diff --git a/websocket.go b/websocket.go
index 34a6480..8d5495c 100644
--- a/websocket.go
+++ b/websocket.go
@@ -212,6 +212,51 @@ func (wsp *WebSocketProxy) handleConnection(ctx context.Context, clientConn *web
 	// client (the client-side limit only bounds what the client can send us).
 	backendConn.SetReadLimit(wsp.maxMessageSize)
 
+	// Keepalive: wire the configured (previously unused) PingInterval /
+	// PongTimeout so a half-open peer (TCP still open but silent) is reaped
+	// instead of leaving both proxy goroutines (and this handler) blocked in
+	// ReadMessage forever. We ping both directions and enforce a read
+	// deadline on each side that is refreshed by real traffic or a pong, so
+	// an active connection is never closed while an idle one is cleaned up.
+	pingInterval := wsp.pingInterval
+	pongTimeout := wsp.pongTimeout
+	if pingInterval <= 0 {
+		pingInterval = 30 * time.Second
+	}
+	if pongTimeout <= 0 {
+		pongTimeout = 60 * time.Second
+	}
+
+	_ = clientConn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(pongTimeout))
+	clientConn.SetPongHandler(func(string) error {
+		return clientConn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(pongTimeout))
+	})
+	_ = backendConn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(pongTimeout))
+	backendConn.SetPongHandler(func(string) error {
+		return backendConn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(pongTimeout))
+	})
+
+	// Ping both peers periodically. WriteControl is safe to call concurrently
+	// with WriteMessage, so this goroutine does not contend with the two
+	// forwarding directions. Both libraries use the standard WebSocket
+	// opcode value for a ping (9).
+	pingCtx, cancelPing := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	defer cancelPing()
+	go func() {
+		ticker := time.NewTicker(pingInterval / 2)
+		defer ticker.Stop()
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-pingCtx.Done():
+				return
+			case <-ticker.C:
+				writeDeadline := time.Now().Add(10 * time.Second)
+				_ = clientConn.WriteControl(gorillaws.PingMessage, nil, writeDeadline)
+				_ = backendConn.WriteControl(gorillaws.PingMessage, nil, writeDeadline)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
 	// Set up bidirectional proxying
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	wg.Add(2)
@@ -292,6 +337,12 @@ func (wsp *WebSocketProxy) proxyClientToBackend(ctx context.Context, client *web
 
 			wsp.messagesSent.Add(1)
 
+			// Refresh the read deadline on real client traffic so a client that
+			// sends data (even without pongs) is never reaped by the keepalive.
+			if wsp.pongTimeout > 0 {
+				_ = client.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(wsp.pongTimeout))
+			}
+
 			// Forward message to backend
 			if err := backend.WriteMessage(messageType, message); err != nil {
 				wsp.errors.Add(1)
@@ -356,6 +407,13 @@ func (wsp *WebSocketProxy) proxyBackendToClient(ctx context.Context, backend *go
 
 			wsp.messagesReceived.Add(1)
 
+			// Refresh the backend read deadline on real traffic too: a backend
+			// that streams data but does not answer control pings must not be
+			// reaped by the keepalive.
+			if wsp.pongTimeout > 0 {
+				_ = backend.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(wsp.pongTimeout))
+			}
+
 			// Forward message to client
 			if err := client.WriteMessage(messageType, message); err != nil {
 				wsp.errors.Add(1)
diff --git a/websocket_test.go b/websocket_test.go
index bd62735..55c7ab1 100644
--- a/websocket_test.go
+++ b/websocket_test.go
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	gorillaws "github.com/gorilla/websocket"
 	libpack_logger "github.com/lukaszraczylo/graphql-monitoring-proxy/logging"
 	libpack_monitoring "github.com/lukaszraczylo/graphql-monitoring-proxy/monitoring"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -307,6 +310,58 @@ func TestWebSocketProxy_ConfigValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestWebSocketProxy_ReapsSilentBackend_Keepalive(t *testing.T) {
+	config := WebSocketConfig{
+		Enabled:      true,
+		PingInterval: 30 * time.Second,
+		PongTimeout:  150 * time.Millisecond,
+	}
+	wsp := NewWebSocketProxy("ws://placeholder", config, libpack_logger.New(), nil)
+
+	// Real backend that completes the WebSocket upgrade then stays silent (TCP
+	// open, no frames) - simulates a half-open peer whose connection the
+	// keepalive read deadline must reap instead of hanging forever.
+	serverRelease := make(chan struct{})
+	upgrader := gorillaws.Upgrader{}
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		conn, err := upgrader.Upgrade(w, r, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		<-serverRelease
+		_ = conn.Close()
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+	defer close(serverRelease)
+
+	wsURL := "ws" + strings.TrimPrefix(srv.URL, "http")
+	backend, _, err := gorillaws.DefaultDialer.Dial(wsURL, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("dial backend: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer backend.Close()
+
+	// Mirror handleConnection's keepalive: refresh the read deadline on the
+	// configured pong timeout so an idle backend is reaped.
+	backend.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(config.PongTimeout))
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		// client conn is nil and safe here: the silent backend sends no
+		// message, so proxyBackendToClient returns on the read deadline
+		// before any client.WriteMessage call.
+		wsp.proxyBackendToClient(context.Background(), backend, nil, "test-conn")
+		close(done)
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+		// Reaped via the keepalive read deadline rather than blocking forever.
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("proxyBackendToClient hung; keepalive read deadline did not reap silent backend")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWebSocketProxy_StatsStructure(t *testing.T) {
 	config := WebSocketConfig{
 		Enabled:        true,