diff --git a/kubernetes/base/watch/watch.py b/kubernetes/base/watch/watch.py
index e8fe6c63e6..e703ca87ab 100644
--- a/kubernetes/base/watch/watch.py
+++ b/kubernetes/base/watch/watch.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import time
 import json
 import pydoc
 import sys
@@ -180,10 +181,22 @@ def stream(self, func, *args, **kwargs):
         disable_retries = ('timeout_seconds' in kwargs)
         retry_after_410 = False
         deserialize = kwargs.pop('deserialize', True)
+        
+        health_check_interval = kwargs.pop('_health_check_interval', 0)  # 0 = disabled by default
+        last_event_time = time.time() if health_check_interval > 0 else None
+        
         while True:
             resp = func(*args, **kwargs)
             try:
                 for line in iter_resp_lines(resp):
+                    # Health check for silent connection drops
+                    if health_check_interval > 0 and last_event_time is not None:
+                        current_time = time.time()
+                        if current_time - last_event_time > health_check_interval:
+                            # Silent connection detected - break to reconnect
+                            break
+                        last_event_time = current_time
+                    
                     # unmarshal when we are receiving events from watch,
                     # return raw string when we are streaming log
                     if watch_arg == "watch":
diff --git a/kubernetes/base/watch/watch_test.py b/kubernetes/base/watch/watch_test.py
index 4907dd5433..04c542e09b 100644
--- a/kubernetes/base/watch/watch_test.py
+++ b/kubernetes/base/watch/watch_test.py
@@ -576,6 +576,36 @@ def test_pod_log_empty_lines(self):
             self.api.delete_namespaced_pod(name=pod_name, namespace=self.namespace)
             self.api.delete_namespaced_pod.assert_called_once_with(name=pod_name, namespace=self.namespace)
 
+    def test_health_check_detects_silent_connection_drop(self):
+        """Test that health check detects when connection stops receiving events"""
+        fake_resp = Mock()
+        fake_resp.close = Mock()
+        fake_resp.release_conn = Mock()
+        
+        def limited_stalled_stream():
+            yield '{"type": "ADDED", "object": {"metadata": {"name": "test1", "resourceVersion": "1"}}}\n'
+            for _ in range(10):
+                yield ''
+            return
+
+        fake_resp.stream = Mock(return_value=limited_stalled_stream())
+
+        fake_api = Mock()
+        fake_api.get_namespaces = Mock(return_value=fake_resp)
+        fake_api.get_namespaces.__doc__ = ':return: V1NamespaceList'
+
+        w = Watch()
+        events = []
+        
+        try:
+            for e in w.stream(fake_api.get_namespaces, _health_check_interval=0.1, timeout_seconds=1):
+                events.append(e)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+        
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(events))
+        self.assertEqual("test1", events[0]['object'].metadata.name)
+
 #    Comment out the test below, it does not work currently.
 #    def test_watch_with_deserialize_param(self):
 #        """test watch.stream() deserialize param"""