diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index 4820cc4..1fab20f 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export interface EventSourceOptions {
   debug?: boolean;
   pollingInterval?: number;
   lineEndingCharacter?: string;
+  autoConnect?: boolean;
 }
 
 type BuiltInEventMap = {
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ declare class EventSource<E extends string = never> {
   removeEventListener<T extends EventType<E>>(type: T, listener: EventSourceListener<E, T>): void;
   removeAllEventListeners<T extends EventType<E>>(type?: T): void;
   dispatch<T extends EventType<E>>(type: T, data: EventSourceEvent<T>): void;
+  isConnected : boolean;
 }
 
 export default EventSource;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 69fbe9b..f8769a6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "react-native-sse",
-  "version": "1.2.1",
+  "version": "1.2.2",
   "description": "EventSource implementation for React Native. Server-Sent Events (SSE) for iOS and Android.",
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src/EventSource.js b/src/EventSource.js
index 8b2991d..948b43e 100644
--- a/src/EventSource.js
+++ b/src/EventSource.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class EventSource {
     this.debug = options.debug || false;
     this.interval = options.pollingInterval ?? 5000;
     this.lineEndingCharacter = options.lineEndingCharacter || null;
+    this.autoConnect = options.autoConnect ?? true;
 
     const defaultHeaders = {
       Accept: 'text/event-stream',
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ class EventSource {
       this.url = url;
     }
 
-    this._pollAgain(this.timeoutBeforeConnection, true);
+    if(this.autoConnect) this._pollAgain(this.timeoutBeforeConnection, true);
   }
 
   _pollAgain(time, allowZero) {
@@ -328,6 +329,9 @@ class EventSource {
       this._xhr.abort();
     }
   }
+  get isConnected() {
+    return this.status === this.OPEN;
+  }
 }
 
 export default EventSource;