diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index fb3a278ada8af..cd867c4ac88f2 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -17,16 +17,20 @@
       "dev": true
     },
     "@types/node": {
-      "version": "8.0.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-8.0.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-bys2VRs6H7HP8S26aHgPWSiSX7q81TToe5HSSvl5bQjoSElQ2SwbGw2p6/DSDb7Vr0oKhewFao9ZuTn8DSag9Q==",
+      "version": "8.0.28",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-8.0.28.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-HupkFXEv3O3KSzcr3Ylfajg0kaerBg1DyaZzRBBQfrU3NN1mTBRE7sCveqHwXLS5Yrjvww8qFzkzYQQakG9FuQ==",
       "dev": true
     },
     "@types/node-static": {
       "version": "0.7.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node-static/-/node-static-0.7.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-4SImtzapcVt+rQEAKVtbT0eh2D895DKnyrRkDgcSpw+LNnol9zlJPcU6yDvjWrEV/6nBSPQqzY0AP69v5v2iEQ==",
-      "dev": true
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "@types/mime": "1.3.1",
+        "@types/node": "8.0.28"
+      }
     },
     "@types/nodemailer": {
       "version": "1.3.33",
@@ -34,27 +38,27 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-PONEJf/LwNcqgU/GpMIAquSBFdq+kCdpYI9TdoeGcTfLCsXzWunKzv4bUQs8zfKGz97CLymgoL0fMLYpOu+/1A==",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
-        "@types/node": "8.0.1",
-        "@types/nodemailer-direct-transport": "1.0.29",
-        "@types/nodemailer-smtp-transport": "2.7.2"
+        "@types/node": "8.0.28",
+        "@types/nodemailer-direct-transport": "1.0.30",
+        "@types/nodemailer-smtp-transport": "2.7.3"
       }
     },
     "@types/nodemailer-direct-transport": {
-      "version": "1.0.29",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/nodemailer-direct-transport/-/nodemailer-direct-transport-1.0.29.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha1-Ake7RzT4u/k5gkGxa0ECLhMD3fE=",
+      "version": "1.0.30",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/nodemailer-direct-transport/-/nodemailer-direct-transport-1.0.30.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-gH49BNkXM8EZb/UgI4hUwWwTW3izRx5L+0VyohKkbVijvfUIhn7RALSpBjCUyXzEj0XZSNmQMFVc97Lj0z8UIw==",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "@types/nodemailer": "1.3.33"
       }
     },
     "@types/nodemailer-smtp-transport": {
-      "version": "2.7.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/nodemailer-smtp-transport/-/nodemailer-smtp-transport-2.7.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-sFeTdk87Xk4ADTs7HY32Thr/sD06HJHPbmjuCOGtqVhSnMeVPf3OQAU3d4oW9bhccRLpjCWUds00CrbuU/iLzw==",
+      "version": "2.7.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/nodemailer-smtp-transport/-/nodemailer-smtp-transport-2.7.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-HxKPBErWelYVIWiKkUl06IaG4ojEMDtH6cAlojKgjsqwF8UQun4QeahYCWLCkA8/vKOX0G6VV1Vu2Z4x4ovqLQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
-        "@types/node": "8.0.1",
+        "@types/node": "8.0.28",
         "@types/nodemailer": "1.3.33"
       }
     },
@@ -68,13 +72,10 @@
       "version": "0.3.31",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/sockjs/-/sockjs-0.3.31.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-6d+6cH187jHWoUP07fzDQkC1fATu7TXMNJaCKwMwpcjkRvAK4T7bDw8sukL3rE8A/ZEPmo94YghsgCkI2/V8kw==",
-      "dev": true
-    },
-    "acorn": {
-      "version": "5.0.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/acorn/-/acorn-5.0.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha1-xGDfCEkUY/AozLguqzcwvwEIez0=",
-      "dev": true
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "@types/node": "8.0.28"
+      }
     },
     "acorn-jsx": {
       "version": "3.0.1",
@@ -1371,23 +1372,6 @@
         "safe-buffer": "5.0.1"
       }
     },
-    "string-width": {
-      "version": "1.0.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/string-width/-/string-width-1.0.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha1-EYvfW4zcUaKn5w0hHgfisLmxB9M=",
-      "dev": true,
-      "requires": {
-        "code-point-at": "1.1.0",
-        "is-fullwidth-code-point": "1.0.0",
-        "strip-ansi": "3.0.1"
-      }
-    },
-    "string_decoder": {
-      "version": "1.0.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/string_decoder/-/string_decoder-1.0.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha1-sp4fThEl+pehA4K4pTNze3SR4Xk=",
-      "dev": true
-    },
     "strip-ansi": {
       "version": "3.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/strip-ansi/-/strip-ansi-3.0.1.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0035ab4a9fd63..8b53145887ce3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -48,15 +48,13 @@
   "license": "MIT",
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/cloud-env": "^0.2.0",
-    "@types/node": "^8.0.1",
+    "@types/node": "^8.0.28",
     "@types/node-static": "^0.7.0",
     "@types/nodemailer": "^1.3.33",
     "@types/ofe": "^0.5.0",
     "@types/sockjs": "^0.3.31",
     "eslint": "^4.0.0",
     "mocha": "^3.0.0",
-    "@types/node": "^8.0.1",
-    "@types/nodemailer": "^1.3.33",
     "typescript": "^2.5.0-dev.20170622"
   }
 }
diff --git a/sockets-workers.js b/sockets-workers.js
index 93b1174b21734..952d34a6b8a92 100644
--- a/sockets-workers.js
+++ b/sockets-workers.js
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const cluster = require('cluster');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
 
 // IPC command tokens
 const EVAL = '$';
@@ -461,7 +463,46 @@ if (cluster.isWorker) {
 	});
 
 	let app = require('http').createServer();
-	let appssl = Config.ssl ? require('https').createServer(Config.ssl.options) : null;
+	/** @type {?NodeJS.Server} */
+	let appssl = null;
+	if (Config.ssl) {
+		let key;
+		try {
+			key = path.resolve(__dirname, Config.ssl.options.key);
+			if (!fs.lstatSync(key).isFile()) throw new Error();
+			try {
+				key = fs.readFileSync(key);
+			} catch (e) {
+				require('./crashlogger')(new Error(`Failed to read the configured SSL private key PEM file:\n${e.stack}`), `Socket process ${cluster.worker.id} (${process.pid})`, true);
+			}
+		} catch (e) {
+			console.warn('SSL private key config values will not support HTTPS server option values in the future. Please set it to use the absolute path of its PEM file.');
+			key = Config.ssl.options.key;
+		}
+
+		let cert;
+		try {
+			cert = path.resolve(__dirname, Config.ssl.options.cert);
+			if (!fs.lstatSync(cert).isFile()) throw new Error();
+			try {
+				cert = fs.readFileSync(cert);
+			} catch (e) {
+				require('./crashlogger')(new Error(`Failed to read the configured SSL certificate PEM file:\n${e.stack}`), `Socket process ${cluster.worker.id} (${process.pid})`, true);
+			}
+		} catch (e) {
+			console.warn('SSL certificate config values will not support HTTPS server option values in the future. Please set it to use the absolute path of its PEM file.');
+			cert = Config.ssl.options.cert;
+		}
+
+		if (key && cert) {
+			try {
+				// In case there are additional SSL config settings besides the key and cert...
+				appssl = require('https').createServer(Object.assign({}, Config.ssl.options, {key, cert}));
+			} catch (e) {
+				require('./crashlogger')(new Error(`The SSL settings are misconfigured:\n${e.stack}`), `Socket process ${cluster.worker.id} (${process.pid})`, true);
+			}
+		}
+	}
 
 	const StaticServer = require('node-static').Server;
 	const roomidRegex = /^\/[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9-]*\/?$/;
@@ -529,6 +570,7 @@ if (cluster.isWorker) {
 	process.once('disconnect', () => {
 		multiplexer.destroy();
 		app.close();
+		/** @type {?NodeJS.Server} */
 		if (appssl) appssl.close();
 	});
 
diff --git a/sockets.js b/sockets.js
index 3bd473c28b719..4bd3e272173b2 100644
--- a/sockets.js
+++ b/sockets.js
@@ -301,8 +301,6 @@ class GoWorker extends EventEmitter {
 		/** @type {boolean | void} */
 		this.exitedAfterDisconnect = undefined;
 
-		/** @type {string[]} */
-		this.obuf = [];
 		/** @type {string} */
 		this.ibuf = '';
 		/** @type {?Error} */
@@ -351,17 +349,7 @@ class GoWorker extends EventEmitter {
 	 * @return {boolean}
 	 */
 	send(message) {
-		if (!this.isConnected()) {
-			this.obuf.push(message);
-			return false;
-		}
-
-		if (this.obuf.length) {
-			this.obuf.splice(0).forEach(msg => {
-				this.connection.write(JSON.stringify(msg) + DELIM);
-			});
-		}
-
+		if (!this.isConnected()) return false;
 		return this.connection.write(JSON.stringify(message) + DELIM);
 	}
 
@@ -380,7 +368,7 @@ class GoWorker extends EventEmitter {
 	 * @return {boolean}
 	 */
 	isDead() {
-		return this.connection && !this.connection.destroyed;
+		return this.process && (this.process.exitCode !== null || this.process.statusCode !== null);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -419,6 +407,7 @@ class GoWorker extends EventEmitter {
 					// if it crashed.
 					if (this.error) throw this.error;
 				}
+
 				this.emit('exit', this, ...args);
 			});
 		});
@@ -441,16 +430,16 @@ class GoWorker extends EventEmitter {
 		this.connection.on('data', /** @param {string} data */ data => {
 			let idx = data.lastIndexOf(DELIM);
 			if (idx < 0) {
-				// Very long message...
 				this.ibuf += data;
 				return;
 			}
 
-			// Because of how Node handles TCP connections, we can
-			// receive any number of messages, and they may not
-			// be guaranteed to be complete.
-			let messages = this.ibuf;
-			this.ibuf = '';
+			let messages = '';
+			if (this.ibuf) {
+				messages += this.ibuf.slice(0);
+				this.ibuf = '';
+			}
+
 			if (idx === data.length - 1) {
 				messages += data.slice(0, -1);
 			} else {