diff --git a/src/uct/tcp/tcp.h b/src/uct/tcp/tcp.h
index fa097e8e83a..6fc553f3e68 100644
--- a/src/uct/tcp/tcp.h
+++ b/src/uct/tcp/tcp.h
@@ -205,11 +205,13 @@ typedef struct uct_tcp_am_hdr {
  */
 typedef enum uct_tcp_ep_am_id {
     /* AM ID reserved for TCP internal Connection Manager messages */
-    UCT_TCP_EP_CM_AM_ID      = UCT_AM_ID_MAX,
+    UCT_TCP_EP_CM_AM_ID        = UCT_AM_ID_MAX,
     /* AM ID reserved for TCP internal PUT REQ message */
-    UCT_TCP_EP_PUT_REQ_AM_ID = UCT_AM_ID_MAX + 1,
+    UCT_TCP_EP_PUT_REQ_AM_ID   = UCT_AM_ID_MAX + 1,
     /* AM ID reserved for TCP internal PUT ACK message */
-    UCT_TCP_EP_PUT_ACK_AM_ID = UCT_AM_ID_MAX + 2
+    UCT_TCP_EP_PUT_ACK_AM_ID   = UCT_AM_ID_MAX + 2,
+    /* AM ID reserved for TCP internal PUT ACK message */
+    UCT_TCP_EP_KEEPALIVE_AM_ID = UCT_AM_ID_MAX + 3
 } uct_tcp_ep_am_id_t;
 
 
@@ -513,6 +515,9 @@ void uct_tcp_ep_pending_purge(uct_ep_h tl_ep, uct_pending_purge_callback_t cb,
 ucs_status_t uct_tcp_ep_flush(uct_ep_h tl_ep, unsigned flags,
                               uct_completion_t *comp);
 
+ucs_status_t
+uct_tcp_ep_check(uct_ep_h tl_ep, unsigned flags, uct_completion_t *comp);
+
 ucs_status_t uct_tcp_cm_send_event(uct_tcp_ep_t *ep,
                                    uct_tcp_cm_conn_event_t event,
                                    int log_error);
diff --git a/src/uct/tcp/tcp_cm.c b/src/uct/tcp/tcp_cm.c
index 172629120b4..c22adcb7b63 100644
--- a/src/uct/tcp/tcp_cm.c
+++ b/src/uct/tcp/tcp_cm.c
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ ucs_status_t uct_tcp_cm_send_event(uct_tcp_ep_t *ep,
     pkt_buf         = ucs_alloca(pkt_length);
     pkt_hdr         = (uct_tcp_am_hdr_t*)(UCS_PTR_BYTE_OFFSET(pkt_buf,
                                                               magic_number_length));
-    pkt_hdr->am_id  = UCT_AM_ID_MAX;
+    pkt_hdr->am_id  = UCT_TCP_EP_CM_AM_ID;
     pkt_hdr->length = cm_pkt_length;
 
     if (event == UCT_TCP_CM_CONN_REQ) {
diff --git a/src/uct/tcp/tcp_ep.c b/src/uct/tcp/tcp_ep.c
index 6d73a551baf..bf91f5c1dfa 100644
--- a/src/uct/tcp/tcp_ep.c
+++ b/src/uct/tcp/tcp_ep.c
@@ -1295,6 +1295,9 @@ static unsigned uct_tcp_ep_progress_am_rx(uct_tcp_ep_t *ep)
             ucs_assert(hdr->length == sizeof(uint32_t));
             uct_tcp_ep_handle_put_ack(ep, (uct_tcp_ep_put_ack_hdr_t*)(hdr + 1));
             handled++;
+        } else if (hdr->am_id == UCT_TCP_EP_KEEPALIVE_AM_ID) {
+            /* just ignore keepalive requests */
+            handled++;
         } else {
             ucs_assert(hdr->am_id == UCT_TCP_EP_CM_AM_ID);
             handled += 1 + uct_tcp_cm_handle_conn_pkt(&ep, hdr + 1, hdr->length);
@@ -1920,3 +1923,23 @@ ucs_status_t uct_tcp_ep_flush(uct_ep_h tl_ep, unsigned flags,
     return UCS_OK;
 }
 
+ucs_status_t
+uct_tcp_ep_check(uct_ep_h tl_ep, unsigned flags, uct_completion_t *comp)
+{
+    uct_tcp_ep_t *ep       = ucs_derived_of(tl_ep, uct_tcp_ep_t);
+    uct_tcp_iface_t *iface = ucs_derived_of(tl_ep->iface, uct_tcp_iface_t);
+    uct_tcp_am_hdr_t *hdr  = NULL; /* init to suppress build warning */
+    ucs_status_t status;
+
+    UCT_CHECK_PARAM(comp == NULL, "Unsupported completion on ep_check");
+    UCT_CHECK_PARAM(flags == 0, "Unsupported flags: %x", flags);
+
+    status = uct_tcp_ep_am_prepare(iface, ep, UCT_TCP_EP_KEEPALIVE_AM_ID, &hdr);
+    if (status != UCS_OK) {
+        return (status == UCS_ERR_NO_RESOURCE) ? UCS_OK : status;
+    }
+
+    ucs_assert(hdr != NULL);
+    hdr->length = 0;
+    return uct_tcp_ep_am_send(ep, hdr);
+}
diff --git a/src/uct/tcp/tcp_iface.c b/src/uct/tcp/tcp_iface.c
index cc80420dd6d..89bd1c6655f 100644
--- a/src/uct/tcp/tcp_iface.c
+++ b/src/uct/tcp/tcp_iface.c
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ static ucs_status_t uct_tcp_iface_query(uct_iface_h tl_iface, uct_iface_attr_t *
                              UCT_IFACE_FLAG_AM_BCOPY         |
                              UCT_IFACE_FLAG_PENDING          |
                              UCT_IFACE_FLAG_CB_SYNC          |
+                             UCT_IFACE_FLAG_EP_CHECK         |
                              UCT_IFACE_FLAG_ERRHANDLE_PEER_FAILURE;
     attr->cap.event_flags  = UCT_IFACE_FLAG_EVENT_SEND_COMP |
                              UCT_IFACE_FLAG_EVENT_RECV      |
@@ -342,6 +343,7 @@ static uct_iface_ops_t uct_tcp_iface_ops = {
     .ep_pending_purge         = uct_tcp_ep_pending_purge,
     .ep_flush                 = uct_tcp_ep_flush,
     .ep_fence                 = uct_base_ep_fence,
+    .ep_check                 = uct_tcp_ep_check,
     .ep_create                = uct_tcp_ep_create,
     .ep_destroy               = uct_tcp_ep_destroy,
     .ep_get_address           = uct_tcp_ep_get_address,