diff --git a/clawbench/client.py b/clawbench/client.py
index b728f94..c9a2d06 100644
--- a/clawbench/client.py
+++ b/clawbench/client.py
@@ -232,6 +232,14 @@ class GatewayClient:
                     max_size=10 * 1024 * 1024,
                     open_timeout=attempt_timeout,
                     additional_headers={"Origin": host},
+                    # The benchmark uses loopback gateway sockets and can issue
+                    # long-lived RPCs (notably agent.wait while a provider call
+                    # is in flight). Python websockets' default keepalive can
+                    # close the connection before the gateway surfaces the
+                    # actual model/provider result, contaminating runs as infra
+                    # timeouts. The gateway already owns run-level timeouts.
+                    ping_interval=None,
+                    ping_timeout=None,
                 )
                 self._listen_task = asyncio.create_task(self._listener())
                 challenge = await self._wait_event(
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 9c46368..5a894a5 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -37,6 +37,42 @@ def test_gateway_config_invalid_env_falls_back_to_default(monkeypatch, caplog, r
     assert any("CLAWBENCH_CONNECT_TIMEOUT" in r.getMessage() for r in caplog.records)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_gateway_client_disables_websocket_keepalive_for_long_rpc(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+):
+    connect_kwargs: dict[str, object] = {}
+
+    class FakeWebSocket:
+        async def close(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+    async def fake_connect(*args, **kwargs):
+        connect_kwargs.update(kwargs)
+        return FakeWebSocket()
+
+    async def fake_wait_event(self, event_name: str, *, timeout: float):
+        return {"payload": {"nonce": ""}}
+
+    async def fake_rpc(self, method: str, params=None, **kwargs):
+        return {"payload": {"type": "hello-ok", "protocol": 3}}
+
+    async def fake_listener(self):
+        await asyncio.sleep(60)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("clawbench.client.websockets.connect", fake_connect)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GatewayClient, "_wait_event", fake_wait_event)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GatewayClient, "_rpc", fake_rpc)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GatewayClient, "_listener", fake_listener)
+
+    client = GatewayClient(GatewayConfig(connect_timeout=2))
+    await client.connect()
+    await client.close()
+
+    assert connect_kwargs["ping_interval"] is None
+    assert connect_kwargs["ping_timeout"] is None
+
+
 def test_tool_results_are_correlated_back_to_tool_calls():
     tool_message = _parse_single_message(
         {