diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bac6ca3bc0..649010cc4d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -109,8 +109,9 @@ Options:
   --client-web-socket-url-protocol <value>  Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided protocol.
   --client-web-socket-url-username <value>  Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided username to authenticate.
   --client-web-socket-url-password <value>  Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided password to authenticate.
-  --web-socket-server <value>               Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
+  --web-socket-server <value>               Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option. Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
   --no-web-socket-server                    Negative 'web-socket-server' option.
+  --web-socket-server-type <value>          Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
   --compress                                Enables gzip compression for everything served.
   --no-compress                             Disables gzip compression for everything served.
   --history-api-fallback                    Allows to proxy requests through a specified index page (by default 'index.html'), useful for Single Page Applications that utilise the HTML5 History API.
diff --git a/bin/cli-flags.js b/bin/cli-flags.js
index da2c2bf227..01a5219d27 100644
--- a/bin/cli-flags.js
+++ b/bin/cli-flags.js
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ module.exports = {
     configs: [
       {
         description:
-          "Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').",
+          "Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option.",
         multiple: false,
         path: "webSocketServer",
         type: "enum",
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ module.exports = {
       },
       {
         description:
-          "Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').",
+          "Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option.",
         multiple: false,
         path: "webSocketServer",
         type: "enum",
@@ -344,6 +344,30 @@ module.exports = {
       },
     ],
 
+    description:
+      "Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option. Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').",
+    simpleType: "string",
+    multiple: false,
+  },
+  "web-socket-server-type": {
+    configs: [
+      {
+        description:
+          "Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').",
+        multiple: false,
+        path: "webSocketServer.type",
+        type: "enum",
+        values: ["sockjs", "ws"],
+      },
+      {
+        description:
+          "Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').",
+        multiple: false,
+        path: "webSocketServer.type",
+        type: "string",
+      },
+    ],
+
     description:
       "Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').",
     simpleType: "string",
diff --git a/lib/Server.js b/lib/Server.js
index d35e507d75..6a79d51701 100644
--- a/lib/Server.js
+++ b/lib/Server.js
@@ -1618,6 +1618,7 @@ class Server {
     });
   }
 
+  // TODO: remove `--web-socket-server` in favor of `--web-socket-server-type`
   createWebSocketServer() {
     this.webSocketServer = new (this.getServerTransport())(this);
     this.webSocketServer.implementation.on("connection", (client, request) => {
diff --git a/lib/options.json b/lib/options.json
index dd6d7f5e8c..6ed93c9078 100644
--- a/lib/options.json
+++ b/lib/options.json
@@ -1026,16 +1026,14 @@
         {
           "$ref": "#/definitions/WebSocketServerType"
         }
-      ]
+      ],
+      "description": "Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option."
     },
     "WebSocketServerFunction": {
       "instanceof": "Function"
     },
     "WebSocketServerObject": {
       "type": "object",
-      "cli": {
-        "exclude": true
-      },
       "properties": {
         "type": {
           "anyOf": [
@@ -1052,7 +1050,10 @@
         },
         "options": {
           "type": "object",
-          "additionalProperties": true
+          "additionalProperties": true,
+          "cli": {
+            "exclude": true
+          }
         }
       },
       "additionalProperties": false
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/validate-options.test.js.snap.webpack4 b/test/__snapshots__/validate-options.test.js.snap.webpack4
index 646e103f06..5650232a05 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/validate-options.test.js.snap.webpack4
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/validate-options.test.js.snap.webpack4
@@ -864,6 +864,7 @@ exports[`options validate should throw an error on the "webSocketServer" option
    Details:
     * options.webSocketServer should be one of these:
       false | \\"sockjs\\" | \\"ws\\"
+      -> Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option.
       Details:
        * options.webSocketServer should be false.
        * options.webSocketServer should be one of these:
@@ -883,6 +884,7 @@ exports[`options validate should throw an error on the "webSocketServer" option
    Details:
     * options.webSocketServer should be one of these:
       false | \\"sockjs\\" | \\"ws\\"
+      -> Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option.
       Details:
        * options.webSocketServer should be false.
        * options.webSocketServer should be one of these:
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/validate-options.test.js.snap.webpack5 b/test/__snapshots__/validate-options.test.js.snap.webpack5
index 646e103f06..5650232a05 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/validate-options.test.js.snap.webpack5
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/validate-options.test.js.snap.webpack5
@@ -864,6 +864,7 @@ exports[`options validate should throw an error on the "webSocketServer" option
    Details:
     * options.webSocketServer should be one of these:
       false | \\"sockjs\\" | \\"ws\\"
+      -> Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option.
       Details:
        * options.webSocketServer should be false.
        * options.webSocketServer should be one of these:
@@ -883,6 +884,7 @@ exports[`options validate should throw an error on the "webSocketServer" option
    Details:
     * options.webSocketServer should be one of these:
       false | \\"sockjs\\" | \\"ws\\"
+      -> Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option.
       Details:
        * options.webSocketServer should be false.
        * options.webSocketServer should be one of these:
diff --git a/test/cli/__snapshots__/basic.test.js.snap.webpack4 b/test/cli/__snapshots__/basic.test.js.snap.webpack4
index 447853a050..89940feb4e 100644
--- a/test/cli/__snapshots__/basic.test.js.snap.webpack4
+++ b/test/cli/__snapshots__/basic.test.js.snap.webpack4
@@ -78,8 +78,9 @@ Options:
   --client-web-socket-url-protocol <value>  Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided protocol.
   --client-web-socket-url-username <value>  Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided username to authenticate.
   --client-web-socket-url-password <value>  Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided password to authenticate.
-  --web-socket-server <value>               Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
+  --web-socket-server <value>               Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option. Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
   --no-web-socket-server                    Negative 'web-socket-server' option.
+  --web-socket-server-type <value>          Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
   --compress                                Enables gzip compression for everything served.
   --no-compress                             Disables gzip compression for everything served.
   --history-api-fallback                    Allows to proxy requests through a specified index page (by default 'index.html'), useful for Single Page Applications that utilise the HTML5 History API.
diff --git a/test/cli/__snapshots__/basic.test.js.snap.webpack5 b/test/cli/__snapshots__/basic.test.js.snap.webpack5
index db8a66fbee..9b339a91a8 100644
--- a/test/cli/__snapshots__/basic.test.js.snap.webpack5
+++ b/test/cli/__snapshots__/basic.test.js.snap.webpack5
@@ -147,8 +147,9 @@ Options:
   --static-public-path-reset                Clear all items provided in 'static.publicPath' configuration. The static files will be available in the browser under this public path.
   --watch-files <value...>                  Allows to configure list of globs/directories/files to watch for file changes.
   --watch-files-reset                       Clear all items provided in 'watchFiles' configuration. Allows to configure list of globs/directories/files to watch for file changes.
-  --web-socket-server <value>               Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
+  --web-socket-server <value>               Deprecated: please use 'webSocketServer.type'/'--web-socket-server-type' option. Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
   --no-web-socket-server                    Negative 'web-socket-server' option.
+  --web-socket-server-type <value>          Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
 
 Global options:
   --color                                   Enable colors on console.
diff --git a/test/cli/webSocketServer-option.test.js b/test/cli/webSocketServer-option.test.js
index 51f0f14826..2aba5b98eb 100644
--- a/test/cli/webSocketServer-option.test.js
+++ b/test/cli/webSocketServer-option.test.js
@@ -25,4 +25,26 @@ describe('"webSocketServer" CLI option', () => {
 
     expect(exitCode).toEqual(0);
   });
+
+  it('should work using "--web-socket-server-type ws"', async () => {
+    const { exitCode } = await testBin([
+      "--port",
+      port,
+      "--web-socket-server-type",
+      "ws",
+    ]);
+
+    expect(exitCode).toEqual(0);
+  });
+
+  it('should work using "--web-socket-server-type sockjs"', async () => {
+    const { exitCode } = await testBin([
+      "--port",
+      port,
+      "--web-socket-server-type",
+      "sockjs",
+    ]);
+
+    expect(exitCode).toEqual(0);
+  });
 });