diff --git a/src/Configuration.php b/src/Configuration.php
index 9aa001db483..3267a96e570 100644
--- a/src/Configuration.php
+++ b/src/Configuration.php
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ class Configuration
 
     private ?SchemaManagerFactory $schemaManagerFactory = null;
 
+    private ?int $checkConnectionTiming = null;
+
     public function __construct()
     {
         $this->schemaAssetsFilter = static function (): bool {
@@ -153,4 +155,14 @@ public function setDisableTypeComments(bool $disableTypeComments): self
 
         return $this;
     }
+
+    public function setCheckConnectionTiming(int $timing): void
+    {
+        $this->checkConnectionTiming = $timing;
+    }
+
+    public function getCheckConnectionTiming(): ?int
+    {
+        return $this->checkConnectionTiming;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Connection.php b/src/Connection.php
index 3bb951445ff..4eccd7aa373 100644
--- a/src/Connection.php
+++ b/src/Connection.php
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 use function is_string;
 use function key;
 use function sprintf;
+use function time;
 
 /**
  * A database abstraction-level connection that implements features like transaction isolation levels,
@@ -99,6 +100,12 @@ class Connection implements ServerVersionProvider
 
     private SchemaManagerFactory $schemaManagerFactory;
 
+    private bool $isChecking = false;
+
+    private int $lastCheckedAt = 0;
+
+    private ?int $heartbeat;
+
     /**
      * Initializes a new instance of the Connection class.
      *
@@ -119,6 +126,8 @@ public function __construct(
         $this->params     = $params;
         $this->autoCommit = $this->_config->getAutoCommit();
 
+        $this->heartbeat = $this->_config->getCheckConnectionTiming();
+
         $this->schemaManagerFactory = $this->_config->getSchemaManagerFactory()
             ?? new DefaultSchemaManagerFactory();
     }
@@ -210,7 +219,23 @@ public function createExpressionBuilder(): ExpressionBuilder
     protected function connect(): DriverConnection
     {
         if ($this->_conn !== null) {
-            return $this->_conn;
+            $isTimeToCheck =  time() - $this->lastCheckedAt >= $this->heartbeat;
+            $noCheckNeeded = $this->heartbeat === null || $this->isChecking;
+
+            if ($noCheckNeeded || ! $isTimeToCheck) {
+                return $this->_conn;
+            }
+
+            $this->isChecking = true;
+
+            $isAvailable = $this->reconnectOnFailure();
+
+            $this->lastCheckedAt = time();
+            $this->isChecking    = false;
+
+            if ($isAvailable) {
+                return $this->_conn;
+            }
         }
 
         try {
@@ -1371,4 +1396,15 @@ private function handleDriverException(
 
         return $exception;
     }
+
+    private function reconnectOnFailure(): bool
+    {
+        try {
+            $this->executeQuery($this->getDatabasePlatform()->getDummySelectSQL());
+
+            return true;
+        } catch (ConnectionLost) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Functional/Connection/ConnectionReactivatedTest.php b/tests/Functional/Connection/ConnectionReactivatedTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..88cdca94c46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Functional/Connection/ConnectionReactivatedTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Doctrine\DBAL\Tests\Functional\Connection;
+
+use Doctrine\DBAL\Platforms\AbstractMySQLPlatform;
+use Doctrine\DBAL\Tests\FunctionalTestCase;
+
+use function sleep;
+
+class ConnectionReactivatedTest extends FunctionalTestCase
+{
+    public static function setUpBeforeClass(): void
+    {
+        self::markConnectionWithHeartBeat();
+    }
+
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        if ($this->connection->getDatabasePlatform() instanceof AbstractMySQLPlatform) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        self::markTestSkipped('Currently only supported with MySQL');
+    }
+
+    public function testConnectionReactivated(): void
+    {
+        $this->connection->executeStatement('SET SESSION wait_timeout=1');
+
+        sleep(2);
+
+        $query = $this->connection->getDatabasePlatform()
+            ->getDummySelectSQL();
+
+        $this->connection->executeQuery($query);
+
+        self::assertEquals(1, $this->connection->fetchOne($query));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/FunctionalTestCase.php b/tests/FunctionalTestCase.php
index 29428454ccf..2d96a6712b1 100644
--- a/tests/FunctionalTestCase.php
+++ b/tests/FunctionalTestCase.php
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ abstract class FunctionalTestCase extends TestCase
      */
     private bool $isConnectionReusable = true;
 
+    protected static bool $hasHeartBeat = false;
+
     /**
      * Mark shared connection not reusable for subsequent tests.
      *
@@ -37,11 +39,16 @@ protected function markConnectionNotReusable(): void
         $this->isConnectionReusable = false;
     }
 
+    protected static function markConnectionWithHeartBeat(): void
+    {
+        self::$hasHeartBeat = true;
+    }
+
     #[Before]
     final protected function connect(): void
     {
         if (self::$sharedConnection === null) {
-            self::$sharedConnection = TestUtil::getConnection();
+            self::$sharedConnection = TestUtil::getConnection(self::$hasHeartBeat);
         }
 
         $this->connection = self::$sharedConnection;
diff --git a/tests/TestUtil.php b/tests/TestUtil.php
index 354ce38ef87..4da2e66d8a2 100644
--- a/tests/TestUtil.php
+++ b/tests/TestUtil.php
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class TestUtil
      *
      * @return Connection The database connection instance.
      */
-    public static function getConnection(): Connection
+    public static function getConnection(bool $hasHeartBeat = false): Connection
     {
         $params = self::getConnectionParams();
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public static function getConnection(): Connection
 
         return DriverManager::getConnection(
             $params,
-            self::createConfiguration($params['driver']),
+            self::createConfiguration($params['driver'], $hasHeartBeat),
         );
     }
 
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ private static function initializeDatabase(): void
         $privConn->close();
     }
 
-    private static function createConfiguration(string $driver): Configuration
+    private static function createConfiguration(string $driver, bool $hasHearBeat): Configuration
     {
         $configuration = new Configuration();
 
@@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ private static function createConfiguration(string $driver): Configuration
 
         $configuration->setSchemaManagerFactory(new DefaultSchemaManagerFactory());
 
+        if ($hasHearBeat) {
+            $configuration->setCheckConnectionTiming(1);
+        }
+
         return $configuration;
     }