diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 636a10a3ad..60f94456e9 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -452,6 +452,8 @@ Release 2.2.1 - UNRELEASED
     HADOOP-10072. TestNfsExports#testMultiMatchers fails due to non-deterministic
     timing around cache expiry check. (cnauroth)
 
+    HADOOP-9898. Set SO_KEEPALIVE on all our sockets. (todd via wang)
+
 Release 2.2.0 - 2013-10-13
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Client.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Client.java
index 8caa7b288b..b444a115cb 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Client.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Client.java
@@ -575,6 +575,7 @@ private synchronized void setupConnection() throws IOException {
         try {
           this.socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
           this.socket.setTcpNoDelay(tcpNoDelay);
+          this.socket.setKeepAlive(true);
           
           /*
            * Bind the socket to the host specified in the principal name of the
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Server.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Server.java
index ec5fff7499..89f9501d98 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Server.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ipc/Server.java
@@ -762,6 +762,7 @@ void doAccept(SelectionKey key) throws IOException,  OutOfMemoryError {
 
         channel.configureBlocking(false);
         channel.socket().setTcpNoDelay(tcpNoDelay);
+        channel.socket().setKeepAlive(true);
         
         Reader reader = getReader();
         try {