diff --git a/module/obmc/wsgi/apps/rest_dbus.py b/module/obmc/wsgi/apps/rest_dbus.py
index bf4fe7c..f92a67a 100644
--- a/module/obmc/wsgi/apps/rest_dbus.py
+++ b/module/obmc/wsgi/apps/rest_dbus.py
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 DBUS_TYPE_ERROR = 'org.freedesktop.DBus.Python.TypeError'
 DELETE_IFACE = 'xyz.openbmc_project.Object.Delete'
 SOFTWARE_PATH = '/xyz/openbmc_project/software'
+WEBSOCKET_TIMEOUT = 45
 
 _4034_msg = "The specified %s cannot be %s: '%s'"
 
@@ -168,6 +169,22 @@
         return converted_container
 
 
+def send_ws_ping(wsock, timeout) :
+    # Most webservers close websockets after 60 seconds of
+    # inactivity. Make sure to send a ping before that.
+    payload = "ping"
+    # the ping payload can be anything, the receiver has to just
+    # return the same back.
+    while True:
+        gevent.sleep(timeout)
+        try:
+            if wsock:
+                wsock.send_frame(payload, wsock.OPCODE_PING)
+        except Exception as e:
+            wsock.close()
+            return
+
+
 class UserInGroup:
     ''' Authorization plugin callback that checks that the user is logged in
     and a member of a group. '''
@@ -943,11 +960,11 @@
         wsock = request.environ.get('wsgi.websocket')
         if not wsock:
             abort(400, 'Expected WebSocket request.')
+        ping_sender = Greenlet.spawn(send_ws_ping, wsock, WEBSOCKET_TIMEOUT)
         filters = wsock.receive()
         filters = json.loads(filters)
         notifier = EventNotifier(wsock, filters)
 
-
 class HostConsoleHandler(RouteHandler):
     ''' Handles the /console route, for clients to be able
         read/write the host serial console. The way this is
@@ -993,17 +1010,6 @@
                 wsock.close()
                 return
 
-    def send_ping(self, wsock) :
-        # Most webservers close websockets after 60 seconds of
-        # inactivity. Make sure to send a ping before that.
-        timeout = 45
-        payload = "ping"
-        # the ping payload can be anything, the receiver has to just
-        # return the same back.
-        while True:
-            gevent.sleep(timeout)
-            wsock.send_frame(payload, wsock.OPCODE_PING)
-
     def do_get(self):
         wsock = request.environ.get('wsgi.websocket')
         if not wsock:
@@ -1023,7 +1029,7 @@
 
         wsock_reader = Greenlet.spawn(self.read_wsock, wsock, sock)
         sock_reader = Greenlet.spawn(self.read_sock, sock, wsock)
-        ping_sender = Greenlet.spawn(self.send_ping, wsock)
+        ping_sender = Greenlet.spawn(send_ws_ping, wsock, WEBSOCKET_TIMEOUT)
         gevent.joinall([wsock_reader, sock_reader, ping_sender])