diff --git a/graphql/handler/transport/websocket.go b/graphql/handler/transport/websocket.go
index af35ad13e98..1969f9e2855 100644
--- a/graphql/handler/transport/websocket.go
+++ b/graphql/handler/transport/websocket.go
@@ -28,6 +28,15 @@ type (
 		KeepAlivePingInterval time.Duration
 		PongOnlyInterval      time.Duration
 		PingPongInterval      time.Duration
+		/* If PingPongInterval has a non-0 duration, then when the server sends a ping
+		 * it sets a ReadDeadline of PingPongInterval*2 and if the client doesn't respond
+		 * with pong before that deadline is reached then the connection will die with a
+		 * 1006 error code.
+		 *
+		 * MissingPongOk if true, tells the server to not use a ReadDeadline such that a
+		 * missing/slow pong response from the client doesn't kill the connection.
+		 */
+		MissingPongOk bool
 
 		didInjectSubprotocols bool
 	}
@@ -41,6 +50,7 @@ type (
 		keepAliveTicker *time.Ticker
 		pongOnlyTicker  *time.Ticker
 		pingPongTicker  *time.Ticker
+		receivedPong    bool
 		exec            graphql.GraphExecutor
 		closed          bool
 
@@ -258,9 +268,11 @@ func (c *wsConnection) run() {
 		c.pingPongTicker = time.NewTicker(c.PingPongInterval)
 		c.mu.Unlock()
 
-		// Note: when the connection is closed by this deadline, the client
-		// will receive an "invalid close code"
-		c.conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().UTC().Add(2 * c.PingPongInterval))
+		if !c.MissingPongOk {
+			// Note: when the connection is closed by this deadline, the client
+			// will receive an "invalid close code"
+			c.conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().UTC().Add(2 * c.PingPongInterval))
+		}
 		go c.ping(ctx)
 	}
 
@@ -295,7 +307,11 @@ func (c *wsConnection) run() {
 		case pingMessageType:
 			c.write(&message{t: pongMessageType, payload: m.payload})
 		case pongMessageType:
-			c.conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().UTC().Add(2 * c.PingPongInterval))
+			c.mu.Lock()
+			c.receivedPong = true
+			c.mu.Unlock()
+			// Clear ReadTimeout -- 0 time val clears.
+			c.conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Time{})
 		default:
 			c.sendConnectionError("unexpected message %s", m.t)
 			c.close(websocket.CloseProtocolError, "unexpected message")
@@ -336,6 +352,14 @@ func (c *wsConnection) ping(ctx context.Context) {
 			return
 		case <-c.pingPongTicker.C:
 			c.write(&message{t: pingMessageType, payload: json.RawMessage{}})
+			// The initial deadline for this method is set in run()
+			// if we have not yet received a pong, don't reset the deadline.
+			c.mu.Lock()
+			if !c.MissingPongOk && c.receivedPong {
+				c.conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().UTC().Add(2 * c.PingPongInterval))
+			}
+			c.receivedPong = false
+			c.mu.Unlock()
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/graphql/handler/transport/websocket_test.go b/graphql/handler/transport/websocket_test.go
index cc4f42d1f8b..f05a9df1898 100644
--- a/graphql/handler/transport/websocket_test.go
+++ b/graphql/handler/transport/websocket_test.go
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ func TestWebsocketWithPingPongInterval(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	t.Run("client receives ping and responds with pong", func(t *testing.T) {
-		_, srv := initialize(transport.Websocket{PingPongInterval: 10 * time.Millisecond})
+		_, srv := initialize(transport.Websocket{PingPongInterval: 20 * time.Millisecond})
 		defer srv.Close()
 
 		c := wsConnectWithSubprocotol(srv.URL, graphqltransportwsSubprotocol)
@@ -652,6 +652,11 @@ func TestWebsocketWithPingPongInterval(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, graphqltransportwsPingMsg, readOp(c).Type)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("client sends ping and expects pong", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, srv := initialize(transport.Websocket{PingPongInterval: 10 * time.Millisecond})
+		defer srv.Close()
+	})
+
 	t.Run("client sends ping and expects pong", func(t *testing.T) {
 		_, srv := initialize(transport.Websocket{PingPongInterval: 10 * time.Millisecond})
 		defer srv.Close()
@@ -666,6 +671,67 @@ func TestWebsocketWithPingPongInterval(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, graphqltransportwsPongMsg, readOp(c).Type)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("server closes with error if client does not pong and !MissingPongOk", func(t *testing.T) {
+		h := testserver.New()
+		closeFuncCalled := make(chan bool, 1)
+		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
+			MissingPongOk:    false, // default value but beign explicit for test clarity.
+			PingPongInterval: 5 * time.Millisecond,
+			CloseFunc: func(_ context.Context, _closeCode int) {
+				closeFuncCalled <- true
+			},
+		})
+
+		srv := httptest.NewServer(h)
+		defer srv.Close()
+
+		c := wsConnectWithSubprocotol(srv.URL, graphqltransportwsSubprotocol)
+		defer c.Close()
+
+		require.NoError(t, c.WriteJSON(&operationMessage{Type: graphqltransportwsConnectionInitMsg}))
+		assert.Equal(t, graphqltransportwsConnectionAckMsg, readOp(c).Type)
+
+		assert.Equal(t, graphqltransportwsPingMsg, readOp(c).Type)
+
+		select {
+		case res := <-closeFuncCalled:
+			assert.True(t, res)
+		case <-time.NewTimer(time.Millisecond * 20).C:
+			// with a 5ms interval 10ms should be the timeout, double that to make the test less likely to flake under load
+			assert.Fail(t, "The close handler was not called in time")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("server does not close with error if client does not pong and MissingPongOk", func(t *testing.T) {
+		h := testserver.New()
+		closeFuncCalled := make(chan bool, 1)
+		h.AddTransport(transport.Websocket{
+			MissingPongOk:    true,
+			PingPongInterval: 10 * time.Millisecond,
+			CloseFunc: func(_ context.Context, _closeCode int) {
+				closeFuncCalled <- true
+			},
+		})
+
+		srv := httptest.NewServer(h)
+		defer srv.Close()
+
+		c := wsConnectWithSubprocotol(srv.URL, graphqltransportwsSubprotocol)
+		defer c.Close()
+
+		require.NoError(t, c.WriteJSON(&operationMessage{Type: graphqltransportwsConnectionInitMsg}))
+		assert.Equal(t, graphqltransportwsConnectionAckMsg, readOp(c).Type)
+
+		assert.Equal(t, graphqltransportwsPingMsg, readOp(c).Type)
+
+		select {
+		case <-closeFuncCalled:
+			assert.Fail(t, "The close handler was called even with MissingPongOk = true")
+		case _, ok := <-time.NewTimer(time.Millisecond * 20).C:
+			assert.True(t, ok)
+		}
+	})
+
 	t.Run("ping-pongs are not sent when the graphql-ws sub protocol is used", func(t *testing.T) {
 		// Regression test
 		// ---