diff --git a/src/signaling/mcu_proxy.go b/src/signaling/mcu_proxy.go
index 1ec191c..3fecb15 100644
--- a/src/signaling/mcu_proxy.go
+++ b/src/signaling/mcu_proxy.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
+	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
@@ -67,6 +68,13 @@ const (
 	defaultProxyTimeoutSeconds = 2
 )
 
+var (
+	websocketDialer = &websocket.Dialer{
+		Proxy:            http.ProxyFromEnvironment,
+		HandshakeTimeout: 45 * time.Second,
+	}
+)
+
 type mcuProxyPubSubCommon struct {
 	streamType string
 	proxyId    string
@@ -373,7 +381,22 @@ func (c *mcuProxyConnection) readPump() {
 	conn := c.conn
 	c.mu.Unlock()
 
+	conn.SetPongHandler(func(msg string) error {
+		now := time.Now()
+		conn.SetReadDeadline(now.Add(pongWait))
+		if msg == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		if ts, err := strconv.ParseInt(msg, 10, 64); err == nil {
+			rtt := now.Sub(time.Unix(0, ts))
+			rtt_ms := rtt.Nanoseconds() / time.Millisecond.Nanoseconds()
+			log.Printf("Proxy at %s has RTT of %d ms (%s)", c.url, rtt_ms, rtt)
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+
 	for {
+		conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(pongWait))
 		_, message, err := conn.ReadMessage()
 		if err != nil {
 			if websocket.IsUnexpectedCloseError(err,
@@ -395,12 +418,38 @@ func (c *mcuProxyConnection) readPump() {
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *mcuProxyConnection) sendPing() bool {
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	defer c.mu.Unlock()
+	if c.conn == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	now := time.Now()
+	msg := strconv.FormatInt(now.UnixNano(), 10)
+	c.conn.SetWriteDeadline(now.Add(writeWait))
+	if err := c.conn.WriteMessage(websocket.PingMessage, []byte(msg)); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Could not send ping to proxy at %s: %v", c.url, err)
+		c.scheduleReconnect()
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
 func (c *mcuProxyConnection) writePump() {
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(pingPeriod)
+	defer func() {
+		ticker.Stop()
+	}()
+
 	c.reconnectTimer = time.NewTimer(0)
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-c.reconnectTimer.C:
 			c.reconnect()
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			c.sendPing()
 		case <-c.closeChan:
 			return
 		}
@@ -420,6 +469,7 @@ func (c *mcuProxyConnection) sendClose() error {
 		return ErrNotConnected
 	}
 
+	c.conn.SetWriteDeadline(time.Now().Add(writeWait))
 	return c.conn.WriteMessage(websocket.CloseMessage, websocket.FormatCloseMessage(websocket.CloseNormalClosure, ""))
 }
 
@@ -518,7 +568,7 @@ func (c *mcuProxyConnection) reconnect() {
 		u.Scheme = "wss"
 	}
 
-	conn, _, err := websocket.DefaultDialer.Dial(u.String(), nil)
+	conn, _, err := websocketDialer.Dial(u.String(), nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("Could not connect to %s: %s", u, err)
 		c.scheduleReconnect()
@@ -541,6 +591,10 @@ func (c *mcuProxyConnection) reconnect() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	if !c.sendPing() {
+		return
+	}
+
 	go c.readPump()
 }
 
@@ -808,6 +862,7 @@ func (c *mcuProxyConnection) sendMessageLocked(msg *ProxyClientMessage) error {
 	if c.conn == nil {
 		return ErrNotConnected
 	}
+	c.conn.SetWriteDeadline(time.Now().Add(writeWait))
 	return c.conn.WriteJSON(msg)
 }