diff --git a/webhook/forward.go b/webhook/forward.go
index f313903..0983629 100644
--- a/webhook/forward.go
+++ b/webhook/forward.go
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@ func NewCmdForward() *cobra.Command {
 	)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "forward --events=<types> [--url=<url>]",
-		Short: "Receive test events locally",
+		Use:          "forward --events=<types> [--url=<url>]",
+		Short:        "Receive test events locally",
+		SilenceUsage: true,
 		Example: heredoc.Doc(`
 			# create a dev webhook for the 'issue_open' event in the monalisa/smile repo in GitHub running locally, and
 			# forward payloads for the triggered event to http://localhost:9999/webhooks
@@ -90,10 +91,10 @@ func runFwd(out io.Writer, url, token, wsURL string, activateHook func() error)
 		err := handleWebsocket(out, url, token, wsURL, activateHook)
 		if err != nil {
 			// If the error is a server disconnect (1006), retry connecting
-			if websocket.IsCloseError(err, websocket.CloseAbnormalClosure) {
+			if isWebsocketCloseError(err, websocket.CloseAbnormalClosure) {
 				time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 				continue
-			} else if websocket.IsCloseError(err, websocket.CloseNormalClosure) {
+			} else if isWebsocketCloseError(err, websocket.CloseNormalClosure) {
 				return nil
 			}
 			return err
@@ -102,6 +103,11 @@ func runFwd(out io.Writer, url, token, wsURL string, activateHook func() error)
 	return fmt.Errorf("unable to connect to webhooks server, forwarding stopped")
 }
 
+func isWebsocketCloseError(err error, code int) bool {
+	var closeError *websocket.CloseError
+	return errors.As(err, &closeError) && closeError.Code == code
+}
+
 // handleWebsocket mediates between websocket server and local web server
 func handleWebsocket(out io.Writer, url, token, wsURL string, activateHook func() error) error {
 	c, err := dial(token, wsURL)
diff --git a/webhook/forward_test.go b/webhook/forward_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b295cd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webhook/forward_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package webhook
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
+)
+
+func TestNewCmdForwardSilencesUsage(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := NewCmdForward()
+
+	if !cmd.SilenceUsage {
+		t.Fatal("expected runtime errors not to print command usage")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIsWebsocketCloseErrorUnwrapsError(t *testing.T) {
+	err := fmt.Errorf(
+		"error receiving json event: %w",
+		&websocket.CloseError{Code: websocket.CloseAbnormalClosure},
+	)
+
+	if !isWebsocketCloseError(err, websocket.CloseAbnormalClosure) {
+		t.Fatal("expected wrapped abnormal closure to be recognized")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIsWebsocketCloseErrorRejectsDifferentCode(t *testing.T) {
+	err := fmt.Errorf(
+		"error receiving json event: %w",
+		&websocket.CloseError{Code: websocket.CloseNormalClosure},
+	)
+
+	if isWebsocketCloseError(err, websocket.CloseAbnormalClosure) {
+		t.Fatal("expected close error with a different code not to match")
+	}
+}