rsocket.frame.decoder.PayloadDecoder;
-import io.rsocket.transport.netty.client.TcpClientTransport;
 import io.rsocket.transport.netty.server.CloseableChannel;
 import io.rsocket.transport.netty.server.TcpServerTransport;
 import reactor.core.Disposable;
@@ -499,21 +497,15 @@ public class RSocketOutboundGatewayIntegrationTests {
 		@Bean(destroyMethod = "dispose")
 		@Nullable
 		public RSocket rsocketForServerRequests() {
-			Sinks.StandaloneMonoSink<RSocketConnector> rsocketConnector = Sinks.promise();
 
-			RSocketRequester.builder()
+			return RSocketRequester.builder()
 					.setupRoute("clientConnect")
-					.rsocketConnector(connector -> {
-						connector.acceptor(
-								RSocketMessageHandler.responder(RSocketStrategies.create(), controller()));
-						rsocketConnector.success(connector);
-					})
-					.tcp("localhost", server.address().getPort());
-
-			return rsocketConnector.asMono()
-					.flatMap(rSocketConnector ->
-							rSocketConnector.connect(
-									TcpClientTransport.create("localhost", server.address().getPort())))
+					.rsocketConnector(connector ->
+							connector.acceptor(
+									RSocketMessageHandler.responder(RSocketStrategies.create(), controller())))
+					.tcp("localhost", server.address().getPort())
+					.rsocketClient()
+					.source()
 					.block();
 		}