diff --git a/message.go b/message.go
index f333c3c..bfc3132 100644
--- a/message.go
+++ b/message.go
@@ -223,6 +223,27 @@ func (wm *WireMessage) encodeHeader(dataSize uint16) (*WireMessage, error) {
 	return wm, nil
 }
 
+func newKeepalive(rxPortalSize int, pool *Pool) (wm *WireMessage, err error) {
+	wm = &WireMessage{
+		Seq: -1,
+		Mt:  KEEPALIVE,
+		buf: pool.Get(),
+	}
+	util.WriteInt32(wm.buf.Data[dataStart:], int32(rxPortalSize))
+	return wm.encodeHeader(4)
+}
+
+func (wm *WireMessage) asKeepalive() (rxPortalSize int, err error) {
+	if wm.messageType() != KEEPALIVE {
+		return 0, errors.Errorf("unexpected message type [%d], expected KEEPALIVE", wm.messageType())
+	}
+	if wm.buf.Used < dataStart+4 {
+		return 0, errors.Errorf("short buffer for keepalive decode [%d < %d]", wm.buf.Used, dataStart+4)
+	}
+	rxPortalSize = int(util.ReadInt32(wm.buf.Data[dataStart:]))
+	return rxPortalSize, nil
+}
+
 func decodeHeader(buf *Buffer) (*WireMessage, error) {
 	size := util.ReadUint16(buf.Data[5:dataStart])
 	if uint32(dataStart+size) > buf.Used {