diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index a50825f466..dd58ff9dc9 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 1.2.17
+ * Enable keepalive for native protocol (CASSANDRA-7380)
  * Check internal addresses for seeds (CASSANDRA-6523)
  * Fix potential / by 0 in HHOM page size calculation (CASSANDRA-7354)
  * Fix handling of empty counter replication mutations (CASSANDRA-7144)
diff --git a/conf/cassandra.yaml b/conf/cassandra.yaml
index ecad3f0dcb..fab9527797 100644
--- a/conf/cassandra.yaml
+++ b/conf/cassandra.yaml
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ rpc_address: localhost
 # port for Thrift to listen for clients on
 rpc_port: 9160
 
-# enable or disable keepalive on rpc connections
+# enable or disable keepalive on rpc/native connections
 rpc_keepalive: true
 
 # Cassandra provides three out-of-the-box options for the RPC Server:
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/transport/Server.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/transport/Server.java
index 5773728717..74f4a0d169 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/transport/Server.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/transport/Server.java
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ public class Server implements CassandraDaemon.Server
         ServerBootstrap bootstrap = new ServerBootstrap(factory);
 
         bootstrap.setOption("child.tcpNoDelay", true);
+        bootstrap.setOption("child.keepAlive", DatabaseDescriptor.getRpcKeepAlive());
 
         // Set up the event pipeline factory.
         final EncryptionOptions.ClientEncryptionOptions clientEnc = DatabaseDescriptor.getClientEncryptionOptions();