diff --git a/src/ejabberd_riak.erl b/src/ejabberd_riak.erl
index 90bdb4c06..82ffe5e3d 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd_riak.erl
+++ b/src/ejabberd_riak.erl
@@ -73,7 +73,13 @@ start_link(Num, Server, Port, _StartInterval, Options) ->
 
 %% @private
 is_connected() ->
-    catch riakc_pb_socket:is_connected(get_random_pid()).
+    lists:all(
+      fun({_Id, Pid, _Type, _Modules}) when is_pid(Pid) ->
+	      case catch riakc_pb_socket:is_connected(get_random_pid()) of
+		  true -> true;
+		  _ -> false
+	      end
+      end, supervisor:which_children(ejabberd_riak_sup)).
 
 %% @private
 get_proc(I) ->
diff --git a/src/ejabberd_riak_sup.erl b/src/ejabberd_riak_sup.erl
index 7294e0055..af811441b 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd_riak_sup.erl
+++ b/src/ejabberd_riak_sup.erl
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ init([]) ->
     Options = lists:filter(
 		fun(X) -> X /= nil end,
 		[auto_reconnect,
+		 {keepalive, true},
 		 if CACertFile /= nil -> {cacertfile ,CACertFile};
 		    true -> nil
 		 end,