diff --git a/tests/test_tui_gateway_ws.py b/tests/test_tui_gateway_ws.py
index 096f5a4c2c..7dbebed65c 100644
--- a/tests/test_tui_gateway_ws.py
+++ b/tests/test_tui_gateway_ws.py
@@ -153,6 +153,50 @@ def test_ws_starts_mcp_discovery_before_ready(monkeypatch):
     assert events == ["accept", "ready_after_0"]
 
 
+def test_ws_ready_advertises_heartbeat_and_ping_is_inline(monkeypatch):
+    sent = []
+    inbound = iter(
+        [
+            json.dumps(
+                {
+                    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+                    "id": "heartbeat-1",
+                    "method": "gateway.ping",
+                    "params": {},
+                }
+            )
+        ]
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(server, "_WS_ORPHAN_REAP_GRACE_S", 0)
+
+    class FakeWS:
+        async def accept(self):
+            pass
+
+        async def send_text(self, line):
+            sent.append(json.loads(line))
+
+        async def receive_text(self):
+            try:
+                return next(inbound)
+            except StopIteration:
+                raise ws_mod._WebSocketDisconnect()
+
+        async def close(self):
+            pass
+
+    asyncio.run(ws_mod.handle_ws(FakeWS()))
+
+    ready = sent[0]["params"]
+    assert ready["type"] == "gateway.ready"
+    assert ready["payload"]["heartbeat"] is True
+    assert sent[1] == {
+        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+        "result": {"ok": True},
+        "id": "heartbeat-1",
+    }
+
+
 def test_ws_transport_serializes_concurrent_sends():
     active_sends = 0
     max_active_sends = 0
diff --git a/tui_gateway/ws.py b/tui_gateway/ws.py
index dc1367d38f..be324ae55f 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/ws.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/ws.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import json
 import logging
 import socket
 import threading
+import time
 from typing import Any
 
 from tui_gateway import server
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ class WSTransport:
         #: browser-controller registration.
         self.auth_identity = auth_identity
         self._closed = False
+        self._last_inbound_at = time.monotonic()
         # Token-coalescing buffer (CF-2). Streamed token frames land here and a
         # short timer flushes the batch. The lock guards the buffer + the
         # "armed" flag against the worker threads that call write(); the timer
@@ -116,6 +118,17 @@ class WSTransport:
         # the owning loop while it recovers from a stall.
         self._send_lock = asyncio.Lock()
 
+    @property
+    def closed(self) -> bool:
+        return self._closed
+
+    @property
+    def last_inbound_at(self) -> float:
+        return self._last_inbound_at
+
+    def mark_inbound(self) -> None:
+        self._last_inbound_at = time.monotonic()
+
     @staticmethod
     def _is_streaming_frame(obj: dict) -> bool:
         """True for high-frequency per-token frames eligible for coalescing."""
@@ -361,7 +374,11 @@ async def handle_ws(
                     # change_events: this backend broadcasts pet.changed /
                     # cron.changed / sessions.changed, so clients can demote
                     # their legacy polls to slow backstops.
-                    "payload": {"skin": skin_payload, "change_events": True},
+                    "payload": {
+                        "skin": skin_payload,
+                        "change_events": True,
+                        "heartbeat": True,
+                    },
                 },
             }
         )
@@ -404,6 +421,7 @@ async def handle_ws(
             line = raw.strip()
             if not line:
                 continue
+            transport.mark_inbound()
             messages += 1
 
             try:
@@ -438,6 +456,22 @@ async def handle_ws(
             # response dict, which we write here from the loop.
             req_id = req.get("id") if isinstance(req, dict) else None
             req_method = req.get("method") if isinstance(req, dict) else None
+
+            if req_method == "gateway.ping":
+                ok = await transport.write_async(
+                    {
+                        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+                        "result": {"ok": True},
+                        "id": req_id,
+                    }
+                )
+                if not ok:
+                    disconnect_reason = "send_failed_after_heartbeat"
+                    send_failures += 1
+                    _log.warning("ws heartbeat reply send failed peer=%s id=%s", peer, req_id)
+                    break
+                continue
+
             try:
                 resp = await asyncio.to_thread(server.dispatch, req, transport)
             except Exception: