diff --git a/pkg/ssh/server/ssh.go b/pkg/ssh/server/ssh.go
index ab4a5adb3..d8c00ecb3 100644
--- a/pkg/ssh/server/ssh.go
+++ b/pkg/ssh/server/ssh.go
@@ -92,6 +92,51 @@ const (
 	DefaultUserPort int = 12023
 )
 
+const (
+	defaultKeepAliveInterval = 15 * time.Second
+	defaultKeepAliveCountMax = 8
+
+	envKeepAliveInterval = "DEVSY_SSH_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL"
+	envKeepAliveCountMax = "DEVSY_SSH_KEEPALIVE_COUNT_MAX"
+)
+
+func keepAliveConfig() (time.Duration, int) {
+	return keepAliveInterval(), keepAliveCountMax()
+}
+
+func keepAliveInterval() time.Duration {
+	v := os.Getenv(envKeepAliveInterval)
+	if v == "" {
+		return defaultKeepAliveInterval
+	}
+	if d, err := time.ParseDuration(v); err == nil && d > 0 {
+		return d
+	}
+	if secs, err := strconv.Atoi(v); err == nil && secs > 0 {
+		return time.Duration(secs) * time.Second
+	}
+	log.Errorf(
+		"invalid %s=%q, using default %s",
+		envKeepAliveInterval, v, defaultKeepAliveInterval,
+	)
+	return defaultKeepAliveInterval
+}
+
+func keepAliveCountMax() int {
+	v := os.Getenv(envKeepAliveCountMax)
+	if v == "" {
+		return defaultKeepAliveCountMax
+	}
+	if n, err := strconv.Atoi(v); err == nil && n > 0 {
+		return n
+	}
+	log.Errorf(
+		"invalid %s=%q, using default %d",
+		envKeepAliveCountMax, v, defaultKeepAliveCountMax,
+	)
+	return defaultKeepAliveCountMax
+}
+
 type Server interface {
 	Serve(listener net.Listener) error
 	ListenAndServe() error
@@ -128,20 +173,16 @@ func NewServer(
 
 	forwardHandler := &ssh.ForwardedTCPHandler{}
 	forwardedUnixHandler := &ssh.ForwardedUnixHandler{}
+	keepAliveInterval, keepAliveCountMax := keepAliveConfig()
 	server := &server{
 		shell:       sh,
 		workdir:     workdir,
 		reuseSock:   reuseSock,
 		currentUser: currentUser.Username,
 		sshServer: ssh.Server{
-			Addr: addr,
-			// Keep-alive at the connection level: detects dead peers in
-			// stdio mode where EOF on stdin can be delayed indefinitely by
-			// the proxy chain. 5s × 2 = ~10s detection so per-connection
-			// agent socket dirs are cleaned up well within typical
-			// test/health-check polling windows.
-			ClientAliveInterval: 5 * time.Second,
-			ClientAliveCountMax: 2,
+			Addr:                addr,
+			ClientAliveInterval: keepAliveInterval,
+			ClientAliveCountMax: keepAliveCountMax,
 			LocalPortForwardingCallback: func(ctx ssh.Context, dhost string, dport uint32) bool {
 				log.Debugf("Accepted forward: %s:%d", dhost, dport)
 				return true
diff --git a/pkg/ssh/server/ssh_test.go b/pkg/ssh/server/ssh_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..30a5a4795
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/ssh/server/ssh_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestKeepAliveConfig_Defaults(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(envKeepAliveInterval, "")
+	t.Setenv(envKeepAliveCountMax, "")
+
+	interval, countMax := keepAliveConfig()
+	if interval != defaultKeepAliveInterval {
+		t.Errorf("interval = %s, want %s", interval, defaultKeepAliveInterval)
+	}
+	if countMax != defaultKeepAliveCountMax {
+		t.Errorf("countMax = %d, want %d", countMax, defaultKeepAliveCountMax)
+	}
+
+	if tolerance := interval * time.Duration(countMax); tolerance < 60*time.Second {
+		t.Errorf("keep-alive tolerance %s is too aggressive (want >= 60s)", tolerance)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestKeepAliveConfig_Overrides(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		interval     string
+		countMax     string
+		wantInterval time.Duration
+		wantCountMax int
+	}{
+		{"duration string", "30s", "4", 30 * time.Second, 4},
+		{"bare seconds", "45", "3", 45 * time.Second, 3},
+		{"invalid interval falls back", "nope", "5", defaultKeepAliveInterval, 5},
+		{"invalid count falls back", "20s", "0", 20 * time.Second, defaultKeepAliveCountMax},
+		{"negative interval falls back", "-5s", "2", defaultKeepAliveInterval, 2},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv(envKeepAliveInterval, tt.interval)
+			t.Setenv(envKeepAliveCountMax, tt.countMax)
+
+			interval, countMax := keepAliveConfig()
+			if interval != tt.wantInterval {
+				t.Errorf("interval = %s, want %s", interval, tt.wantInterval)
+			}
+			if countMax != tt.wantCountMax {
+				t.Errorf("countMax = %d, want %d", countMax, tt.wantCountMax)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}