diff --git a/src/ucp/core/ucp_proxy_ep.c b/src/ucp/core/ucp_proxy_ep.c
index bc612ea5311..114988ee78a 100644
--- a/src/ucp/core/ucp_proxy_ep.c
+++ b/src/ucp/core/ucp_proxy_ep.c
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ void ucp_proxy_ep_replace(ucp_proxy_ep_t *proxy_ep)
     ucp_ep_h ucp_ep = proxy_ep->ucp_ep;
     ucp_lane_index_t lane;
     uct_ep_h tl_ep = NULL;
+    ucs_status_t status;
 
     ucs_assert(proxy_ep->uct_ep != NULL);
     for (lane = 0; lane < ucp_ep_num_lanes(ucp_ep); ++lane) {
@@ -224,6 +225,11 @@ void ucp_proxy_ep_replace(ucp_proxy_ep_t *proxy_ep)
             ucp_ep->uct_eps[lane] = proxy_ep->uct_ep;
             tl_ep = ucp_ep->uct_eps[lane];
             proxy_ep->uct_ep = NULL;
+            status = uct_ep_enable_keep_alive(tl_ep, 1);
+            if (status != UCS_OK) {
+                ucs_diag("ep %p: uct_ep_enable_keep_alive(tl_ep=%p, 1) failed %s",
+                         ucp_ep, tl_ep, ucs_status_string(status));
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/ucp/wireup/wireup_ep.c b/src/ucp/wireup/wireup_ep.c
index 2a97c188d18..bc3de9122d1 100644
--- a/src/ucp/wireup/wireup_ep.c
+++ b/src/ucp/wireup/wireup_ep.c
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ UCS_CLASS_INIT_FUNC(ucp_wireup_ep_t, ucp_ep_h ucp_ep)
 {
     static uct_iface_ops_t ops = {
         .ep_connect_to_ep    = ucp_wireup_ep_connect_to_ep,
+        .ep_enable_keep_alive= (uct_ep_enable_keep_alive_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_unsupported,
         .ep_flush            = ucp_wireup_ep_flush,
         .ep_query            = (uct_ep_query_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_not_connected,
         .ep_destroy          = UCS_CLASS_DELETE_FUNC_NAME(ucp_wireup_ep_t),
diff --git a/src/uct/api/tl.h b/src/uct/api/tl.h
index b0dcbe84964..d5226123dfb 100644
--- a/src/uct/api/tl.h
+++ b/src/uct/api/tl.h
@@ -230,6 +230,8 @@ typedef ucs_status_t (*uct_ep_connect_to_ep_func_t)(uct_ep_h ep,
                                                     const uct_device_addr_t *dev_addr,
                                                     const uct_ep_addr_t *ep_addr);
 
+typedef ucs_status_t (*uct_ep_enable_keep_alive_func_t)(uct_ep_h ep, int enable);
+
 typedef ucs_status_t (*uct_iface_accept_func_t)(uct_iface_h iface,
                                                 uct_conn_request_h conn_request);
 
@@ -341,6 +343,7 @@ typedef struct uct_iface_ops {
     uct_ep_destroy_func_t               ep_destroy;
     uct_ep_get_address_func_t           ep_get_address;
     uct_ep_connect_to_ep_func_t         ep_connect_to_ep;
+    uct_ep_enable_keep_alive_func_t     ep_enable_keep_alive;
     uct_iface_accept_func_t             iface_accept;
     uct_iface_reject_func_t             iface_reject;
 
diff --git a/src/uct/api/uct.h b/src/uct/api/uct.h
index 1067467867b..8802e7e4d34 100644
--- a/src/uct/api/uct.h
+++ b/src/uct/api/uct.h
@@ -2064,6 +2064,17 @@ ucs_status_t uct_ep_connect_to_ep(uct_ep_h ep, const uct_device_addr_t *dev_addr
                                   const uct_ep_addr_t *ep_addr);
 
 
+/**
+ * @ingroup UCT_RESOURCE
+ * @brief enable/disable keep alive protocol on the endpoint.
+ *
+ * @param [in] ep           Endpoint to enable keep alive on.
+ * @param [in] enable       1 - enable, 0 - disable keep alive
+ * @return UCS_OK               In case of success
+ *         UCS_ERR_UNSUPPORTED  If transport does not support keep alive
+ */
+ucs_status_t uct_ep_enable_keep_alive(uct_ep_h ep, int enable);
+
 /**
  * @ingroup UCT_MD
  * @brief Query for memory domain attributes.
diff --git a/src/uct/base/uct_iface.c b/src/uct/base/uct_iface.c
index 8e4e2067ae0..51e792e172b 100644
--- a/src/uct/base/uct_iface.c
+++ b/src/uct/base/uct_iface.c
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ ucs_status_t uct_set_ep_failed(ucs_class_t *cls, uct_ep_h tl_ep,
     ops->ep_fence            = (uct_ep_fence_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_ep_timeout;
     ops->ep_check            = (uct_ep_check_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_ep_timeout;
     ops->ep_connect_to_ep    = (uct_ep_connect_to_ep_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_ep_timeout;
+    ops->ep_enable_keep_alive= (uct_ep_enable_keep_alive_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_ep_timeout,
     ops->ep_query            = (uct_ep_query_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_ep_timeout;
     ops->ep_destroy          = uct_ep_failed_destroy;
     ops->ep_get_address      = (uct_ep_get_address_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_ep_timeout;
@@ -558,6 +559,11 @@ ucs_status_t uct_ep_connect_to_ep(uct_ep_h ep, const uct_device_addr_t *dev_addr
     return ep->iface->ops.ep_connect_to_ep(ep, dev_addr, ep_addr);
 }
 
+ucs_status_t uct_ep_enable_keep_alive(uct_ep_h ep, int enable)
+{
+    return ep->iface->ops.ep_enable_keep_alive(ep, enable);
+}
+
 ucs_status_t uct_cm_client_ep_conn_notify(uct_ep_h ep)
 {
     return ep->iface->ops.cm_ep_conn_notify(ep);
diff --git a/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5.h b/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5.h
index 388ee2f2148..4eb8ea7ab0a 100644
--- a/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5.h
+++ b/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5.h
@@ -125,6 +125,8 @@ ucs_status_t uct_rc_mlx5_ep_connect_to_ep(uct_ep_h tl_ep,
                                           const uct_device_addr_t *dev_addr,
                                           const uct_ep_addr_t *ep_addr);
 
+ucs_status_t uct_rc_mlx5_ep_enable_keep_alive(uct_ep_h tl_ep, int enable);
+
 unsigned uct_rc_mlx5_iface_progress(void *arg);
 
 ucs_status_t uct_rc_mlx5_ep_tag_eager_short(uct_ep_h tl_ep, uct_tag_t tag,
diff --git a/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5_ep.c b/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5_ep.c
index 1340039f14e..db6d6b9cd9e 100644
--- a/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5_ep.c
+++ b/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5_ep.c
@@ -701,11 +701,18 @@ ucs_status_t uct_rc_mlx5_ep_connect_to_ep(uct_ep_h tl_ep,
     }
 
     ep->atomic_mr_offset = uct_ib_md_atomic_offset(rc_addr->atomic_mr_id);
-    ep->connected        = 1;
 
     return UCS_OK;
 }
 
+ucs_status_t uct_rc_mlx5_ep_enable_keep_alive(uct_ep_h tl_ep, int enable)
+{
+    uct_rc_mlx5_ep_t *rc_mlx5_ep = ucs_derived_of(tl_ep, uct_rc_mlx5_ep_t);
+
+    rc_mlx5_ep->connected = enable;
+    return UCS_OK;
+}
+
 #if IBV_HW_TM
 
 ucs_status_t uct_rc_mlx5_ep_tag_rndv_cancel(uct_ep_h tl_ep, void *op)
diff --git a/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5_iface.c b/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5_iface.c
index 7316736c215..0cb3e9a7055 100644
--- a/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5_iface.c
+++ b/src/uct/ib/rc/accel/rc_mlx5_iface.c
@@ -798,6 +798,7 @@ static uct_rc_iface_ops_t uct_rc_mlx5_iface_ops = {
     .ep_destroy               = UCS_CLASS_DELETE_FUNC_NAME(uct_rc_mlx5_ep_t),
     .ep_get_address           = uct_rc_mlx5_ep_get_address,
     .ep_connect_to_ep         = uct_rc_mlx5_ep_connect_to_ep,
+    .ep_enable_keep_alive     = uct_rc_mlx5_ep_enable_keep_alive,
 #if IBV_HW_TM
     .ep_tag_eager_short       = uct_rc_mlx5_ep_tag_eager_short,
     .ep_tag_eager_bcopy       = uct_rc_mlx5_ep_tag_eager_bcopy,
diff --git a/src/uct/ib/rc/verbs/rc_verbs_iface.c b/src/uct/ib/rc/verbs/rc_verbs_iface.c
index 4d23196d8d9..41a9c79db8c 100644
--- a/src/uct/ib/rc/verbs/rc_verbs_iface.c
+++ b/src/uct/ib/rc/verbs/rc_verbs_iface.c
@@ -410,6 +410,7 @@ static uct_rc_iface_ops_t uct_rc_verbs_iface_ops = {
     .ep_destroy               = UCS_CLASS_DELETE_FUNC_NAME(uct_rc_verbs_ep_t),
     .ep_get_address           = uct_rc_verbs_ep_get_address,
     .ep_connect_to_ep         = uct_rc_verbs_ep_connect_to_ep,
+    .ep_enable_keep_alive     = (uct_ep_enable_keep_alive_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_unsupported,
     .iface_flush              = uct_rc_iface_flush,
     .iface_fence              = uct_rc_iface_fence,
     .iface_progress_enable    = uct_rc_verbs_iface_common_progress_enable,
diff --git a/src/uct/ib/ud/accel/ud_mlx5.c b/src/uct/ib/ud/accel/ud_mlx5.c
index a86d0b5d51e..3492e5830a0 100644
--- a/src/uct/ib/ud/accel/ud_mlx5.c
+++ b/src/uct/ib/ud/accel/ud_mlx5.c
@@ -756,6 +756,7 @@ static uct_ud_iface_ops_t uct_ud_mlx5_iface_ops = {
     .ep_destroy               = uct_ud_ep_disconnect ,
     .ep_get_address           = uct_ud_ep_get_address,
     .ep_connect_to_ep         = uct_ud_mlx5_ep_connect_to_ep,
+    .ep_enable_keep_alive     = (uct_ep_enable_keep_alive_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_unsupported,
     .iface_flush              = uct_ud_iface_flush,
     .iface_fence              = uct_base_iface_fence,
     .iface_progress_enable    = uct_ud_iface_progress_enable,
diff --git a/src/uct/ib/ud/verbs/ud_verbs.c b/src/uct/ib/ud/verbs/ud_verbs.c
index d8531a2d064..0e957771fd1 100644
--- a/src/uct/ib/ud/verbs/ud_verbs.c
+++ b/src/uct/ib/ud/verbs/ud_verbs.c
@@ -571,6 +571,7 @@ static uct_ud_iface_ops_t uct_ud_verbs_iface_ops = {
     .ep_destroy               = uct_ud_ep_disconnect,
     .ep_get_address           = uct_ud_ep_get_address,
     .ep_connect_to_ep         = uct_ud_verbs_ep_connect_to_ep,
+    .ep_enable_keep_alive     = (uct_ep_enable_keep_alive_func_t)ucs_empty_function_return_unsupported,
     .iface_flush              = uct_ud_iface_flush,
     .iface_fence              = uct_base_iface_fence,
     .iface_progress_enable    = uct_ud_iface_progress_enable,