diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 453d674..922f2ab 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2025-12-03 - 3.0.0 - BREAKING CHANGE(smartsocket)
+Replace setExternalServer with hooks-based SmartServe integration and refactor SocketServer to support standalone and hooks modes
+
+- Remove setExternalServer API and add getSmartserveWebSocketHooks on Smartsocket to provide SmartServe-compatible websocket hooks.
+- SocketServer.start now becomes a no-op when no port is provided (hooks mode). When a port is set, it starts a standalone HTTP + ws server as before.
+- Introduce an adapter (createWsLikeFromPeer) to adapt SmartServe peers to a WebSocket-like interface and route onMessage/onClose/onError via the adapter.
+- Dispatch smartserve messages through the adapter: text/binary handling for onMessage, and dispatchClose/dispatchError for close/error events.
+- Update tests: add smartserve integration test (test.smartserve.ts), adjust tagging test cleanup to stop client and delay before exit, remove outdated expressserver test.
+
 ## 2025-03-10 - 2.1.0 - feat(SmartsocketClient)
 Improve client reconnection logic with exponential backoff and jitter; update socket.io and @types/node dependencies
 
diff --git a/test/test.expressserver.ts b/test/test.expressserver.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 757c0e9..0000000
--- a/test/test.expressserver.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-import { expect, tap } from '@git.zone/tstest/tapbundle';
-
-import * as smartsocket from '../ts/index.js';
-
-let testSmartsocket: smartsocket.Smartsocket;
-let testSmartsocketClient: smartsocket.SmartsocketClient;
-let testSocketFunction1: smartsocket.SocketFunction<any>;
-
-const testConfig = {
-  port: 3000,
-};
-
-// class smartsocket
-tap.test('should create a new smartsocket', async () => {
-  testSmartsocket = new smartsocket.Smartsocket({ alias: 'testserver', port: testConfig.port });
-  expect(testSmartsocket).toBeInstanceOf(smartsocket.Smartsocket);
-});
-
-// class SocketFunction
-tap.test('should register a new Function', async () => {
-  testSocketFunction1 = new smartsocket.SocketFunction({
-    funcDef: async (dataArg, socketConnectionArg) => {
-      return dataArg;
-    },
-    funcName: 'testFunction1',
-  });
-  testSmartsocket.addSocketFunction(testSocketFunction1);
-  console.log(testSmartsocket.socketFunctions);
-});
-
-tap.test('should start listening when .started is called', async () => {
-  await testSmartsocket.start();
-});
-
-// class SmartsocketClient
-tap.test('should react to a new websocket connection from client', async () => {
-  testSmartsocketClient = new smartsocket.SmartsocketClient({
-    port: testConfig.port,
-    url: 'http://localhost',
-    alias: 'testClient1',
-  });
-  testSmartsocketClient.addSocketFunction(testSocketFunction1);
-  await testSmartsocketClient.connect();
-});
-
-tap.test('client should disconnect and reconnect', async (tools) => {
-  await testSmartsocketClient.disconnect();
-  await tools.delayFor(100);
-  await testSmartsocketClient.connect();
-});
-
-tap.test('2 clients should connect in parallel', async () => {
-  // TODO: implement parallel test
-});
-
-tap.test('should be able to make a functionCall from client to server', async () => {
-  const totalCycles = 100; // Reduced for faster test
-  let counter = 0;
-  let startTime = Date.now();
-  while (counter < totalCycles) {
-    const randomString = `hello ${Math.random()}`;
-    const response: any = await testSmartsocketClient.serverCall('testFunction1', {
-      value1: randomString,
-    });
-    expect(response.value1).toEqual(randomString);
-    if (counter % 50 === 0) {
-      console.log(
-        `processed 50 more messages in ${Date.now() - startTime}ms. ${
-          totalCycles - counter
-        } messages to go.`
-      );
-      startTime = Date.now();
-    }
-    counter++;
-  }
-});
-
-tap.test('should be able to make a functionCall from server to client', async () => {});
-
-// terminate
-tap.test('should close the server', async () => {
-  await testSmartsocketClient.stop();
-  await testSmartsocket.stop();
-});
-
-export default tap.start();
diff --git a/test/test.smartserve.ts b/test/test.smartserve.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb89e8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test.smartserve.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { expect, tap } from '@git.zone/tstest/tapbundle';
+import * as smartsocket from '../ts/index.js';
+import { SmartServe } from '@push.rocks/smartserve';
+
+let smartserveInstance: SmartServe;
+let testSmartsocket: smartsocket.Smartsocket;
+let testSmartsocketClient: smartsocket.SmartsocketClient;
+let testSocketFunction: smartsocket.SocketFunction<any>;
+
+const testConfig = {
+  port: 3000,
+};
+
+// Setup smartsocket with smartserve integration
+tap.test('should create smartsocket and smartserve with websocket hooks', async () => {
+  // Create smartsocket (no port - hooks mode for smartserve integration)
+  testSmartsocket = new smartsocket.Smartsocket({ alias: 'testserver-smartserve' });
+  expect(testSmartsocket).toBeInstanceOf(smartsocket.Smartsocket);
+
+  // Get websocket hooks from smartsocket and pass to smartserve
+  const wsHooks = testSmartsocket.getSmartserveWebSocketHooks();
+  smartserveInstance = new SmartServe({
+    port: testConfig.port,
+    websocket: wsHooks,
+  });
+  // That's it! No setExternalServer needed - hooks connect everything
+});
+
+tap.test('should register a socket function', async () => {
+  testSocketFunction = new smartsocket.SocketFunction({
+    funcDef: async (dataArg, socketConnectionArg) => {
+      return dataArg;
+    },
+    funcName: 'testFunction1',
+  });
+  testSmartsocket.addSocketFunction(testSocketFunction);
+});
+
+tap.test('should start smartserve', async () => {
+  await smartserveInstance.start();
+  // No need to call testSmartsocket.start() - hooks mode doesn't need it
+});
+
+tap.test('should connect client through smartserve', async () => {
+  testSmartsocketClient = new smartsocket.SmartsocketClient({
+    port: testConfig.port,
+    url: 'http://localhost',
+    alias: 'testClient1',
+  });
+  testSmartsocketClient.addSocketFunction(testSocketFunction);
+  await testSmartsocketClient.connect();
+});
+
+tap.test('should be able to make a functionCall from client to server', async () => {
+  const response: any = await testSmartsocketClient.serverCall('testFunction1', {
+    value1: 'hello from smartserve test',
+  });
+  expect(response.value1).toEqual('hello from smartserve test');
+});
+
+tap.test('should be able to make multiple function calls', async () => {
+  for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+    const randomString = `message-${i}-${Math.random()}`;
+    const response: any = await testSmartsocketClient.serverCall('testFunction1', {
+      value1: randomString,
+    });
+    expect(response.value1).toEqual(randomString);
+  }
+});
+
+tap.test('client should disconnect and reconnect through smartserve', async (tools) => {
+  await testSmartsocketClient.disconnect();
+  await tools.delayFor(100);
+  await testSmartsocketClient.connect();
+
+  // Verify connection still works after reconnect
+  const response: any = await testSmartsocketClient.serverCall('testFunction1', {
+    value1: 'after reconnect',
+  });
+  expect(response.value1).toEqual('after reconnect');
+});
+
+// Cleanup
+tap.test('should close the server', async (tools) => {
+  await testSmartsocketClient.stop();
+  await testSmartsocket.stop();
+  await smartserveInstance.stop();
+  tools.delayFor(1000).then(() => process.exit(0));
+});
+
+export default tap.start();
diff --git a/test/test.tagging.ts b/test/test.tagging.ts
index f747f41..f27096d 100644
--- a/test/test.tagging.ts
+++ b/test/test.tagging.ts
@@ -139,8 +139,10 @@ tap.test('should be able to locate a connection tag after reconnect', async (too
 });
 
 // terminate
-tap.test('should close the server', async () => {
+tap.test('should close the server', async (tools) => {
+  await testSmartsocketClient.stop();
   await testSmartsocket.stop();
+  tools.delayFor(1000).then(() => process.exit(0));
 });
 
 export default tap.start();
diff --git a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
index cdb65a0..0d7f5cb 100644
--- a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
+++ b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@push.rocks/smartsocket',
-  version: '2.1.0',
+  version: '3.0.0',
   description: 'Provides easy and secure websocket communication mechanisms, including server and client implementation, function call routing, connection management, and tagging.'
 }
diff --git a/ts/smartsocket.classes.smartsocket.ts b/ts/smartsocket.classes.smartsocket.ts
index aed3a95..c6326cb 100644
--- a/ts/smartsocket.classes.smartsocket.ts
+++ b/ts/smartsocket.classes.smartsocket.ts
@@ -40,14 +40,11 @@ export class Smartsocket {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Set an external server (smartserve) for WebSocket handling
+   * Returns WebSocket hooks for integration with smartserve
+   * Pass these hooks to SmartServe's websocket config
    */
-  public async setExternalServer(
-    serverType: 'smartserve',
-    serverArg: any,
-    websocketHooks?: pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketHooks
-  ) {
-    await this.socketServer.setExternalServer(serverType, serverArg, websocketHooks);
+  public getSmartserveWebSocketHooks(): pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketHooks {
+    return this.socketServer.getSmartserveWebSocketHooks();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/ts/smartsocket.classes.socketserver.ts b/ts/smartsocket.classes.socketserver.ts
index 312409f..14a7e64 100644
--- a/ts/smartsocket.classes.socketserver.ts
+++ b/ts/smartsocket.classes.socketserver.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { logger } from './smartsocket.logging.js';
 
 /**
  * class SocketServer
- * handles the WebSocket server, either standalone or integrated with smartserve
+ * handles the WebSocket server in standalone mode, or provides hooks for smartserve integration
  */
 export class SocketServer {
   private smartsocket: Smartsocket;
@@ -15,14 +15,7 @@ export class SocketServer {
   private wsServer: pluginsTyped.ws.WebSocketServer;
 
   /**
-   * whether we're using an external server (smartserve)
-   */
-  private externalServerMode = false;
-  private externalServer: any = null;
-  private externalWebSocketHooks: pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketHooks = null;
-
-  /**
-   * whether httpServer is standalone
+   * whether httpServer is standalone (created by us)
    */
   private standaloneServer = false;
 
@@ -31,66 +24,38 @@ export class SocketServer {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Set an external server (smartserve) for WebSocket handling
-   */
-  public async setExternalServer(
-    serverType: 'smartserve',
-    serverArg: any,
-    websocketHooks?: pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketHooks
-  ) {
-    if (serverType !== 'smartserve') {
-      throw new Error(`Unsupported server type: ${serverType}. Only 'smartserve' is supported.`);
-    }
-    this.externalServerMode = true;
-    this.externalServer = serverArg;
-    this.externalWebSocketHooks = websocketHooks || null;
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * starts listening to incoming websocket connections
+   * Starts listening to incoming websocket connections (standalone mode).
+   * If no port is specified, this is a no-op (hooks mode via smartserve).
    */
   public async start() {
-    const done = plugins.smartpromise.defer();
-
-    if (this.externalServerMode) {
-      // Using external smartserve server
-      // The smartserve server should be configured with websocket hooks
-      // that call our handleNewConnection method
-      logger.log('info', 'Using external smartserve server for WebSocket handling');
-
-      // If smartserve provides a way to get the underlying http server for upgrade,
-      // we could attach ws to it. For now, we expect smartserve to handle WS
-      // and call us back via the hooks.
-      done.resolve();
-    } else {
-      // Standalone mode - create our own HTTP server and WebSocket server
-      const httpModule = await this.smartsocket.smartenv.getSafeNodeModule('http');
-      const wsModule = await this.smartsocket.smartenv.getSafeNodeModule('ws');
-
-      if (!this.smartsocket.options.port) {
-        logger.log('error', 'there should be a port specified for smartsocket!');
-        throw new Error('there should be a port specified for smartsocket');
-      }
-
-      this.httpServer = httpModule.createServer();
-      this.standaloneServer = true;
-
-      // Create WebSocket server attached to HTTP server
-      this.wsServer = new wsModule.WebSocketServer({ server: this.httpServer });
-
-      this.wsServer.on('connection', (ws: pluginsTyped.ws.WebSocket) => {
-        this.smartsocket.handleNewConnection(ws);
-      });
-
-      this.httpServer.listen(this.smartsocket.options.port, () => {
-        logger.log(
-          'success',
-          `Server started in standalone mode on port ${this.smartsocket.options.port}`
-        );
-        done.resolve();
-      });
+    // If no port specified, we're in hooks mode - nothing to start
+    if (!this.smartsocket.options.port) {
+      return;
     }
 
+    // Standalone mode - create our own HTTP server and WebSocket server
+    const done = plugins.smartpromise.defer();
+    const httpModule = await this.smartsocket.smartenv.getSafeNodeModule('http');
+    const wsModule = await this.smartsocket.smartenv.getSafeNodeModule('ws');
+
+    this.httpServer = httpModule.createServer();
+    this.standaloneServer = true;
+
+    // Create WebSocket server attached to HTTP server
+    this.wsServer = new wsModule.WebSocketServer({ server: this.httpServer });
+
+    this.wsServer.on('connection', (ws: pluginsTyped.ws.WebSocket) => {
+      this.smartsocket.handleNewConnection(ws);
+    });
+
+    this.httpServer.listen(this.smartsocket.options.port, () => {
+      logger.log(
+        'success',
+        `Server started in standalone mode on port ${this.smartsocket.options.port}`
+      );
+      done.resolve();
+    });
+
     await done.promise;
   }
 
@@ -141,8 +106,8 @@ export class SocketServer {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns WebSocket hooks for integration with smartserve
-   * Call this to get hooks that you can pass to smartserve's websocket config
+   * Returns WebSocket hooks for integration with smartserve.
+   * Pass these hooks to SmartServe's websocket config.
    */
   public getSmartserveWebSocketHooks(): pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketHooks {
     return {
@@ -150,27 +115,35 @@ export class SocketServer {
         // Create a wrapper that adapts ISmartserveWebSocketPeer to WebSocket-like interface
         const wsLikeSocket = this.createWsLikeFromPeer(peer);
         await this.smartsocket.handleNewConnection(wsLikeSocket as any);
-
-        // Call external hooks if provided
-        if (this.externalWebSocketHooks?.onOpen) {
-          await this.externalWebSocketHooks.onOpen(peer);
-        }
       },
       onMessage: async (peer: pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketPeer, message: pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketMessage) => {
-        // Messages are handled by SocketConnection via the adapter
-        // But we still call external hooks if provided
-        if (this.externalWebSocketHooks?.onMessage) {
-          await this.externalWebSocketHooks.onMessage(peer, message);
+        // Dispatch message to the SocketConnection via the adapter
+        const adapter = peer.data.get('smartsocket_adapter') as any;
+        if (adapter) {
+          let textData: string | undefined;
+          if (message.type === 'text' && message.text) {
+            textData = message.text;
+          } else if (message.type === 'binary' && message.data) {
+            // Convert binary to text (Buffer/Uint8Array to string)
+            textData = new TextDecoder().decode(message.data);
+          }
+          if (textData) {
+            adapter.dispatchMessage(textData);
+          }
         }
       },
       onClose: async (peer: pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketPeer, code: number, reason: string) => {
-        if (this.externalWebSocketHooks?.onClose) {
-          await this.externalWebSocketHooks.onClose(peer, code, reason);
+        // Dispatch close to the SocketConnection via the adapter
+        const adapter = peer.data.get('smartsocket_adapter') as any;
+        if (adapter) {
+          adapter.dispatchClose();
         }
       },
       onError: async (peer: pluginsTyped.ISmartserveWebSocketPeer, error: Error) => {
-        if (this.externalWebSocketHooks?.onError) {
-          await this.externalWebSocketHooks.onError(peer, error);
+        // Dispatch error to the SocketConnection via the adapter
+        const adapter = peer.data.get('smartsocket_adapter') as any;
+        if (adapter) {
+          adapter.dispatchError();
         }
       },
     };