diff --git a/lib/GeneralServer/GeneralCommTask.h b/lib/GeneralServer/GeneralCommTask.h
index ed27498326..8af5d25726 100644
--- a/lib/GeneralServer/GeneralCommTask.h
+++ b/lib/GeneralServer/GeneralCommTask.h
@@ -298,6 +298,14 @@ namespace triagens {
           }
         }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// {@inheritDoc}
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        void handleTimeout () {
+          _server->handleCommunicationClosed(this);
+        }
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @}
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/lib/Scheduler/SocketTask.cpp b/lib/Scheduler/SocketTask.cpp
index 5bfcdfddb6..34a22fc03f 100644
--- a/lib/Scheduler/SocketTask.cpp
+++ b/lib/Scheduler/SocketTask.cpp
@@ -53,10 +53,12 @@ using namespace triagens::rest;
 
 SocketTask::SocketTask (socket_t fd)
   : Task("SocketTask"),
+    keepAliveWatcher(0),
     readWatcher(0),
     writeWatcher(0),
     watcher(0),
     commSocket(fd),
+    _keepAliveTimeout(300.0), // TODO: check if default is reasonable or make configurable
     _writeBuffer(0),
 #ifdef TRI_ENABLE_FIGURES
     _writeBufferStatistics(0),
@@ -214,6 +216,12 @@ bool SocketTask::handleWrite (bool& closed, bool noWrite) {
     if (closed) {
       return false;
     }
+
+    // rearm timer for keep-alive timeout
+    if (_keepAliveTimeout > 0.0) {
+      // TODO: do we need some lock before we modify the scheduler?
+      scheduler->rearmTimer(keepAliveWatcher, _keepAliveTimeout);
+    }
   }
 
   // we might have a new write buffer or none at all
@@ -382,6 +390,11 @@ void SocketTask::setup (Scheduler* scheduler, EventLoop loop) {
   readWatcher = scheduler->installSocketEvent(loop, EVENT_SOCKET_READ, this, commSocket);
   writeWatcher = scheduler->installSocketEvent(loop, EVENT_SOCKET_WRITE, this, commSocket);
 
+  // install timer for keep-alive timeout with some high default value
+  keepAliveWatcher = scheduler->installTimerEvent(loop, this, 60.0);
+  // and stop it immediately so it's not actively at the start
+  scheduler->clearTimer(keepAliveWatcher);
+
   tid = Thread::currentThreadId();
 }
 
@@ -392,6 +405,9 @@ void SocketTask::setup (Scheduler* scheduler, EventLoop loop) {
 void SocketTask::cleanup () {
   scheduler->uninstallEvent(watcher);
   watcher = 0;
+  
+  scheduler->uninstallEvent(keepAliveWatcher);
+  keepAliveWatcher = 0;
 
   scheduler->uninstallEvent(readWatcher);
   readWatcher = 0;
@@ -408,7 +424,23 @@ bool SocketTask::handleEvent (EventToken token, EventType revents) {
   bool result = true;
   bool closed = false;
 
+  if (token == keepAliveWatcher && (revents & EVENT_TIMER)) {
+    // got a keep-alive timeout
+    LOGGER_TRACE << "got keep-alive timeout signal, closing connection";
+
+    // TODO: do we need some lock before we modify the scheduler?
+    scheduler->clearTimer(token);
+
+    // this will close the connection and destroy the task
+    handleTimeout();
+    return false;
+  }
+
   if (token == readWatcher && (revents & EVENT_SOCKET_READ)) {
+    if (keepAliveWatcher != 0) {
+      // disable timer for keep-alive timeout
+      scheduler->clearTimer(keepAliveWatcher);
+    }
     result = handleRead(closed);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/Scheduler/SocketTask.h b/lib/Scheduler/SocketTask.h
index 40b60b6e31..0d195230cd 100644
--- a/lib/Scheduler/SocketTask.h
+++ b/lib/Scheduler/SocketTask.h
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ namespace triagens {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
         virtual bool handleRead (bool& closed) = 0;
-
+        
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief handles a write
 ///
@@ -158,6 +158,12 @@ namespace triagens {
 
         virtual void completedWriteBuffer (bool& closed) = 0;
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief handles a keep-alive timeout
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+        
+        virtual void handleTimeout () = 0;
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @}
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -239,6 +245,12 @@ namespace triagens {
 
       protected:
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief event for keep-alive timeout
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        EventToken keepAliveWatcher;
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief event for read
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -263,6 +275,12 @@ namespace triagens {
 
         socket_t commSocket;
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief keep-alive timeout in seconds 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        double _keepAliveTimeout;
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief lock on the write buffer
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -334,6 +352,7 @@ namespace triagens {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
         char * tmpReadBuffer;
+
     };
   }
 }