diff --git a/src/public/app/services/ws.js b/src/public/app/services/ws.js
index c2e738df8..a9c841309 100644
--- a/src/public/app/services/ws.js
+++ b/src/public/app/services/ws.js
@@ -102,7 +102,10 @@ async function handleMessage(event) {
         messageHandler(message);
     }
 
-    if (message.type === 'reload-frontend') {
+    if (message.type === 'ping') {
+        lastPingTs = Date.now();
+    }
+    else if (message.type === 'reload-frontend') {
         utils.reloadFrontendApp("received request from backend to reload frontend");
     }
     else if (message.type === 'frontend-update') {
diff --git a/src/services/ws.js b/src/services/ws.js
index a4576d0ea..58300b3b8 100644
--- a/src/services/ws.js
+++ b/src/services/ws.js
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ function fillInAdditionalProperties(entityChange) {
 
 function sendPing(client, entityChangeIds = []) {
     if (entityChangeIds.length === 0) {
+        sendMessage(client, { type: 'ping' });
+
         return;
     }