diff --git a/protocol/protocol.go b/protocol/protocol.go
index 442b185ab..9923b63e7 100644
--- a/protocol/protocol.go
+++ b/protocol/protocol.go
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ type asyncResult struct {
 }
 
 const (
-	pingTimeout  = 4 * time.Minute
-	pingIdleTime = 5 * time.Minute
+	pingTimeout  = 300 * time.Second
+	pingIdleTime = 600 * time.Second
 )
 
 func NewConnection(nodeID string, reader io.Reader, writer io.Writer, receiver Model) Connection {
@@ -476,11 +476,27 @@ func (c *rawConnection) pingerLoop() {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ticker:
+			if d := time.Since(c.xr.LastRead()); d < pingIdleTime {
+				if debug {
+					l.Debugln(c.id, "ping skipped after rd", d)
+				}
+				continue
+			}
+			if d := time.Since(c.xw.LastWrite()); d < pingIdleTime {
+				if debug {
+					l.Debugln(c.id, "ping skipped after wr", d)
+				}
+				continue
+			}
 			go func() {
+				if debug {
+					l.Debugln(c.id, "ping ->")
+				}
 				rc <- c.ping()
 			}()
 			select {
 			case ok := <-rc:
+				l.Debugln(c.id, "<- pong")
 				if !ok {
 					c.close(fmt.Errorf("ping failure"))
 				}
diff --git a/xdr/reader.go b/xdr/reader.go
index bad58324b..f0f4b8822 100644
--- a/xdr/reader.go
+++ b/xdr/reader.go
@@ -3,15 +3,17 @@ package xdr
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var ErrElementSizeExceeded = errors.New("element size exceeded")
 
 type Reader struct {
-	r   io.Reader
-	tot int
-	err error
-	b   [8]byte
+	r    io.Reader
+	tot  int
+	err  error
+	b    [8]byte
+	last time.Time
 }
 
 func NewReader(r io.Reader) *Reader {
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ func (r *Reader) ReadBytesMaxInto(max int, dst []byte) []byte {
 	if r.err != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	r.last = time.Now()
 	l := int(r.ReadUint32())
 	if r.err != nil {
 		return nil
@@ -74,6 +77,7 @@ func (r *Reader) ReadUint16() uint16 {
 	if r.err != nil {
 		return 0
 	}
+	r.last = time.Now()
 	_, r.err = io.ReadFull(r.r, r.b[:4])
 	r.tot += 4
 	v := uint16(r.b[1]) | uint16(r.b[0])<<8
@@ -88,6 +92,7 @@ func (r *Reader) ReadUint32() uint32 {
 	if r.err != nil {
 		return 0
 	}
+	r.last = time.Now()
 	n, r.err = io.ReadFull(r.r, r.b[:4])
 	if n < 4 {
 		return 0
@@ -105,6 +110,7 @@ func (r *Reader) ReadUint64() uint64 {
 	if r.err != nil {
 		return 0
 	}
+	r.last = time.Now()
 	n, r.err = io.ReadFull(r.r, r.b[:8])
 	r.tot += n
 	v := uint64(r.b[7]) | uint64(r.b[6])<<8 | uint64(r.b[5])<<16 | uint64(r.b[4])<<24 |
@@ -122,3 +128,7 @@ func (r *Reader) Tot() int {
 func (r *Reader) Error() error {
 	return r.err
 }
+
+func (r *Reader) LastRead() time.Time {
+	return r.last
+}
diff --git a/xdr/writer.go b/xdr/writer.go
index aae471218..a076410be 100644
--- a/xdr/writer.go
+++ b/xdr/writer.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package xdr
 
-import "io"
+import (
+	"io"
+	"time"
+)
 
 func pad(l int) int {
 	d := l % 4
@@ -13,10 +16,11 @@ func pad(l int) int {
 var padBytes = []byte{0, 0, 0}
 
 type Writer struct {
-	w   io.Writer
-	tot int
-	err error
-	b   [8]byte
+	w    io.Writer
+	tot  int
+	err  error
+	b    [8]byte
+	last time.Time
 }
 
 func NewWriter(w io.Writer) *Writer {
@@ -34,6 +38,7 @@ func (w *Writer) WriteBytes(bs []byte) (int, error) {
 		return 0, w.err
 	}
 
+	w.last = time.Now()
 	w.WriteUint32(uint32(len(bs)))
 	if w.err != nil {
 		return 0, w.err
@@ -65,6 +70,7 @@ func (w *Writer) WriteUint16(v uint16) (int, error) {
 		return 0, w.err
 	}
 
+	w.last = time.Now()
 	if debug {
 		dl.Debugf("wr uint16=%d", v)
 	}
@@ -85,6 +91,7 @@ func (w *Writer) WriteUint32(v uint32) (int, error) {
 		return 0, w.err
 	}
 
+	w.last = time.Now()
 	if debug {
 		dl.Debugf("wr uint32=%d", v)
 	}
@@ -105,6 +112,7 @@ func (w *Writer) WriteUint64(v uint64) (int, error) {
 		return 0, w.err
 	}
 
+	w.last = time.Now()
 	if debug {
 		dl.Debugf("wr uint64=%d", v)
 	}
@@ -131,3 +139,7 @@ func (w *Writer) Tot() int {
 func (w *Writer) Error() error {
 	return w.err
 }
+
+func (w *Writer) LastWrite() time.Time {
+	return w.last
+}