diff --git a/derp/derp_client.go b/derp/derp_client.go
index 50377da85..2a97ed299 100644
--- a/derp/derp_client.go
+++ b/derp/derp_client.go
@@ -261,10 +261,18 @@ func (c *Client) ForwardPacket(srcKey, dstKey key.NodePublic, pkt []byte) (err e
 
 func (c *Client) writeTimeoutFired() { c.nc.Close() }
 
+func (c *Client) SendPing(data [8]byte) error {
+	return c.sendPingOrPong(framePing, data)
+}
+
 func (c *Client) SendPong(data [8]byte) error {
+	return c.sendPingOrPong(framePong, data)
+}
+
+func (c *Client) sendPingOrPong(typ frameType, data [8]byte) error {
 	c.wmu.Lock()
 	defer c.wmu.Unlock()
-	if err := writeFrameHeader(c.bw, framePong, 8); err != nil {
+	if err := writeFrameHeader(c.bw, typ, 8); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	if _, err := c.bw.Write(data[:]); err != nil {
@@ -375,6 +383,12 @@ type PingMessage [8]byte
 
 func (PingMessage) msg() {}
 
+// PongMessage is a reply to a PingMessage from a client or server
+// with the payload sent previously in a PingMessage.
+type PongMessage [8]byte
+
+func (PongMessage) msg() {}
+
 // KeepAliveMessage is a one-way empty message from server to client, just to
 // keep the connection alive. It's like a PingMessage, but doesn't solicit
 // a reply from the client.
@@ -536,6 +550,15 @@ func (c *Client) recvTimeout(timeout time.Duration) (m ReceivedMessage, err erro
 			copy(pm[:], b[:])
 			return pm, nil
 
+		case framePong:
+			var pm PongMessage
+			if n < 8 {
+				c.logf("[unexpected] dropping short ping frame")
+				continue
+			}
+			copy(pm[:], b[:])
+			return pm, nil
+
 		case frameHealth:
 			return HealthMessage{Problem: string(b[:])}, nil
 
diff --git a/derp/derp_server.go b/derp/derp_server.go
index e759c5ea4..57d0315eb 100644
--- a/derp/derp_server.go
+++ b/derp/derp_server.go
@@ -662,6 +662,7 @@ func (s *Server) accept(nc Conn, brw *bufio.ReadWriter, remoteAddr string, connN
 		connectedAt:    time.Now(),
 		sendQueue:      make(chan pkt, perClientSendQueueDepth),
 		discoSendQueue: make(chan pkt, perClientSendQueueDepth),
+		sendPongCh:     make(chan [8]byte, 1),
 		peerGone:       make(chan key.NodePublic),
 		canMesh:        clientInfo.MeshKey != "" && clientInfo.MeshKey == s.meshKey,
 	}
@@ -729,6 +730,8 @@ func (c *sclient) run(ctx context.Context) error {
 			err = c.handleFrameWatchConns(ft, fl)
 		case frameClosePeer:
 			err = c.handleFrameClosePeer(ft, fl)
+		case framePing:
+			err = c.handleFramePing(ft, fl)
 		default:
 			err = c.handleUnknownFrame(ft, fl)
 		}
@@ -766,6 +769,32 @@ func (c *sclient) handleFrameWatchConns(ft frameType, fl uint32) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (c *sclient) handleFramePing(ft frameType, fl uint32) error {
+	var m PingMessage
+	if fl < uint32(len(m)) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("short ping: %v", fl)
+	}
+	if fl > 1000 {
+		// unreasonably extra large. We leave some extra
+		// space for future extensibility, but not too much.
+		return fmt.Errorf("ping body too large: %v", fl)
+	}
+	_, err := io.ReadFull(c.br, m[:])
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if extra := int64(fl) - int64(len(m)); extra > 0 {
+		_, err = io.CopyN(ioutil.Discard, c.br, extra)
+	}
+	select {
+	case c.sendPongCh <- [8]byte(m):
+	default:
+		// They're pinging too fast. Ignore.
+		// TODO(bradfitz): add a rate limiter too.
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
 func (c *sclient) handleFrameClosePeer(ft frameType, fl uint32) error {
 	if fl != keyLen {
 		return fmt.Errorf("handleFrameClosePeer wrong size")
@@ -1202,6 +1231,7 @@ type sclient struct {
 	remoteIPPort   netaddr.IPPort      // zero if remoteAddr is not ip:port.
 	sendQueue      chan pkt            // packets queued to this client; never closed
 	discoSendQueue chan pkt            // important packets queued to this client; never closed
+	sendPongCh     chan [8]byte        // pong replies to send to the client; never closed
 	peerGone       chan key.NodePublic // write request that a previous sender has disconnected (not used by mesh peers)
 	meshUpdate     chan struct{}       // write request to write peerStateChange
 	canMesh        bool                // clientInfo had correct mesh token for inter-region routing
@@ -1342,6 +1372,9 @@ func (c *sclient) sendLoop(ctx context.Context) error {
 			werr = c.sendPacket(msg.src, msg.bs)
 			c.recordQueueTime(msg.enqueuedAt)
 			continue
+		case msg := <-c.sendPongCh:
+			werr = c.sendPong(msg)
+			continue
 		case <-keepAliveTick.C:
 			werr = c.sendKeepAlive()
 			continue
@@ -1368,6 +1401,9 @@ func (c *sclient) sendLoop(ctx context.Context) error {
 		case msg := <-c.discoSendQueue:
 			werr = c.sendPacket(msg.src, msg.bs)
 			c.recordQueueTime(msg.enqueuedAt)
+		case msg := <-c.sendPongCh:
+			werr = c.sendPong(msg)
+			continue
 		case <-keepAliveTick.C:
 			werr = c.sendKeepAlive()
 		}
@@ -1384,6 +1420,16 @@ func (c *sclient) sendKeepAlive() error {
 	return writeFrameHeader(c.bw.bw(), frameKeepAlive, 0)
 }
 
+// sendPong sends a pong reply, without flushing.
+func (c *sclient) sendPong(data [8]byte) error {
+	c.setWriteDeadline()
+	if err := writeFrameHeader(c.bw.bw(), framePong, uint32(len(data))); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err := c.bw.Write(data[:])
+	return err
+}
+
 // sendPeerGone sends a peerGone frame, without flushing.
 func (c *sclient) sendPeerGone(peer key.NodePublic) error {
 	c.s.peerGoneFrames.Add(1)
diff --git a/derp/derp_test.go b/derp/derp_test.go
index fa580ae14..b16add71a 100644
--- a/derp/derp_test.go
+++ b/derp/derp_test.go
@@ -812,6 +812,14 @@ func TestClientRecv(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: PingMessage{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "pong",
+			input: []byte{
+				byte(framePong), 0, 0, 0, 8,
+				1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
+			},
+			want: PongMessage{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "health_bad",
 			input: []byte{
@@ -858,6 +866,23 @@ func TestClientRecv(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestClientSendPing(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	c := &Client{
+		bw: bufio.NewWriter(&buf),
+	}
+	if err := c.SendPing([8]byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	want := []byte{
+		byte(framePing), 0, 0, 0, 8,
+		1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(buf.Bytes(), want) {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output\nwrote: % 02x\n want: % 02x", buf.Bytes(), want)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestClientSendPong(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	c := &Client{
@@ -873,7 +898,6 @@ func TestClientSendPong(t *testing.T) {
 	if !bytes.Equal(buf.Bytes(), want) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected output\nwrote: % 02x\n want: % 02x", buf.Bytes(), want)
 	}
-
 }
 
 func TestServerDupClients(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1316,3 +1340,30 @@ func TestClientSendRateLimiting(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("limited conn's bytes count = %v; want >=%v, <%v", bytesLimited, bytes1K*2, bytes1K)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestServerRepliesToPing(t *testing.T) {
+	ts := newTestServer(t)
+	defer ts.close(t)
+
+	tc := newRegularClient(t, ts, "alice")
+
+	data := [8]byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 42}
+
+	if err := tc.c.SendPing(data); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	for {
+		m, err := tc.c.recvTimeout(time.Second)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		switch m := m.(type) {
+		case PongMessage:
+			if ([8]byte(m)) != data {
+				t.Fatalf("got pong %2x; want %2x", [8]byte(m), data)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/derp/derphttp/derphttp_client.go b/derp/derphttp/derphttp_client.go
index f94117a12..500162932 100644
--- a/derp/derphttp/derphttp_client.go
+++ b/derp/derphttp/derphttp_client.go
@@ -698,6 +698,20 @@ func (c *Client) Send(dstKey key.NodePublic, b []byte) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// SendPing sends a ping message, without any implicit connect or reconnect.
+func (c *Client) SendPing(data [8]byte) error {
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	closed, client := c.closed, c.client
+	c.mu.Unlock()
+	if closed {
+		return ErrClientClosed
+	}
+	if client == nil {
+		return errors.New("client not connected")
+	}
+	return client.SendPing(data)
+}
+
 func (c *Client) ForwardPacket(from, to key.NodePublic, b []byte) error {
 	client, _, err := c.connect(context.TODO(), "derphttp.Client.ForwardPacket")
 	if err != nil {