diff --git a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_conn.c b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_conn.c
index fce8a78..a8341d6 100644
--- a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_conn.c
+++ b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_conn.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <osmocom/mgcp/mgcp_codec.h>
 #include <osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/rate_ctr.h>
+#include <osmocom/core/timer.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
 
 const static struct rate_ctr_group_desc rate_ctr_group_desc = {
@@ -125,6 +126,23 @@
 	rate_ctr_group_free(conn_rtp->rate_ctr_group);
 }
 
+void mgcp_conn_watchdog_cb(void *data)
+{
+	struct mgcp_conn *conn = data;
+	LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_ERROR, "endpoint:0x%x CI:%s connection timed out!\n", ENDPOINT_NUMBER(conn->endp), conn->id);
+	mgcp_conn_free(conn->endp, conn->id);
+}
+
+void mgcp_conn_watchdog_kick(struct mgcp_conn *conn)
+{
+	int timeout = conn->endp->cfg->conn_timeout;
+	if (!timeout)
+		return;
+
+	LOGP(DLMGCP, LOGL_DEBUG, "endpoint:0x%x CI:%s watchdog kicked\n", ENDPOINT_NUMBER(conn->endp), conn->id);
+	osmo_timer_schedule(&conn->watchdog, timeout, 0);
+}
+
 /*! allocate a new connection list entry.
  *  \param[in] ctx talloc context
  *  \param[in] endp associated endpoint
@@ -167,6 +185,9 @@
 		OSMO_ASSERT(false);
 	}
 
+	/* Initialize watchdog */
+	osmo_timer_setup(&conn->watchdog, mgcp_conn_watchdog_cb, conn);
+	mgcp_conn_watchdog_kick(conn);
 	llist_add(&conn->entry, &endp->conns);
 
 	return conn;
@@ -274,6 +295,7 @@
 		OSMO_ASSERT(false);
 	}
 
+	osmo_timer_del(&conn->watchdog);
 	llist_del(&conn->entry);
 	talloc_free(conn);
 }
diff --git a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_network.c b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_network.c
index 7af8e71..2c86f8f 100644
--- a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_network.c
+++ b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_network.c
@@ -1246,6 +1246,8 @@
 	if (len < 0)
 		return -1;
 
+	mgcp_conn_watchdog_kick(conn_src->conn);
+
 	/* Check if the connection is in loopback mode, if yes, just send the
 	 * incoming data back to the origin */
 	if (conn_src->conn->mode == MGCP_CONN_LOOPBACK) {
diff --git a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_protocol.c b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_protocol.c
index f141485..9f95ea4 100644
--- a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_protocol.c
+++ b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_protocol.c
@@ -1141,6 +1141,8 @@
 		return create_err_response(endp, 400, "MDCX", p->trans);
 	}
 
+	mgcp_conn_watchdog_kick(conn->conn);
+
 	if (mode) {
 		if (mgcp_parse_conn_mode(mode, endp, conn->conn) != 0) {
 			rate_ctr_inc(&rate_ctrs->ctr[MGCP_MDCX_FAIL_INVALID_MODE]);
diff --git a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_vty.c b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_vty.c
index 83f845a..ef63b04 100644
--- a/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_vty.c
+++ b/src/libosmo-mgcp/mgcp_vty.c
@@ -154,6 +154,10 @@
 		vty_out(vty, "  osmux dummy %s%s",
 			g_cfg->osmux_dummy ? "on" : "off", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	}
+
+	if (g_cfg->conn_timeout)
+		vty_out(vty, "  conn-timeout %u%s", g_cfg->conn_timeout, VTY_NEWLINE);
+
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -215,6 +219,13 @@
 		vty_out(vty, "   CONN: %s%s", mgcp_conn_dump(conn), VTY_NEWLINE);
 
 		if (show_stats) {
+			if (endp->cfg->conn_timeout) {
+				struct timeval remaining;
+				osmo_timer_remaining(&conn->watchdog, NULL, &remaining);
+				vty_out(vty, "   Currently remaining timeout (seconds): %d.%06d%s",
+					(int)remaining.tv_sec, (int)remaining.tv_usec, VTY_NEWLINE);
+			}
+
 			/* FIXME: Also add verbosity for other
 			 * connection types (E1) as soon as
 			 * the implementation is available */
@@ -1327,6 +1338,18 @@
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+DEFUN(cfg_mgcp_conn_timeout,
+      cfg_mgcp_conn_timeout_cmd,
+      "conn-timeout <1-65534>",
+      "Set a time after which inactive connections (CIs) are closed. This can be used to work around interoperability"
+      " problems causing connections to stay open forever, and slowly exhausting all available ports. Do not enable"
+      " when LCLS is used (connections in LCLS state appear to be inactive)!\n"
+      "Timeout value (sec.)\n")
+{
+	g_cfg->conn_timeout = strtoul(argv[0], NULL, 10);
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 int mgcp_vty_init(void)
 {
 	install_element_ve(&show_mgcp_cmd);
@@ -1391,6 +1414,7 @@
 	install_element(MGCP_NODE, &cfg_mgcp_allow_transcoding_cmd);
 	install_element(MGCP_NODE, &cfg_mgcp_no_allow_transcoding_cmd);
 	install_element(MGCP_NODE, &cfg_mgcp_domain_cmd);
+	install_element(MGCP_NODE, &cfg_mgcp_conn_timeout_cmd);
 
 	install_element(MGCP_NODE, &cfg_mgcp_trunk_cmd);
 	install_node(&trunk_node, config_write_trunk);