diff --git a/app/mcp_server.py b/app/mcp_server.py
index 8d000d3..42427fe 100644
--- a/app/mcp_server.py
+++ b/app/mcp_server.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import asyncio
 import logging
 from typing import Optional
 
-from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP
+from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP, Context
 
 from app.config import settings
 from app.services import config_service, event_service, instruction_service, status_service
@@ -38,11 +38,26 @@ _MAX_WAIT_SECONDS = 86400  # 24 hours
 # preventing abandoned (timed-out) coroutines from silently consuming queue items.
 _agent_generations: dict[str, int] = {}
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Keepalive configuration
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# When > 0, the wait loop sends a ctx.info() log notification to the client
+# every KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS.  This keeps the underlying SSE stream
+# active and prevents transport-level read timeouts (e.g. httpx read timeout).
+#
+# IMPORTANT: This does NOT help against application-level wall-clock timeouts
+# (anyio.fail_after / JS SDK equivalents).  Those timers count from request
+# start and are unaffected by intermediate SSE events.
+#
+# Set to 0 to disable keepalives entirely.
+KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS: float = 20.0
+
 
 @mcp.tool()
 async def get_user_request(
     agent_id: str = "unknown",
     default_response_override: Optional[str] = None,
+    ctx: Optional[Context] = None,
 ) -> dict:
     """
     Fetch the next pending user instruction from the queue.
@@ -64,14 +79,11 @@ async def get_user_request(
     # Wait time is entirely server-controlled — the user sets it via the web UI.
     actual_wait = min(cfg.default_wait_seconds, _MAX_WAIT_SECONDS)
 
-    # Register this call as the newest for this agent.  Any older coroutines
-    # still lingering (e.g. client timed-out and retried) will see a stale
-    # generation and skip the consume step, leaving the instruction for us.
+    # Register this call as the newest for this agent.
     my_gen = _agent_generations.get(agent_id, 0) + 1
     _agent_generations[agent_id] = my_gen
 
     def _i_am_active() -> bool:
-        """True if no newer call has arrived for this agent since we started."""
         return _agent_generations.get(agent_id) == my_gen
 
     # --- Attempt immediate dequeue ---
@@ -104,6 +116,7 @@ async def get_user_request(
     wakeup = instruction_service.get_wakeup_event()
     loop  = asyncio.get_event_loop()
     start = loop.time()
+    last_keepalive = start
 
     while True:
         elapsed   = loop.time() - start
@@ -150,8 +163,38 @@ async def get_user_request(
                 "waited_seconds": waited,
             }
 
-        # Sleep until woken by a new instruction or 1 s elapses (safety net)
-        wait_for = min(remaining, 1.0)
+        # Send keepalive notification if enabled and interval has elapsed.
+        # This writes an SSE event to the response stream, preventing transport-level
+        # read timeouts (e.g. httpx read timeout).  Does NOT reset application-level
+        # wall-clock timers such as anyio.fail_after.
+        now = loop.time()
+        if KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS > 0 and ctx is not None:
+            if now - last_keepalive >= KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS:
+                waited_so_far = int(now - start)
+                try:
+                    await ctx.info(
+                        f"keepalive: waiting for instructions "
+                        f"(agent={agent_id}, waited={waited_so_far}s)"
+                    )
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "get_user_request: keepalive sent agent=%s waited=%ds",
+                        agent_id, waited_so_far,
+                    )
+                except Exception as exc:
+                    # Client disconnected — no point continuing
+                    logger.debug("get_user_request: keepalive failed (client gone?): %s", exc)
+                    break
+                last_keepalive = now
+
+        # Sleep until woken by a new instruction or until the next keepalive is due.
+        if KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS > 0:
+            time_to_next_keepalive = max(
+                0.0, KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS - (loop.time() - last_keepalive)
+            )
+            wait_for = min(remaining, time_to_next_keepalive, 1.0)
+        else:
+            wait_for = min(remaining, 1.0)
+
         if wakeup is not None:
             try:
                 await asyncio.wait_for(wakeup.wait(), timeout=wait_for)
@@ -164,7 +207,6 @@ async def get_user_request(
 
     # --- Nothing available after waiting (or superseded) ---
     if _i_am_active():
-        # Only record/broadcast when we're the active caller
         status_service.record_agent_activity(agent_id, "empty")
         event_service.broadcast("status.changed", {})