diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 61c4097a617..5d969a12aaa 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func populateConfig(config *Config) *Config {
 		HandshakeIdleTimeout:             handshakeIdleTimeout,
 		MaxIdleTimeout:                   idleTimeout,
 		AcceptToken:                      config.AcceptToken,
-		KeepAlive:                        config.KeepAlive,
+		KeepAlivePeriod:                  config.KeepAlivePeriod,
 		InitialStreamReceiveWindow:       initialStreamReceiveWindow,
 		MaxStreamReceiveWindow:           maxStreamReceiveWindow,
 		InitialConnectionReceiveWindow:   initialConnectionReceiveWindow,
diff --git a/config_test.go b/config_test.go
index 36f644e4098..692952f4fa8 100644
--- a/config_test.go
+++ b/config_test.go
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Config", func() {
 				f.Set(reflect.ValueOf(int64(12)))
 			case "StatelessResetKey":
 				f.Set(reflect.ValueOf([]byte{1, 2, 3, 4}))
-			case "KeepAlive":
-				f.Set(reflect.ValueOf(true))
+			case "KeepAlivePeriod":
+				f.Set(reflect.ValueOf(time.Second))
 			case "EnableDatagrams":
 				f.Set(reflect.ValueOf(true))
 			case "DisableVersionNegotiationPackets":
diff --git a/connection.go b/connection.go
index e0adc80c38d..ce45af86acb 100644
--- a/connection.go
+++ b/connection.go
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ func (s *connection) ConnectionState() ConnectionState {
 // Time when the next keep-alive packet should be sent.
 // It returns a zero time if no keep-alive should be sent.
 func (s *connection) nextKeepAliveTime() time.Time {
-	if !s.config.KeepAlive || s.keepAlivePingSent || !s.firstAckElicitingPacketAfterIdleSentTime.IsZero() {
+	if s.config.KeepAlivePeriod == 0 || s.keepAlivePingSent || !s.firstAckElicitingPacketAfterIdleSentTime.IsZero() {
 		return time.Time{}
 	}
 	return s.lastPacketReceivedTime.Add(s.keepAliveInterval)
@@ -1618,7 +1618,7 @@ func (s *connection) applyTransportParameters() {
 	params := s.peerParams
 	// Our local idle timeout will always be > 0.
 	s.idleTimeout = utils.MinNonZeroDuration(s.config.MaxIdleTimeout, params.MaxIdleTimeout)
-	s.keepAliveInterval = utils.MinDuration(s.idleTimeout/2, protocol.MaxKeepAliveInterval)
+	s.keepAliveInterval = utils.MinDuration(s.config.KeepAlivePeriod, utils.MinDuration(s.idleTimeout/2, protocol.MaxKeepAliveInterval))
 	s.streamsMap.UpdateLimits(params)
 	s.packer.HandleTransportParameters(params)
 	s.frameParser.SetAckDelayExponent(params.AckDelayExponent)
diff --git a/connection_test.go b/connection_test.go
index c36681f777a..9c5d3fb9de5 100644
--- a/connection_test.go
+++ b/connection_test.go
@@ -2102,7 +2102,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Connection", func() {
 
 		BeforeEach(func() {
 			conn.config.MaxIdleTimeout = 30 * time.Second
-			conn.config.KeepAlive = true
+			conn.config.KeepAlivePeriod = 15 * time.Second
 			conn.receivedPacketHandler.ReceivedPacket(0, protocol.ECNNon, protocol.EncryptionHandshake, time.Now(), true)
 		})
 
@@ -2146,7 +2146,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Connection", func() {
 
 		It("doesn't send a PING packet if keep-alive is disabled", func() {
 			setRemoteIdleTimeout(5 * time.Second)
-			conn.config.KeepAlive = false
+			conn.config.KeepAlivePeriod = 0
 			conn.lastPacketReceivedTime = time.Now().Add(-time.Second * 5 / 2)
 			runConn()
 			// don't EXPECT() any calls to mconn.Write()
diff --git a/http3/client.go b/http3/client.go
index 325fd4d4456..c1600e619cb 100644
--- a/http3/client.go
+++ b/http3/client.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/lucas-clemente/quic-go"
 	"github.com/lucas-clemente/quic-go/internal/protocol"
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ const (
 
 var defaultQuicConfig = &quic.Config{
 	MaxIncomingStreams: -1, // don't allow the server to create bidirectional streams
-	KeepAlive:          true,
+	KeepAlivePeriod:    10 * time.Second,
 	Versions:           []protocol.VersionNumber{protocol.VersionTLS},
 }
 
diff --git a/integrationtests/self/timeout_test.go b/integrationtests/self/timeout_test.go
index cd7b82ca2f6..2b61d4ec534 100644
--- a/integrationtests/self/timeout_test.go
+++ b/integrationtests/self/timeout_test.go
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Timeout tests", func() {
 			getTLSClientConfig(),
 			getQuicConfig(&quic.Config{
 				MaxIdleTimeout:          idleTimeout,
-				KeepAlive:               true,
+				KeepAlivePeriod:         idleTimeout / 2,
 				DisablePathMTUDiscovery: true,
 			}),
 		)
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Timeout tests", func() {
 				getQuicConfig(&quic.Config{
 					HandshakeIdleTimeout:    handshakeTimeout,
 					MaxIdleTimeout:          handshakeTimeout,
-					KeepAlive:               true,
+					KeepAlivePeriod:         handshakeTimeout / 2,
 					DisablePathMTUDiscovery: true,
 				}),
 			)
diff --git a/interface.go b/interface.go
index cb1c1de3a39..9f9babf0b1b 100644
--- a/interface.go
+++ b/interface.go
@@ -281,8 +281,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	// The StatelessResetKey is used to generate stateless reset tokens.
 	// If no key is configured, sending of stateless resets is disabled.
 	StatelessResetKey []byte
-	// KeepAlive defines whether this peer will periodically send a packet to keep the connection alive.
-	KeepAlive bool
+	// KeepAlivePeriod defines whether this peer will periodically send a packet to keep the connection alive.
+	// If set to 0, then no keep alive is sent. Otherwise, the keep alive is sent on that period (or at most
+	// every half of MaxIdleTimeout, whichever is smaller).
+	KeepAlivePeriod time.Duration
 	// DisablePathMTUDiscovery disables Path MTU Discovery (RFC 8899).
 	// Packets will then be at most 1252 (IPv4) / 1232 (IPv6) bytes in size.
 	// Note that if Path MTU discovery is causing issues on your system, please open a new issue
diff --git a/server_test.go b/server_test.go
index 509af9e9812..2cdb98d06db 100644
--- a/server_test.go
+++ b/server_test.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Server", func() {
 		Expect(server.config.HandshakeIdleTimeout).To(Equal(protocol.DefaultHandshakeIdleTimeout))
 		Expect(server.config.MaxIdleTimeout).To(Equal(protocol.DefaultIdleTimeout))
 		Expect(reflect.ValueOf(server.config.AcceptToken)).To(Equal(reflect.ValueOf(defaultAcceptToken)))
-		Expect(server.config.KeepAlive).To(BeFalse())
+		Expect(server.config.KeepAlivePeriod).To(Equal(0 * time.Second))
 		// stop the listener
 		Expect(ln.Close()).To(Succeed())
 	})
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Server", func() {
 			AcceptToken:          acceptToken,
 			HandshakeIdleTimeout: 1337 * time.Hour,
 			MaxIdleTimeout:       42 * time.Minute,
-			KeepAlive:            true,
+			KeepAlivePeriod:      5 * time.Second,
 			StatelessResetKey:    []byte("foobar"),
 		}
 		ln, err := Listen(conn, tlsConf, &config)
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Server", func() {
 		Expect(server.config.HandshakeIdleTimeout).To(Equal(1337 * time.Hour))
 		Expect(server.config.MaxIdleTimeout).To(Equal(42 * time.Minute))
 		Expect(reflect.ValueOf(server.config.AcceptToken)).To(Equal(reflect.ValueOf(acceptToken)))
-		Expect(server.config.KeepAlive).To(BeTrue())
+		Expect(server.config.KeepAlivePeriod).To(Equal(5 * time.Second))
 		Expect(server.config.StatelessResetKey).To(Equal([]byte("foobar")))
 		// stop the listener
 		Expect(ln.Close()).To(Succeed())