diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/config.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/config.rs
index f5510443..a3ec78bf 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/config.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/config.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ pub(crate) struct Inner {
     pub(crate) port: Vec<u16>,
     #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
     pub(crate) connect_timeout: Option<Duration>,
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    pub(crate) keepalives: bool,
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    pub(crate) keepalives_idle: Duration,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
@@ -59,6 +63,10 @@ impl Config {
             port: vec![],
             #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
             connect_timeout: None,
+            #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+            keepalives: true,
+            #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+            keepalives_idle: Duration::from_secs(2 * 60 * 60),
         }))
     }
 
@@ -100,6 +108,18 @@ impl Config {
         self
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    pub fn keepalives(&mut self, keepalives: bool) -> &mut Config {
+        Arc::make_mut(&mut self.0).keepalives = keepalives;
+        self
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    pub fn keepalives_idle(&mut self, keepalives_idle: Duration) -> &mut Config {
+        Arc::make_mut(&mut self.0).keepalives_idle = keepalives_idle;
+        self
+    }
+
     pub fn password<T>(&mut self, password: T) -> &mut Config
     where
         T: AsRef<[u8]>,
@@ -170,6 +190,20 @@ impl FromStr for Config {
                         builder.connect_timeout(Duration::from_secs(timeout as u64));
                     }
                 }
+                #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+                "keepalives" => {
+                    let keepalives = value.parse::<u64>().map_err(Error::invalid_keepalives)?;
+                    builder.keepalives(keepalives != 0);
+                }
+                #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+                "keepalives_idle" => {
+                    let keepalives_idle = value
+                        .parse::<i64>()
+                        .map_err(Error::invalid_keepalives_idle)?;
+                    if keepalives_idle > 0 {
+                        builder.keepalives_idle(Duration::from_secs(keepalives_idle as u64));
+                    }
+                }
                 key => {
                     builder.param(key, &value);
                 }
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/error/mod.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/error/mod.rs
index 1b7fca2c..58f0e56b 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/error/mod.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/error/mod.rs
@@ -359,6 +359,10 @@ enum Kind {
     #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
     InvalidConnectTimeout,
     #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    InvalidKeepalives,
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    InvalidKeepalivesIdle,
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
     Timer,
     #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
     ConnectTimeout,
@@ -410,6 +414,10 @@ impl fmt::Display for Error {
             #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
             Kind::InvalidConnectTimeout => "invalid connect_timeout",
             #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+            Kind::InvalidKeepalives => "invalid keepalives",
+            #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+            Kind::InvalidKeepalivesIdle => "invalid keepalives_value",
+            #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
             Kind::Timer => "timer error",
             #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
             Kind::ConnectTimeout => "timed out connecting to server",
@@ -541,6 +549,16 @@ impl Error {
         Error::new(Kind::InvalidConnectTimeout, Some(Box::new(e)))
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    pub(crate) fn invalid_keepalives(e: ParseIntError) -> Error {
+        Error::new(Kind::InvalidKeepalives, Some(Box::new(e)))
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    pub(crate) fn invalid_keepalives_idle(e: ParseIntError) -> Error {
+        Error::new(Kind::InvalidKeepalivesIdle, Some(Box::new(e)))
+    }
+
     #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
     pub(crate) fn timer(e: tokio_timer::Error) -> Error {
         Error::new(Kind::Timer, Some(Box::new(e)))
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/proto/connect_once.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/proto/connect_once.rs
index 2c21f8d8..cfffe3b5 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/proto/connect_once.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/proto/connect_once.rs
@@ -194,6 +194,12 @@ where
         let state = state.take();
 
         stream.set_nodelay(true).map_err(Error::connect)?;
+        if state.config.0.keepalives {
+            stream
+                .set_keepalive(Some(state.config.0.keepalives_idle))
+                .map_err(Error::connect)?;
+        }
+
         let stream = Socket::new_tcp(stream);
 
         transition!(Handshaking {
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/tests/test/parse.rs b/tokio-postgres/tests/test/parse.rs
index ac320d20..74fedb38 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/tests/test/parse.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/tests/test/parse.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+use std::time::Duration;
+
 #[test]
 fn pairs_ok() {
     let params = r"user=foo password=' fizz \'buzz\\ ' thing = ''"
@@ -17,10 +20,26 @@ fn pairs_ok() {
 fn pairs_ws() {
     let params = " user\t=\r\n\x0bfoo \t password = hunter2 "
         .parse::<tokio_postgres::Config>()
-        .unwrap();;
+        .unwrap();
 
     let mut expected = tokio_postgres::Config::new();
     expected.param("user", "foo").password("hunter2");
 
     assert_eq!(params, expected);
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+fn settings() {
+    let params = "connect_timeout=3 keepalives=0 keepalives_idle=30"
+        .parse::<tokio_postgres::Config>()
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let mut expected = tokio_postgres::Config::new();
+    expected
+        .connect_timeout(Duration::from_secs(3))
+        .keepalives(false)
+        .keepalives_idle(Duration::from_secs(30));
+
+    assert_eq!(params, expected);
+}