diff --git a/extensions/smallrye-graphql/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/graphql/runtime/SmallRyeGraphQLOverWebSocketHandler.java b/extensions/smallrye-graphql/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/graphql/runtime/SmallRyeGraphQLOverWebSocketHandler.java
index d593b32ef6640..c309a4f09eaf7 100644
--- a/extensions/smallrye-graphql/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/graphql/runtime/SmallRyeGraphQLOverWebSocketHandler.java
+++ b/extensions/smallrye-graphql/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/graphql/runtime/SmallRyeGraphQLOverWebSocketHandler.java
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 package io.quarkus.smallrye.graphql.runtime;
 
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import org.jboss.logging.Logger;
 
-import io.netty.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
 import io.quarkus.security.identity.CurrentIdentityAssociation;
 import io.quarkus.vertx.http.runtime.CurrentVertxRequest;
 import io.quarkus.vertx.http.runtime.security.QuarkusHttpUser;
@@ -13,9 +11,9 @@
 import io.smallrye.graphql.websocket.GraphQLWebsocketHandler;
 import io.smallrye.graphql.websocket.graphqltransportws.GraphQLTransportWSSubprotocolHandler;
 import io.smallrye.graphql.websocket.graphqlws.GraphQLWSSubprotocolHandler;
+import io.vertx.core.Handler;
 import io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders;
 import io.vertx.core.http.ServerWebSocket;
-import io.vertx.core.net.impl.ConnectionBase;
 import io.vertx.ext.web.RoutingContext;
 
 /**
@@ -60,27 +58,30 @@ protected void doHandle(final RoutingContext ctx) {
                     }
 
                     QuarkusHttpUser user = (QuarkusHttpUser) ctx.user();
-                    ScheduledFuture<?> authExpiryFuture = null;
+                    long cancellation = -1L; // Do not use 0, as you won't be able to distinguish between not set, and the first task Id
                     if (user != null) {
                         //close the connection when the identity expires
                         Long expire = user.getSecurityIdentity().getAttribute("quarkus.identity.expire-time");
                         if (expire != null) {
-                            authExpiryFuture = ((ConnectionBase) ctx.request().connection()).channel().eventLoop()
-                                    .schedule(() -> {
-                                        if (!serverWebSocket.isClosed()) {
-                                            serverWebSocket.close((short) 1008, "Authentication expired");
+                            cancellation = ctx.vertx().setTimer((expire * 1000) - System.currentTimeMillis(),
+                                    new Handler<Long>() {
+                                        @Override
+                                        public void handle(Long event) {
+                                            if (!serverWebSocket.isClosed()) {
+                                                serverWebSocket.close((short) 1008, "Authentication expired");
+                                            }
                                         }
-                                    }, (expire * 1000) - System.currentTimeMillis(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+                                    });
                         }
                     }
 
                     log.debugf("Starting websocket with subprotocol = %s", subprotocol);
                     GraphQLWebsocketHandler finalHandler = handler;
-                    ScheduledFuture<?> finalAuthExpiryFuture = authExpiryFuture;
+                    long finalCancellation = cancellation;
                     serverWebSocket.closeHandler(v -> {
                         finalHandler.onClose();
-                        if (finalAuthExpiryFuture != null) {
-                            finalAuthExpiryFuture.cancel(false);
+                        if (finalCancellation != -1) {
+                            ctx.vertx().cancelTimer(finalCancellation);
                         }
                     });
                     serverWebSocket.endHandler(v -> finalHandler.onEnd());