diff --git a/spdy/listener.go b/spdy/listener.go
index 570b69a..f531f7e 100644
--- a/spdy/listener.go
+++ b/spdy/listener.go
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ package spdy
 
 import (
 	"net"
+	"time"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 )
 
 // TransportListener is a listener which accepts new
@@ -9,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 type TransportListener struct {
 	listener net.Listener
 	auth     Authenticator
+	timeout  *time.Duration
 }
 
 // NewTransportListener creates a new listen transport using
@@ -32,11 +36,36 @@ func (l *TransportListener) Close() error {
 // and creates a new stream.  Connections which fail
 // authentication will not be returned.
 func (l *TransportListener) AcceptTransport() (*Transport, error) {
+	tranChan := make(chan interface{})
 	for {
-		conn, err := l.listener.Accept()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+		// The timeout channel has a buffer of 1
+		// to allow the timeout goroutine to exit
+		// if nothing is listening anymore. This prevents
+		// it form hanging forever waiting on a receiver.
+		timeoutChan := make(chan bool, 1)
+		// Launch listener wait inside a goroutine passing
+		// transport channel
+		go l.waitForAccept(tranChan)
+		// If timeout provided launch timeout goroutine with
+		// duration to wait and timeout channel
+		if l.timeout != nil {
+			go waitForTimeout(*l.timeout, timeoutChan)
 		}
+
+		// Wait for new connection channel or timeout channel
+		var conn net.Conn
+		select {
+		case x := <-tranChan:
+			if x, ok := x.(net.Conn); ok {
+				conn = x
+			} else if x, ok := x.(error); ok {
+				return nil, x
+			}
+		case <-timeoutChan:
+			// We have timed out
+			return nil, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("listener timed out (%s)", l.timeout.String()))
+		}
+
 		authErr := l.auth(conn)
 		if authErr != nil {
 			// TODO log
@@ -47,3 +76,25 @@ func (l *TransportListener) AcceptTransport() (*Transport, error) {
 		return newSession(conn, true)
 	}
 }
+
+func (l *TransportListener) waitForAccept(tranChan chan interface{}) {
+	conn, err := l.listener.Accept()
+	if err != nil {
+		tranChan<-err
+	}
+	tranChan<-conn
+	return
+}
+
+// Sets the timeout for this listener. AcceptTransport() will return if no
+// connection is opened for t amount of time.
+func (l *TransportListener) SetTimeout(t time.Duration) {
+	l.timeout = &t
+}
+
+// Function to wait for a timeout condition and then signal to a channel
+func waitForTimeout(d time.Duration, timeoutChan chan bool) {
+	time.Sleep(d)
+	timeoutChan<-true
+}
+
diff --git a/spdy/listener_test.go b/spdy/listener_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21399bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spdy/listener_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+package spdy
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+	"net"
+)
+
+// Test that server detects client session is dead while waiting for receive channel
+func TestListenerTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test default behavior without timeout
+	noWait(t)
+	// Test enabling timeout behavior
+	withWait(t)
+}
+
+func noWait(t *testing.T) {
+	// Start listener, ensure it doesn't throw error after 100 ms of no connecton
+	timeoutChan := make(chan bool)
+	go func() {
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 200)
+		close(timeoutChan)
+	}()
+	// Start listener, ensure it does throw error after 100 ms of no connection
+	listener, _ := net.Listen("tcp", "localhost:12945")
+	go func() {
+		transportListener, _ := NewTransportListener(listener, NoAuthenticator)
+		_, err := transportListener.AcceptTransport()
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}()
+	<-timeoutChan
+}
+
+func withWait(t *testing.T) {
+	timeoutChan := make(chan bool)
+	go func() {
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 200)
+		timeoutChan<-false
+	}()
+	// Start listener, ensure it does throw error after 100 ms of no connection
+	listener, _ := net.Listen("tcp", "localhost:12946")
+	go func() {
+		transportListener, _ := NewTransportListener(listener, NoAuthenticator)
+		transportListener.SetTimeout(time.Millisecond * 100)
+		_, err := transportListener.AcceptTransport()
+		if err.Error() != "listener timed out (100ms)" {
+			t.Fatal(err.Error() + ", should have timed out at (100ms)")
+		}
+		timeoutChan<-true
+	}()
+	select {
+	case ok := <-timeoutChan:
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("timeout expected and did not occur")
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/spdy/session.go b/spdy/session.go
index dea1991..a1f9434 100644
--- a/spdy/session.go
+++ b/spdy/session.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
+	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/dmcgowan/go/codec"
 	"github.com/docker/libchan"
@@ -18,6 +20,18 @@ type direction uint8
 const (
 	outbound = direction(0x01)
 	inbound  = direction(0x02)
+	// Defaults for heartbeat.
+	// Currently ping every 30 seconds and fail if no pings respond
+	//
+	// The frequency of pinging the client to
+	// detect a dead session. This is the default and
+	// can be overridden via property on the *Transport
+	defaultHeartbeatInterval = time.Second * 30
+	// The amount of times the heartbeat fails
+	// before the session is considered dead. This is
+	// the default and can be overridden via property
+	// on the *Transport.
+	defaultHeartbeatLimit = 3
 )
 
 var (
@@ -29,9 +43,15 @@ var (
 // Transport is a transport session on top of a network
 // connection using spdy.
 type Transport struct {
+	HeartbeatInterval time.Duration
+	HeartbeatLimit    int
+
 	conn    *spdystream.Connection
 	handler codec.Handle
 
+	deadSessionChan chan struct{}
+	deadSessionFlag bool
+
 	receiverChan chan *channel
 	channelC     *sync.Cond
 	channels     map[uint64]*channel
@@ -76,15 +96,18 @@ func newSession(conn net.Conn, server bool) (*Transport, error) {
 		referenceCounter = 1
 	}
 	session := &Transport{
-		receiverChan:     make(chan *channel),
-		channelC:         sync.NewCond(new(sync.Mutex)),
-		channels:         make(map[uint64]*channel),
-		referenceCounter: referenceCounter,
-		byteStreamC:      sync.NewCond(new(sync.Mutex)),
-		byteStreams:      make(map[uint64]*byteStream),
-		netConnC:         sync.NewCond(new(sync.Mutex)),
-		netConns:         make(map[byte]map[string]net.Conn),
-		networks:         make(map[string]byte),
+		deadSessionChan:   make(chan struct{}),
+		receiverChan:      make(chan *channel),
+		channelC:          sync.NewCond(new(sync.Mutex)),
+		channels:          make(map[uint64]*channel),
+		referenceCounter:  referenceCounter,
+		byteStreamC:       sync.NewCond(new(sync.Mutex)),
+		byteStreams:       make(map[uint64]*byteStream),
+		netConnC:          sync.NewCond(new(sync.Mutex)),
+		netConns:          make(map[byte]map[string]net.Conn),
+		networks:          make(map[string]byte),
+		HeartbeatInterval: defaultHeartbeatInterval,
+		HeartbeatLimit:    defaultHeartbeatLimit,
 	}
 
 	spdyConn, spdyErr := spdystream.NewConnection(conn, server)
@@ -96,9 +119,57 @@ func newSession(conn net.Conn, server bool) (*Transport, error) {
 	session.conn = spdyConn
 	session.handler = session.initializeHandler()
 
+	// Looping heartbeat monitor. Pings the client to
+	// determine if it has lost connection without sending
+	// a close.
+	go session.monitorHeartbeat()
+
 	return session, nil
 }
 
+// errDeadSession occurs when heartbeat is enabled and
+// a ping returns an error trying to contact the client.
+// This is useful for managing long runnning connections
+// that may die form network failure. This is a method
+// rather than a var to allow insertion of time elapsed
+// dynamically.
+func (s *Transport) errDeadSession() error {
+	return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("session appears dead no response after %v", s.HeartbeatInterval*time.Duration(s.HeartbeatLimit)))
+}
+
+func (s *Transport) monitorHeartbeat() {
+	var hbFailures int = 0
+	for {
+		// Only loop after waiting for the heartbeatInterval
+		time.Sleep(s.HeartbeatInterval)
+		_, err := s.conn.Ping()
+		if err != nil {
+			// Increase heartbeat failure count
+			hbFailures++
+			// If we have hit out limit on failures we trigger marking
+			// the session as dead.
+			if hbFailures >= s.HeartbeatLimit {
+				// Set the deadSessionFlag to true. This is used to
+				// check for a dead session before starting a blocking
+				// op using a channel.
+				s.deadSessionFlag = true
+				// Uses the closing of a channel trick to
+				// broadcast to all waiting threads that
+				// the session is dead.
+				// Any thread that needs to wait on a blocking
+				// op that is dependant on the session being live
+				// should implement a select that includes this
+				// channel closing as a signal.
+				close(s.deadSessionChan)
+				return
+			}
+		} else {
+			// Reset heartbeat failure count
+			hbFailures = 0
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *Transport) newStreamHandler(stream *spdystream.Stream) {
 	referenceIDString := stream.Headers().Get("libchan-ref")
 	parentIDString := stream.Headers().Get("libchan-parent-ref")
@@ -192,7 +263,7 @@ func (s *Transport) dial(referenceID uint64) (*byteStream, error) {
 func (s *Transport) nextReferenceID() uint64 {
 	s.referenceLock.Lock()
 	referenceID := s.referenceCounter
-	s.referenceCounter = referenceID + 2
+	s.referenceCounter = referenceID+2
 	s.referenceLock.Unlock()
 	return referenceID
 }
@@ -306,12 +377,25 @@ func (s *Transport) NewSendChannel() (libchan.Sender, error) {
 // WaitReceiveChannel waits for a new channel be created by a remote
 // call to NewSendChannel.
 func (s *Transport) WaitReceiveChannel() (libchan.Receiver, error) {
-	r, ok := <-s.receiverChan
-	if !ok {
-		return nil, io.EOF
-	}
+	for {
+		// Safety check to see if session is dead before starting select
+		if s.deadSessionFlag {
+			return nil, s.errDeadSession()
+		}
+		// We use a select to wait for either the receiver channel
+		// or a dead session channel.
+		select {
+		case <-s.deadSessionChan:
+			// Return nil and ErrDeadSession
+			return nil, s.errDeadSession()
+		case r, ok := <-s.receiverChan:
+			if !ok {
+				return nil, io.EOF
+			}
+			return r, nil
+		}
 
-	return r, nil
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *channel) createSubChannel(direction direction) (libchan.Sender, libchan.Receiver, error) {
@@ -387,19 +471,41 @@ func (c *channel) Receive(message interface{}) error {
 	if c.direction == outbound {
 		return ErrWrongDirection
 	}
-	buf, readErr := c.stream.ReadData()
-	if readErr != nil {
-		if readErr == io.EOF {
-			c.stream.Close()
+	// Use a goroutine and channel to ReadData from channel
+	buffChan := make(chan interface{})
+	go c.handleReadData(buffChan)
+	// Wait for channel response or signal that session is dead
+	select {
+	case <-c.session.deadSessionChan:
+		// Dead session
+		return c.session.errDeadSession()
+	case b := <-buffChan:
+		switch b.(type) {
+		case error:
+			if b.(error) == io.EOF {
+				c.stream.Close()
+			}
+			return b.(error)
+		case []byte:
+			decoder := codec.NewDecoderBytes(b.([]byte), c.session.handler)
+			decodeErr := decoder.Decode(message)
+			if decodeErr != nil {
+				return decodeErr
+			}
+			return nil
+		default:
+			panic("unknown type")
 		}
-		return readErr
 	}
-	decoder := codec.NewDecoderBytes(buf, c.session.handler)
-	decodeErr := decoder.Decode(message)
-	if decodeErr != nil {
-		return decodeErr
+}
+
+func (c *channel) handleReadData(buffChan chan interface{}) {
+	buf, err := c.stream.ReadData()
+	if err != nil {
+		buffChan<-err
+	} else {
+		buffChan<-buf
 	}
-	return nil
 }
 
 // Close closes the underlying stream, causing any subsequent
diff --git a/spdy/session_test.go b/spdy/session_test.go
index 75e40c8..4aaf150 100644
--- a/spdy/session_test.go
+++ b/spdy/session_test.go
@@ -399,3 +399,159 @@ func SpawnClientServerTest(t *testing.T, host string, client ClientRoutine, serv
 	}
 
 }
+
+// Test that server detects client session is dead while waiting for receive channel
+func TestHeartbeatWaitReceiveChannel(t *testing.T) {
+	testChan := make(chan struct {bool; string})
+
+	// Open connection and channel then close connection without closing transport
+	client := func() {
+		sleepChan := make(chan struct {})
+		conn, _ := net.Dial("tcp", "localhost:12943")
+		NewClientTransport(conn)
+		go func() {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 200)
+			close(sleepChan)
+		}()
+		<-sleepChan
+		conn.Close()
+	}
+
+	// Check that dead session is detected from WaitReceiveChannel()
+	server := func() {
+		listener, _ := net.Listen("tcp", "localhost:12943")
+		transportListener, _ := NewTransportListener(listener, NoAuthenticator)
+		transport, err1 := transportListener.AcceptTransport()
+		if err1 != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err1)
+		}
+		// Shorten heartbeat for test speed reasons
+		transport.HeartbeatInterval = time.Millisecond*100
+		transport.HeartbeatLimit = 3
+		_, err2 := transport.WaitReceiveChannel()
+		if err2 != nil {
+			if err2.Error() == "session appears dead no response after 300ms" {
+				testChan<-struct{bool; string}{true, err2.Error()}
+			} else {
+				testChan<-struct{bool; string}{false, err2.Error()}
+			}
+		} else {
+			testChan<-struct{bool; string}{false, "No error thrown as expected"}
+		}
+	}
+
+	go server()
+	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+	go client()
+
+	x := <-testChan
+	if !x.bool {
+		t.Fatal(x.string)
+	}
+}
+
+// Test that the dead session flag errors out
+func TestDeadSessionFlagWaitReceiveChannel(t *testing.T) {
+	testChan := make(chan struct {bool; string})
+
+	// Open connection and channel then close connection without closing transport
+	client := func() {
+		sleepChan := make(chan struct {})
+		conn, _ := net.Dial("tcp", "localhost:12950")
+		NewClientTransport(conn)
+		go func() {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 200)
+			close(sleepChan)
+		}()
+		<-sleepChan
+		conn.Close()
+	}
+
+	// Check that dead session is detected from WaitReceiveChannel()
+	server := func() {
+		listener, _ := net.Listen("tcp", "localhost:12950")
+		transportListener, _ := NewTransportListener(listener, NoAuthenticator)
+		transport, err1 := transportListener.AcceptTransport()
+		if err1 != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err1)
+		}
+		// Shorten heartbeat for test speed reasons
+		transport.HeartbeatInterval = time.Millisecond*100
+		transport.HeartbeatLimit = 3
+		// Need to use a goroutine to not block the transport
+		go func() {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 500)
+			_, err2 := transport.WaitReceiveChannel()
+			if err2 != nil {
+				if err2.Error() == "session appears dead no response after 300ms" {
+					testChan<-struct{bool; string}{true, err2.Error()}
+				} else {
+					testChan<-struct{bool; string}{false, err2.Error()}
+				}
+			} else {
+				testChan<-struct{bool; string}{false, "No error thrown as expected"}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	go server()
+	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+	go client()
+
+	x := <-testChan
+	if !x.bool {
+		t.Fatal(x.string)
+	}
+}
+
+// Test that server detects client session is dead while waiting for receiving data
+func TestHeartbeatReceive(t *testing.T) {
+	testChan := make(chan struct {bool; string})
+
+	// Open connection and channel then close connection without closing transport
+	client := func() {
+		sleepChan := make(chan struct {})
+		conn, _ := net.Dial("tcp", "localhost:12452")
+		transport, _ := NewClientTransport(conn)
+		//		sender, _ :=
+		transport.NewSendChannel()
+		go func() {
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 300)
+			close(sleepChan)
+		}()
+		<-sleepChan
+		conn.Close()
+	}
+
+	// Check that dead session is detected from WaitReceiveChannel()
+	server := func() {
+		listener, _ := net.Listen("tcp", "localhost:12452")
+		transportListener, _ := NewTransportListener(listener, NoAuthenticator)
+		transport, err1 := transportListener.AcceptTransport()
+		if err1 != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err1)
+		}
+		// Shorten heartbeat for test speed reasons
+		transport.HeartbeatInterval = time.Millisecond*100
+		transport.HeartbeatLimit = 3
+		receiver, _ := transport.WaitReceiveChannel()
+		foo := &SimpleMessage{}
+		rerr := receiver.Receive(foo)
+		if rerr.Error() == "session appears dead no response after 300ms" {
+			testChan<-struct{bool; string}{true, rerr.Error()}
+		} else {
+			testChan<-struct{bool; string}{false, "No error thrown as expected"}
+		}
+	}
+
+	go server()
+	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+	go client()
+
+	x := <-testChan
+	if !x.bool {
+		t.Fatal(x.string)
+	}
+}
+
+