diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 899a4d2..e11c70a 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ services:
       - MQTT_BROKERS=${MQTT_BROKERS}
       - MQTT_CLIENT_ID=${MQTT_CLIENT_ID:-meshcore-ingest}
       - MQTT_STALE_AFTER_SECONDS=${MQTT_STALE_AFTER_SECONDS:-300}
+      - MQTT_KEEPALIVE_SECONDS=${MQTT_KEEPALIVE_SECONDS:-30}
       - MQTT_PING_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=${MQTT_PING_TIMEOUT_SECONDS:-20}
       - MESHCORE_BATCH_FLUSH_SECONDS=${MESHCORE_BATCH_FLUSH_SECONDS:-10}
       - MESHCORE_BATCH_MAX_ROWS=${MESHCORE_BATCH_MAX_ROWS:-5000}
diff --git a/ingest/internal/ingestcommon/ingest.go b/ingest/internal/ingestcommon/ingest.go
index 40caaf6..8eb55e4 100644
--- a/ingest/internal/ingestcommon/ingest.go
+++ b/ingest/internal/ingestcommon/ingest.go
@@ -146,7 +146,10 @@ func (d *Daemon) connectToBroker(broker MQTTBrokerConfig, idx int, maxRetries in
 		opts.SetConnectRetry(true)
 		opts.SetConnectTimeout(10 * time.Second)
 		opts.SetMaxReconnectInterval(30 * time.Second)
-		opts.SetKeepAlive(30 * time.Second)
+		// As a near-silent subscriber we send a PINGREQ roughly every KeepAlive
+		// seconds; lowering it keeps the Cloudflare WebSocket path warm in the
+		// client->server direction (a lever for the residual mid-stream stalls).
+		opts.SetKeepAlive(time.Duration(GetEnvIntOrDefault("MQTT_KEEPALIVE_SECONDS", 30)) * time.Second)
 		// Allow extra margin for PINGRESP to survive the Cloudflare WebSocket
 		// proxy's buffering/jitter; 10s was tight and produced false
 		// "pingresp not received" disconnects. Configurable for tuning.