diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 7c97301bb..26a0723b9 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
   By setting this option to `false` and `view_mode` to `'embedded'`, it's now possible to
   "embed" the full app and not just a single chat. To embed just a single chat, it's now
   necessary to explicitly set `singleton` to `true`.
+- Re-add the previously removed config option [keepalive](https://conversejs.org/docs/html/configuration.html#keepalive)
 - New event: [chatBoxBlurred](https://conversejs.org/docs/html/api/-_converse.html#event:chatBoxBlurred)
 - New event: [chatReconnected](https://conversejs.org/docs/html/api/-_converse.html#event:chatReconnected)
 - #316: Add support for XEP-0198 Stream Management
diff --git a/docs/source/configuration.rst b/docs/source/configuration.rst
index dd3a63793..bb5be9ae9 100644
--- a/docs/source/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/source/configuration.rst
@@ -758,6 +758,15 @@ messaging instead.
 This value may be provided together with a ``password`` instead of supplying a
 `credentials_url`_ when setting ``auto_login`` to ``true``.
 
+.. _`keepalive`:
+
+keepalive
+---------
+
+* Default:    ``true``
+
+Determines whether Converse will attempt to keep you logged in across page loads.
+
 
 .. _`locales`:
 
diff --git a/src/headless/converse-core.js b/src/headless/converse-core.js
index a63f25318..f36ac24e3 100644
--- a/src/headless/converse-core.js
+++ b/src/headless/converse-core.js
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ _converse.default_settings = {
     geouri_replacement: 'https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=$1&mlon=$2#map=18/$1/$2',
     idle_presence_timeout: 300, // Seconds after which an idle presence is sent
     jid: undefined,
+    keepalive: true,
     locales_url: 'locale/{{{locale}}}/LC_MESSAGES/converse.json',
     locales: [
         'af', 'ar', 'bg', 'ca', 'cs', 'de', 'eo', 'es', 'eu', 'en', 'fr', 'gl',
@@ -525,7 +526,7 @@ function clearSession  () {
  * Creates a new Strophe.Connection instance and if applicable, attempt to
  * restore the BOSH session or if `auto_login` is true, attempt to log in.
  */
-_converse.initConnection = async function () {
+_converse.initConnection = function () {
     if (!_converse.connection) {
         if (!_converse.bosh_service_url && ! _converse.websocket_url) {
             throw new Error("initConnection: you must supply a value for either the bosh_service_url or websocket_url or both.");
@@ -541,17 +542,15 @@ _converse.initConnection = async function () {
                 Object.assign(
                     _converse.default_connection_options,
                     _converse.connection_options,
-                    {'keepalive': true}
+                    {'keepalive': _converse.keepalive}
                 )
             );
         } else {
             throw new Error("initConnection: this browser does not support "+
                             "websockets and bosh_service_url wasn't specified.");
         }
-        if (_converse.auto_login) {
+        if (_converse.auto_login || _converse.keepalive) {
             _converse.api.user.login();
-        } else if (_converse.api.connection.isType('bosh')) {
-            await _converse.restoreBOSHSession();
         }
     }
     setUpXMLLogging();
@@ -654,7 +653,7 @@ function setUpXMLLogging () {
 async function finishInitialization () {
     initClientConfig();
     initPlugins();
-    await _converse.initConnection();
+    _converse.initConnection();
     _converse.registerGlobalEventHandlers();
     if (!Backbone.history.started) {
         Backbone.history.start();