diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshconnection.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshconnection.cpp
index e0fac86ea0e..802c2ae0035 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshconnection.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshconnection.cpp
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ SshConnectionPrivate::SshConnectionPrivate(SshConnection *conn)
 {
     setupPacketHandlers();
     m_timeoutTimer.setSingleShot(true);
+    m_keepAliveTimer.setSingleShot(true);
+    m_keepAliveTimer.setInterval(10000);
     connect(m_channelManager, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(handleTimeout()));
 }
 
@@ -255,6 +257,9 @@ void SshConnectionPrivate::setupPacketHandlers()
         << KeyExchangeStarted << KeyExchangeSuccess
         << UserAuthServiceRequested << UserAuthRequested
         << ConnectionEstablished, &This::handleDisconnect);
+
+    setupPacketHandler(SSH_MSG_UNIMPLEMENTED,
+        StateList() << ConnectionEstablished, &This::handleUnimplementedPacket);
 }
 
 void SshConnectionPrivate::setupPacketHandler(SshPacketType type,
@@ -436,6 +441,9 @@ void SshConnectionPrivate::handleUserAuthSuccessPacket()
     m_state = ConnectionEstablished;
     m_timeoutTimer.stop();
     emit connected();
+    m_lastInvalidMsgSeqNr = InvalidSeqNr;
+    connect(&m_keepAliveTimer, SIGNAL(timeout()), SLOT(sendKeepAlivePacket()));
+    m_keepAliveTimer.start();
 }
 
 void SshConnectionPrivate::handleUserAuthFailurePacket()
@@ -452,6 +460,19 @@ void SshConnectionPrivate::handleDebugPacket()
         emit dataAvailable(msg.message);
 }
 
+void SshConnectionPrivate::handleUnimplementedPacket()
+{
+    const SshUnimplemented &msg = m_incomingPacket.extractUnimplemented();
+    if (msg.invalidMsgSeqNr != m_lastInvalidMsgSeqNr) {
+        throw SshServerException(SSH_DISCONNECT_PROTOCOL_ERROR,
+            "Unexpected packet", tr("The server sent an unexpected SSH packet "
+            "of type SSH_MSG_UNIMPLEMENTED."));
+    }
+    m_lastInvalidMsgSeqNr = InvalidSeqNr;
+    m_timeoutTimer.stop();
+    m_keepAliveTimer.start();
+}
+
 void SshConnectionPrivate::handleChannelRequest()
 {
     m_channelManager->handleChannelRequest(m_incomingPacket);
@@ -514,6 +535,8 @@ void SshConnectionPrivate::handleDisconnect()
         "", tr("Server closed connection: %1").arg(msg.description));
 }
 
+
+
 void SshConnectionPrivate::sendData(const QByteArray &data)
 {
     if (canUseSocket())
@@ -541,6 +564,14 @@ void SshConnectionPrivate::handleTimeout()
         tr("Timeout waiting for reply from server."));
 }
 
+void SshConnectionPrivate::sendKeepAlivePacket()
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(m_lastInvalidMsgSeqNr == InvalidSeqNr);
+    m_lastInvalidMsgSeqNr = m_sendFacility.nextClientSeqNr();
+    m_sendFacility.sendInvalidPacket();
+    m_timeoutTimer.start(5000);
+}
+
 void SshConnectionPrivate::connectToHost(const SshConnectionParameters &serverInfo)
 {
     m_incomingData.clear();
@@ -577,6 +608,8 @@ void SshConnectionPrivate::closeConnection(SshErrorCode sshError,
     m_timeoutTimer.stop();
     disconnect(m_socket, 0, this, 0);
     disconnect(&m_timeoutTimer, 0, this, 0);
+    m_keepAliveTimer.stop();
+    disconnect(&m_keepAliveTimer, 0, this, 0);
     try {
         m_channelManager->closeAllChannels();
         m_sendFacility.sendDisconnectPacket(sshError, serverErrorString);
@@ -606,5 +639,7 @@ QSharedPointer<SftpChannel> SshConnectionPrivate::createSftpChannel()
     return m_channelManager->createSftpChannel();
 }
 
+const quint64 SshConnectionPrivate::InvalidSeqNr = static_cast<quint64>(-1);
+
 } // namespace Internal
 } // namespace Core
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshconnection_p.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshconnection_p.h
index a0ec0425cd9..9a89d99a78d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshconnection_p.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshconnection_p.h
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ private:
     Q_SLOT void handleSocketError();
     Q_SLOT void handleSocketDisconnected();
     Q_SLOT void handleTimeout();
+    Q_SLOT void sendKeepAlivePacket();
 
     void handleServerId();
     void handlePackets();
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ private:
     void handleUserAuthBannerPacket();
     void handleGlobalRequest();
     void handleDebugPacket();
+    void handleUnimplementedPacket();
     void handleChannelRequest();
     void handleChannelOpen();
     void handleChannelOpenFailure();
@@ -141,6 +143,8 @@ private:
     typedef QPair<StateList, PacketHandler> HandlerInStates;
     QHash<SshPacketType, HandlerInStates> m_packetHandlers;
 
+    static const quint64 InvalidSeqNr;
+
     QTcpSocket *m_socket;
     SshStateInternal m_state;
     SshIncomingPacket m_incomingPacket;
@@ -152,8 +156,10 @@ private:
     QString m_errorString;
     QScopedPointer<SshKeyExchange> m_keyExchange;
     QTimer m_timeoutTimer;
+    QTimer m_keepAliveTimer;
     bool m_ignoreNextPacket;
     SshConnection *m_conn;
+    quint64 m_lastInvalidMsgSeqNr;
 };
 
 } // namespace Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshincomingpacket.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshincomingpacket.cpp
index 4126fe412f9..2e8bec0d4c0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshincomingpacket.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshincomingpacket.cpp
@@ -257,7 +257,23 @@ SshDebug SshIncomingPacket::extractDebug() const
         return msg;
     } catch (SshPacketParseException &) {
         throw SSH_SERVER_EXCEPTION(SSH_DISCONNECT_PROTOCOL_ERROR,
-            "Invalid SSH_MSG_USERAUTH_BANNER.");
+            "Invalid SSH_MSG_DEBUG.");
+    }
+}
+
+SshUnimplemented SshIncomingPacket::extractUnimplemented() const
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(isComplete());
+    Q_ASSERT(type() == SSH_MSG_UNIMPLEMENTED);
+
+    try {
+        SshUnimplemented msg;
+        quint32 offset = TypeOffset + 1;
+        msg.invalidMsgSeqNr = SshPacketParser::asUint32(m_data, &offset);
+        return msg;
+    } catch (SshPacketParseException &) {
+        throw SSH_SERVER_EXCEPTION(SSH_DISCONNECT_PROTOCOL_ERROR,
+            "Invalid SSH_MSG_UNIMPLEMENTED.");
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshincomingpacket_p.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshincomingpacket_p.h
index c96cbdde18e..6c8ce46d84e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshincomingpacket_p.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshincomingpacket_p.h
@@ -91,6 +91,11 @@ struct SshDebug
     QByteArray language;
 };
 
+struct SshUnimplemented
+{
+    quint32 invalidMsgSeqNr;
+};
+
 struct SshChannelOpenFailure
 {
     quint32 localChannel;
@@ -156,6 +161,7 @@ public:
     SshDisconnect extractDisconnect() const;
     SshUserAuthBanner extractUserAuthBanner() const;
     SshDebug extractDebug() const;
+    SshUnimplemented extractUnimplemented() const;
 
     SshChannelOpenFailure extractChannelOpenFailure() const;
     SshChannelOpenConfirmation extractChannelOpenConfirmation() const;
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshoutgoingpacket.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshoutgoingpacket.cpp
index c93cf80e0da..c99db71acad 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshoutgoingpacket.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshoutgoingpacket.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,16 @@ void SshOutgoingPacket::generateRequestFailurePacket()
     init(SSH_MSG_REQUEST_FAILURE).finalize();
 }
 
+void SshOutgoingPacket::generateIgnorePacket()
+{
+    init(SSH_MSG_IGNORE).finalize();
+}
+
+void SshOutgoingPacket::generateInvalidMessagePacket()
+{
+    init(SSH_MSG_INVALID).finalize();
+}
+
 void SshOutgoingPacket::generateSessionPacket(quint32 channelId,
     quint32 windowSize, quint32 maxPacketSize)
 {
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshoutgoingpacket_p.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshoutgoingpacket_p.h
index 479da5ba201..da7f6fcc03c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshoutgoingpacket_p.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshoutgoingpacket_p.h
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ public:
     void generateUserAuthByKeyRequestPacket(const QByteArray &user,
         const QByteArray &service);
     void generateRequestFailurePacket();
+    void generateIgnorePacket();
+    void generateInvalidMessagePacket();
     void generateSessionPacket(quint32 channelId, quint32 windowSize,
         quint32 maxPacketSize);
     void generateEnvPacket(quint32 remoteChannel, const QByteArray &var,
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshpacket_p.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshpacket_p.h
index 6a981159281..1f66797a9ac 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshpacket_p.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshpacket_p.h
@@ -79,7 +79,12 @@ enum SshPacketType {
     SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_CLOSE = 97,
     SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST = 98,
     SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_SUCCESS = 99,
-    SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_FAILURE = 100
+    SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_FAILURE = 100,
+
+    // Not completely safe, since the server may actually understand this
+    // message type as an extension. Switch to a different value in that case
+    // (between 128 and 191).
+    SSH_MSG_INVALID = 128
 };
 
 enum SshExtendedDataType { SSH_EXTENDED_DATA_STDERR = 1 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshsendfacility.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshsendfacility.cpp
index fc40d9176ef..150118fd8c5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshsendfacility.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshsendfacility.cpp
@@ -133,6 +133,18 @@ void SshSendFacility::sendRequestFailurePacket()
     sendPacket();
 }
 
+void SshSendFacility::sendIgnorePacket()
+{
+    m_outgoingPacket.generateIgnorePacket();
+    sendPacket();
+}
+
+void SshSendFacility::sendInvalidPacket()
+{
+    m_outgoingPacket.generateInvalidMessagePacket();
+    sendPacket();
+}
+
 void SshSendFacility::sendSessionPacket(quint32 channelId, quint32 windowSize,
     quint32 maxPacketSize)
 {
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshsendfacility_p.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshsendfacility_p.h
index 21ff10bfbd6..366413917b3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshsendfacility_p.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/ssh/sshsendfacility_p.h
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ public:
     void sendUserAuthByKeyRequestPacket(const QByteArray &user,
         const QByteArray &service);
     void sendRequestFailurePacket();
+    void sendIgnorePacket();
+    void sendInvalidPacket();
     void sendSessionPacket(quint32 channelId, quint32 windowSize,
         quint32 maxPacketSize);
     void sendEnvPacket(quint32 remoteChannel, const QByteArray &var,
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ public:
         const QByteArray &signalName);
     void sendChannelEofPacket(quint32 remoteChannel);
     void sendChannelClosePacket(quint32 remoteChannel);
+    quint32 nextClientSeqNr() const { return m_clientSeqNr; }
 
 private:
     void sendPacket();