diff --git a/mqtt/client.lua b/mqtt/client.lua
index 3ff03b3..c52908d 100644
--- a/mqtt/client.lua
+++ b/mqtt/client.lua
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ function client_mt:__init(args)
 
 	-- state
 	self.first_connect = true		-- contains true to perform one network connection attempt after client creation
-	self.send_time = 0				-- time of the last network send from client side
+	self._last_in_time = 0			-- time of the last network received from client side
 
 	-- packet creation/parse functions according version
 	if not a.version then
@@ -566,8 +566,11 @@ function client_mt:disconnect(rc, properties, user_properties)
 	assert(properties == nil or type(properties) == "table", "expecting properties to be a table")
 	assert(user_properties == nil or type(user_properties) == "table", "expecting user_properties to be a table")
 
+	self.is_disconnecting = true
+
 	-- check connection is alive
 	if not self.connection then
+		self.is_disconnecting = false
 		return false, "network connection is not opened"
 	end
 
@@ -585,11 +588,13 @@ function client_mt:disconnect(rc, properties, user_properties)
 		err = "failed to send DISCONNECT: "..err
 		self:handle("error", err, self)
 		self:close_connection("error")
+		self.is_disconnecting = false
 		return false, err
 	end
 
 	-- now close connection
 	self:close_connection("connection closed by client")
+	self.is_disconnecting = false
 
 	return true
 end
@@ -650,7 +655,7 @@ function client_mt:close_connection(reason)
 	-- check connection is still closed (self.connection may be re-created in "close" handler)
 	if not self.connection then
 		-- remove from ioloop
-		if self.ioloop and not args.reconnect then
+		if self.ioloop and (self.is_disconnecting or not args.reconnect) then
 			self.ioloop:remove(self)
 		end
 	end
@@ -780,6 +785,7 @@ function client_mt:send_connect()
 
 	-- reset last packet id
 	self._last_packet_id = nil
+	self._last_in_time = os_time()
 
 	return true
 end
@@ -906,8 +912,16 @@ function client_mt:_ioloop_iteration()
 
 		if ok then
 			-- send PINGREQ if keep_alive interval is reached
-			if os_time() - self.send_time >= args.keep_alive then
-				self:send_pingreq()
+			if os_time() - self._last_in_time >= args.keep_alive then
+				if not self._ping_t then
+					self._ping_t = os_time()
+					self._last_in_time = os_time()
+					ok, err = self:send_pingreq()
+				else
+					err = "client has exceeded timeout, disconnecting."
+					self:handle("error", err, self)
+					self:close_connection("error")
+				end
 			end
 		end
 
@@ -917,7 +931,7 @@ function client_mt:_ioloop_iteration()
 		if self.first_connect then
 			self.first_connect = false
 			self:start_connecting()
-		elseif args.reconnect then
+		elseif args.reconnect and not self.is_disconnecting then
 			if args.reconnect == true then
 				self:start_connecting()
 			else
@@ -962,6 +976,9 @@ function client_mt:_io_iteration(recv)
 
 	-- check for communication error
 	if packet == false then
+		if self.is_disconnecting then
+			return true
+		end
 		if err == "closed" then
 			self:close_connection("connection closed by broker")
 			return false, err
@@ -1004,8 +1021,7 @@ function client_mt:_io_iteration(recv)
 			-- handle packet according its type
 			local ptype = packet.type
 			if ptype == packet_type.PINGRESP then -- luacheck: ignore
-				-- PINGREQ answer, nothing to do
-				-- TODO: break the connectin in absence of this packet in some timeout
+				self._ping_t = nil -- mark ping transfer flag to nil
 			elseif ptype == packet_type.SUBACK then
 				self:handle("subscribe", packet, self)
 			elseif ptype == packet_type.UNSUBACK then
@@ -1156,7 +1172,6 @@ function client_mt:_send_packet(packet)
 			return false, "connector.send failed: "..err
 		end
 	end
-	self.send_time = os_time()
 	return true
 end
 
@@ -1171,6 +1186,7 @@ function client_mt:_receive_packet()
 	if not packet then
 		return false, err
 	end
+	self._last_in_time = os_time()
 	return packet
 end