diff --git a/src/libvirt.c b/src/libvirt.c
index e144ab0253..08c413456f 100644
--- a/src/libvirt.c
+++ b/src/libvirt.c
@@ -18344,6 +18344,10 @@ error:
  * messages.  Failure to do so may result in connections being closed
  * unexpectedly.
  *
+ * Note: This API function controls only keepalive messages sent by the client.
+ * If the server is configured to use keepalive you still need to run the event
+ * loop to respond to them, even if you disable keepalives by this function.
+ *
  * Returns -1 on error, 0 on success, 1 when remote party doesn't support
  * keepalive messages.
  */
@@ -18363,12 +18367,6 @@ int virConnectSetKeepAlive(virConnectPtr conn,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (interval <= 0) {
-        virLibConnError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
-                        _("negative or zero interval make no sense"));
-        goto error;
-    }
-
     if (conn->driver->setKeepAlive) {
         ret = conn->driver->setKeepAlive(conn, interval, count);
         if (ret < 0)
diff --git a/src/probes.d b/src/probes.d
index 9d70cc9726..e56dc3e264 100644
--- a/src/probes.d
+++ b/src/probes.d
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ provider libvirt {
 	probe rpc_keepalive_ref(void *ka, void *client, int refs);
 	probe rpc_keepalive_free(void *ka, void *client, int refs);
 	probe rpc_keepalive_start(void *ka, void *client, int interval, int count);
-	probe rpc_keepalive_stop(void *ka, void *client);
+	probe rpc_keepalive_stop(void *ka, void *client, bool all);
 	probe rpc_keepalive_send(void *ka, void *client, int prog, int vers, int proc);
 	probe rpc_keepalive_received(void *ka, void *client, int prog, int vers, int proc);
 	probe rpc_keepalive_timeout(void *ka, void *client, int coundToDeath, int idle);
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_driver.c b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
index 0f8d6071f3..a19a86b53e 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_driver.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
@@ -4647,7 +4647,12 @@ remoteSetKeepAlive(virConnectPtr conn, int interval, unsigned int count)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = virNetClientKeepAliveStart(priv->client, interval, count);
+    if (interval > 0) {
+        ret = virNetClientKeepAliveStart(priv->client, interval, count);
+    } else {
+        virNetClientKeepAliveStop(priv->client);
+        ret = 0;
+    }
 
 cleanup:
     remoteDriverUnlock(priv);
diff --git a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
index 06b8e632ce..a5c2b1aada 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
@@ -372,32 +372,48 @@ cleanup:
 }
 
 
-void
-virKeepAliveStop(virKeepAlivePtr ka)
+static void
+virKeepAliveStopInternal(virKeepAlivePtr ka, bool all)
 {
     virKeepAliveLock(ka);
 
     PROBE(RPC_KEEPALIVE_STOP,
-          "ka=%p client=%p",
-          ka, ka->client);
+          "ka=%p client=%p all=%d",
+          ka, ka->client, all);
 
     if (ka->timer > 0) {
         virEventRemoveTimeout(ka->timer);
         ka->timer = -1;
     }
 
-    if (ka->responseTimer > 0) {
-        virEventRemoveTimeout(ka->responseTimer);
-        ka->responseTimer = -1;
+    if (all) {
+        if (ka->responseTimer > 0) {
+            virEventRemoveTimeout(ka->responseTimer);
+            ka->responseTimer = -1;
+        }
+
+        virNetMessageFree(ka->response);
+        ka->response = NULL;
     }
 
-    virNetMessageFree(ka->response);
-    ka->response = NULL;
-
     virKeepAliveUnlock(ka);
 }
 
 
+void
+virKeepAliveStop(virKeepAlivePtr ka)
+{
+    virKeepAliveStopInternal(ka, true);
+}
+
+
+void
+virKeepAliveStopSending(virKeepAlivePtr ka)
+{
+    virKeepAliveStopInternal(ka, false);
+}
+
+
 bool
 virKeepAliveCheckMessage(virKeepAlivePtr ka,
                          virNetMessagePtr msg)
diff --git a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.h b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.h
index f1654eb25a..af9e722297 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ int virKeepAliveStart(virKeepAlivePtr ka,
                       int interval,
                       unsigned int count);
 void virKeepAliveStop(virKeepAlivePtr ka);
+void virKeepAliveStopSending(virKeepAlivePtr ka);
 
 bool virKeepAliveCheckMessage(virKeepAlivePtr ka,
                               virNetMessagePtr msg);
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
index 33b770146a..d88288d920 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
@@ -248,6 +248,14 @@ virNetClientKeepAliveStart(virNetClientPtr client,
     return ret;
 }
 
+void
+virNetClientKeepAliveStop(virNetClientPtr client)
+{
+    virNetClientLock(client);
+    virKeepAliveStopSending(client->keepalive);
+    virNetClientUnlock(client);
+}
+
 static void
 virNetClientKeepAliveDeadCB(void *opaque)
 {
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclient.h b/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
index 7c30d2bac3..13b4f96ccd 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
@@ -104,4 +104,6 @@ int virNetClientKeepAliveStart(virNetClientPtr client,
                                int interval,
                                unsigned int count);
 
+void virNetClientKeepAliveStop(virNetClientPtr client);
+
 #endif /* __VIR_NET_CLIENT_H__ */