diff --git a/edge-http/README.md b/edge-http/README.md
index 2f31e86..11459d0 100644
--- a/edge-http/README.md
+++ b/edge-http/README.md
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ pub async fn run(server: &mut DefaultServer) -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
         .bind(addr.parse().unwrap())
         .await?;
 
-    server.run(acceptor, HttpHandler).await?;
+    server.run(None, acceptor, HttpHandler).await?;
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/edge-http/src/io/server.rs b/edge-http/src/io/server.rs
index 0521c49..c286706 100644
--- a/edge-http/src/io/server.rs
+++ b/edge-http/src/io/server.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use core::fmt::{self, Debug, Display};
 use core::mem::{self, MaybeUninit};
 use core::pin::pin;
 
-use edge_nal::{with_timeout, Close, TcpShutdown, WithTimeout, WithTimeoutError};
+use edge_nal::{with_timeout, Close, Readable, TcpShutdown, WithTimeout, WithTimeoutError};
 
 use embassy_sync::blocking_mutex::raw::NoopRawMutex;
 use embassy_sync::mutex::Mutex;
@@ -437,22 +437,51 @@ where
 /// The socket stream will be closed only in case of error, or until the client explicitly requests that
 /// either with a hard socket close, or with a `Connection: Close` header.
 ///
+/// A note on timeouts:
+/// - The function does NOT - by default - establish any timeouts on the IO operations _except_
+///   an optional timeout for detecting idle connections, so that they can be closed and thus make
+///   the server available for accepting new connections.
+///   It is up to the caller to wrap the acceptor type with `edge_nal::WithTimeout` to establish
+///   timeouts on the socket produced by the acceptor.
+/// - Similarly, the server does NOT establish any timeouts on the complete request-response cycle.
+///   It is up to the caller to wrap their complete or partial handling logic with
+///   `edge_nal::with_timeout`, or its whole handler with `edge_nal::WithTimeout`, so as to establish
+///   a global or semi-global request-response timeout.
+///
 /// Parameters:
 /// - `io`: A socket stream
 /// - `buf`: A work-area buffer used by the implementation
+/// - `keepalive_timeout_ms`: An optional timeout in milliseconds for detecting an idle keepalive connection
+///   that should be closed. If not provided, the server will not close idle connections.
 /// - `task_id`: An identifier for the task, used for logging purposes
 /// - `handler`: An implementation of `Handler` to handle incoming requests
 pub async fn handle_connection<H, T, const N: usize>(
     mut io: T,
     buf: &mut [u8],
+    keepalive_timeout_ms: Option<u32>,
     task_id: impl Display + Copy,
     handler: H,
 ) where
     H: Handler,
-    T: Read + Write + TcpShutdown,
+    T: Read + Write + Readable + TcpShutdown,
 {
     let close = loop {
-        debug!("Handler task {task_id}: Waiting for new request");
+        debug!("Handler task {task_id}: Waiting for a new request");
+
+        if let Some(keepalive_timeout_ms) = keepalive_timeout_ms {
+            let wait_data = with_timeout(keepalive_timeout_ms, io.readable()).await;
+            match wait_data {
+                Err(WithTimeoutError::Timeout) => {
+                    info!("Handler task {task_id}: Closing connection due to inactivity");
+                    break true;
+                }
+                Err(e) => {
+                    warn!("Handler task {task_id}: Error when handling request: {e:?}");
+                    break true;
+                }
+                Ok(_) => {}
+            }
+        }
 
         let result = handle_request::<_, _, N>(buf, &mut io, task_id, &handler).await;
 
@@ -598,22 +627,31 @@ impl<const P: usize, const B: usize, const N: usize> Server<P, B, N> {
 
     /// Run the server with the specified acceptor and handler
     ///
+    /// A note on timeouts:
+    /// - The function does NOT - by default - establish any timeouts on the IO operations _except_
+    ///   an optional timeout on idle connections, so that they can be closed.
+    ///   It is up to the caller to wrap the acceptor type with `edge_nal::WithTimeout` to establish
+    ///   timeouts on the socket produced by the acceptor.
+    /// - Similarly, the function does NOT establish any timeouts on the complete request-response cycle.
+    ///   It is up to the caller to wrap their complete or partial handling logic with
+    ///   `edge_nal::with_timeout`, or its whole handler with `edge_nal::WithTimeout`, so as to establish
+    ///   a global or semi-global request-response timeout.
+    ///
     /// Parameters:
+    /// - `keepalive_timeout_ms`: An optional timeout in milliseconds for detecting an idle keepalive
+    ///   connection that should be closed. If not provided, the function will not close idle connections
+    ///   and the connection - in the absence of other timeouts - will remain active forever.
     /// - `acceptor`: An implementation of `edge_nal::TcpAccept` to accept incoming connections
     /// - `handler`: An implementation of `Handler` to handle incoming requests
     ///   If not provided, a default timeout of 50 seconds is used.
-    ///
-    /// Note that the server does NOT - by default - establish any timeouts on the IO operations.
-    /// It is up to the caller to wrap the acceptor type with `edge_nal::WithTimeout` to establish
-    /// timeouts on the socket produced by the acceptor.
-    ///
-    /// Similarly, the server does NOT establish any timeouts on the complete request-response cycle.
-    /// It is up to the caller to wrap their complete or partial handling logic with
-    /// `edge_nal::with_timeout`, or its whole handler with `edge_nal::WithTimeout`, so as to establish
-    /// a global or semi-global request-response timeout.
     #[inline(never)]
     #[cold]
-    pub async fn run<A, H>(&mut self, acceptor: A, handler: H) -> Result<(), Error<A::Error>>
+    pub async fn run<A, H>(
+        &mut self,
+        keepalive_timeout_ms: Option<u32>,
+        acceptor: A,
+        handler: H,
+    ) -> Result<(), Error<A::Error>>
     where
         A: edge_nal::TcpAccept,
         H: Handler,
@@ -649,6 +687,7 @@ impl<const P: usize, const B: usize, const N: usize> Server<P, B, N> {
                         handle_connection::<_, _, N>(
                             io,
                             unsafe { buf.as_mut() }.unwrap(),
+                            keepalive_timeout_ms,
                             task_id,
                             handler,
                         )
diff --git a/edge-ws/README.md b/edge-ws/README.md
index cfa575b..7d1cf69 100644
--- a/edge-ws/README.md
+++ b/edge-ws/README.md
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ pub async fn run(server: &mut DefaultServer) -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
         .bind(addr.parse().unwrap())
         .await?;
 
-    server.run(acceptor, WsHandler).await?;
+    server.run(None, acceptor, WsHandler).await?;
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/examples/http_server.rs b/examples/http_server.rs
index e242c15..57063d4 100644
--- a/examples/http_server.rs
+++ b/examples/http_server.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ pub async fn run(server: &mut DefaultServer) -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
         .bind(addr.parse().unwrap())
         .await?;
 
-    server.run(acceptor, HttpHandler).await?;
+    server.run(None, acceptor, HttpHandler).await?;
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/examples/ws_server.rs b/examples/ws_server.rs
index 2d7df68..f1ed6bc 100644
--- a/examples/ws_server.rs
+++ b/examples/ws_server.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub async fn run(server: &mut DefaultServer) -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
         .bind(addr.parse().unwrap())
         .await?;
 
-    server.run(acceptor, WsHandler).await?;
+    server.run(None, acceptor, WsHandler).await?;
 
     Ok(())
 }