diff --git a/src/aclk/aclk.c b/src/aclk/aclk.c
index 41f26ded5904b9..2f8e8b703b6a8f 100644
--- a/src/aclk/aclk.c
+++ b/src/aclk/aclk.c
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 int aclk_pubacks_per_conn = 0; // How many PubAcks we got since MQTT conn est.
 int aclk_rcvd_cloud_msgs = 0;
 int aclk_connection_counter = 0;
-int disconnect_req = 0;
 
 static bool aclk_connected = false;
 static inline void aclk_set_connected(void) {
@@ -51,7 +50,8 @@ bool aclk_online_for_nodes(void) {
 
 int aclk_ctx_based = 0;
 int aclk_disable_runtime = 0;
-int aclk_kill_link = 0;
+
+ACLK_DISCONNECT_ACTION disconnect_req = ACLK_NO_DISCONNECT;
 
 usec_t aclk_session_us = 0;
 time_t aclk_session_sec = 0;
@@ -301,14 +301,26 @@ static int handle_connection(mqtt_wss_client client)
             return 1;
         }
 
-        if (disconnect_req || aclk_kill_link) {
-            nd_log(NDLS_DAEMON, NDLP_NOTICE,
-                   "Going to restart connection due to disconnect_req=%s (cloud req), aclk_kill_link=%s (reclaim)",
-                   disconnect_req ? "true" : "false",
-                   aclk_kill_link ? "true" : "false");
+        if (disconnect_req != ACLK_NO_DISCONNECT) {
+            const char *reason;
+            switch (disconnect_req) {
+                case ACLK_CLOUD_DISCONNECT:
+                    reason = "cloud request";
+                    break;
+                case ACLK_PING_TIMEOUT:
+                    reason = "ping timeout";
+                    break;
+                case ACLK_RELOAD_CONF:
+                    reason = "reclaim";
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    reason = "unknown";
+                    break;
+            }
+
+            nd_log(NDLS_DAEMON, NDLP_NOTICE, "Going to restart connection due to \"%s\"", reason);
 
-            disconnect_req = 0;
-            aclk_kill_link = 0;
+            disconnect_req = ACLK_NO_DISCONNECT;
             aclk_graceful_disconnect(client);
             aclk_shared_state.mqtt_shutdown_msg_id = -1;
             aclk_shared_state.mqtt_shutdown_msg_rcvd = 0;
diff --git a/src/aclk/aclk.h b/src/aclk/aclk.h
index b8e719bc87fcc9..45a2eac85494f7 100644
--- a/src/aclk/aclk.h
+++ b/src/aclk/aclk.h
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
 // stable for the purposes of TBEB (truncated binary exponential backoff)
 #define ACLK_PUBACKS_CONN_STABLE 3
 
+typedef enum {
+    ACLK_NO_DISCONNECT = 0,
+    ACLK_CLOUD_DISCONNECT = 1,
+    ACLK_RELOAD_CONF = 2,
+    ACLK_PING_TIMEOUT = 3
+} ACLK_DISCONNECT_ACTION;
+
 typedef enum __attribute__((packed)) {
     ACLK_STATUS_CONNECTED = 0,
     ACLK_STATUS_NONE,
@@ -62,7 +69,7 @@ extern time_t aclk_session_sec;
 extern time_t aclk_block_until;
 
 extern int aclk_connection_counter;
-extern int disconnect_req;
+extern ACLK_DISCONNECT_ACTION disconnect_req;
 
 void *aclk_main(void *ptr);
 
diff --git a/src/aclk/aclk_rx_msgs.c b/src/aclk/aclk_rx_msgs.c
index ce517048c2c93a..36bd3599d622fe 100644
--- a/src/aclk/aclk_rx_msgs.c
+++ b/src/aclk/aclk_rx_msgs.c
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ int handle_disconnect_req(const char *msg, size_t msg_len)
             "Cloud asks not to reconnect for %u seconds. We shall honor that request",
             (unsigned int)cmd->reconnect_after_s);
     }
-    disconnect_req = 1;
+    disconnect_req = ACLK_CLOUD_DISCONNECT;
     freez(cmd->error_description);
     freez(cmd);
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_ng.c b/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_ng.c
index daf7931151bdec..6026a1e55ef67c 100644
--- a/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_ng.c
+++ b/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_ng.c
@@ -1804,6 +1804,7 @@ static int parse_data(struct mqtt_ng_client *client)
                         return MQTT_NG_CLIENT_PROTOCOL_ERROR;
                     }
                     parser->state = MQTT_PARSE_MQTT_PACKET_DONE;
+                    ping_timeout = 0;
                     break;
                 case MQTT_CPT_DISCONNECT:
                     rc = parse_disconnect_varhdr(client);
diff --git a/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_ng.h b/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_ng.h
index 1661f540e2c795..c5f6d94ccf9dbe 100644
--- a/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_ng.h
+++ b/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_ng.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #define MQTT_NG_MSGGEN_MSG_TOO_BIG 3
 
 struct mqtt_ng_client;
-
+extern time_t ping_timeout;
 /* Converts integer to MQTT Variable Byte Integer as per 1.5.5 of MQTT 5 specs
  * @param input value to be converted
  * @param output pointer to memory where output will be written to. Must allow up to 4 bytes to be written.
diff --git a/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_wss_client.c b/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_wss_client.c
index 2b2c972bb7fe5d..92c489905a4583 100644
--- a/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_wss_client.c
+++ b/src/aclk/mqtt_websockets/mqtt_wss_client.c
@@ -9,12 +9,16 @@
 #include "mqtt_ng.h"
 #include "ws_client.h"
 #include "common_internal.h"
+#include "../aclk.h"
 
 #define PIPE_READ_END  0
 #define PIPE_WRITE_END 1
 #define POLLFD_SOCKET  0
 #define POLLFD_PIPE    1
 
+#define PING_TIMEOUT    (60)  //Expect a ping response within this time (seconds)
+time_t ping_timeout = 0;
+
 #if (OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER < OPENSSL_VERSION_110) && (SSLEAY_VERSION_NUMBER >= OPENSSL_VERSION_097)
 #include <openssl/conf.h>
 #endif
@@ -744,13 +748,11 @@ static int handle_mqtt_internal(mqtt_wss_client client)
     return 0;
 }
 
-#define SEC_TO_MSEC 1000
-static long long int t_till_next_keepalive_ms(mqtt_wss_client client)
+static int t_till_next_keepalive_ms(mqtt_wss_client client)
 {
     time_t last_send = mqtt_ng_last_send_time(client->mqtt);
-    long long int next_mqtt_keep_alive = (last_send * SEC_TO_MSEC)
-        + (client->mqtt_keepalive * (SEC_TO_MSEC * 0.75 /* SEND IN ADVANCE */));
-    return(next_mqtt_keep_alive - (time(NULL) * SEC_TO_MSEC));
+    time_t next_mqtt_keep_alive = last_send + client->mqtt_keepalive * 0.75;
+    return ((next_mqtt_keep_alive - now_realtime_sec()) * MSEC_PER_SEC);
 }
 
 #ifdef MQTT_WSS_CPUSTATS
@@ -777,10 +779,12 @@ int mqtt_wss_service(mqtt_wss_client client, int timeout_ms)
 #endif
 
     // Check user requested TO doesn't interfere with MQTT keep alives
-    long long int till_next_keep_alive = t_till_next_keepalive_ms(client);
-    if (client->mqtt_connected && (timeout_ms < 0 || timeout_ms >= till_next_keep_alive)) {
-        timeout_ms = till_next_keep_alive;
-        send_keepalive = 1;
+    if (!ping_timeout) {
+        int till_next_keep_alive = t_till_next_keepalive_ms(client);
+        if (client->mqtt_connected && (timeout_ms < 0 || timeout_ms >= till_next_keep_alive)) {
+            timeout_ms = till_next_keep_alive;
+            send_keepalive = 1;
+        }
     }
 
 #ifdef MQTT_WSS_CPUSTATS
@@ -802,11 +806,17 @@ int mqtt_wss_service(mqtt_wss_client client, int timeout_ms)
 #endif
 
     if (ret == 0) {
+        time_t now = now_realtime_sec();
         if (send_keepalive) {
             // otherwise we shortened the timeout ourselves to take care of
             // MQTT keep alives
             mqtt_ng_ping(client->mqtt);
+            ping_timeout = now + PING_TIMEOUT;
         } else {
+            if (ping_timeout && ping_timeout < now) {
+                disconnect_req = ACLK_PING_TIMEOUT;
+                ping_timeout = 0;
+            }
             // if poll timed out and user requested timeout was being used
             // return here let user do his work and he will call us back soon
             return 0;
diff --git a/src/claim/claim.c b/src/claim/claim.c
index 03fb18c388fefa..da64a1367c6531 100644
--- a/src/claim/claim.c
+++ b/src/claim/claim.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ bool load_claiming_state(void) {
     if (aclk_online()) {
         nd_log(NDLS_DAEMON, NDLP_ERR,
                "CLAIM: agent was already connected to NC - forcing reconnection under new credentials");
-        aclk_kill_link = 1;
+        disconnect_req = ACLK_RELOAD_CONF;
     }
     aclk_disable_runtime = 0;