diff --git a/waku/v2/node/keepalive.go b/waku/v2/node/keepalive.go
index b0f7022c..f9b33e70 100644
--- a/waku/v2/node/keepalive.go
+++ b/waku/v2/node/keepalive.go
@@ -23,9 +23,26 @@ func (w *WakuNode) startKeepAlive(t time.Duration) {
 		w.log.Info("setting up ping protocol", zap.Duration("duration", t))
 		ticker := time.NewTicker(t)
 		defer ticker.Stop()
+
+		lastTimeExecuted := <-ticker.C
+		sleepDetectionInterval := int64(t) * 3
+
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-ticker.C:
+				difference := time.Now().UnixNano() - lastTimeExecuted.UnixNano()
+				if difference > sleepDetectionInterval {
+					w.log.Warn("keep alive hasnt been executed recently. Killing all connections to peers")
+					for _, p := range w.host.Network().Peers() {
+						err := w.host.Network().ClosePeer(p)
+						if err != nil {
+							w.log.Warn("while disconnecting peer", zap.Error(err))
+						}
+					}
+					lastTimeExecuted = time.Now()
+					continue
+				}
+
 				// Network's peers collection,
 				// contains only currently active peers
 				for _, p := range w.host.Network().Peers() {
@@ -34,6 +51,8 @@ func (w *WakuNode) startKeepAlive(t time.Duration) {
 						go w.pingPeer(p)
 					}
 				}
+
+				lastTimeExecuted = time.Now()
 			case <-w.quit:
 				return
 			}
@@ -58,7 +77,7 @@ func (w *WakuNode) pingPeer(peer peer.ID) {
 			w.keepAliveFails[peer]++
 			logger.Debug("could not ping", zap.Error(res.Error))
 		} else {
-			w.keepAliveFails[peer] = 0
+			delete(w.keepAliveFails, peer)
 		}
 	case <-ctx.Done():
 		w.keepAliveFails[peer]++