diff --git a/src/util/util.go b/src/util/util.go
index 65e6d463..45be3b19 100644
--- a/src/util/util.go
+++ b/src/util/util.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package util
 // These are misc. utility functions that didn't really fit anywhere else
 
 import "runtime"
+import "time"
 
 // A wrapper around runtime.Gosched() so it doesn't need to be imported elsewhere.
 func Yield() {
@@ -44,3 +45,14 @@ func PutBytes(bs []byte) {
 	default:
 	}
 }
+
+// This is a workaround to go's broken timer implementation
+func TimerStop(t *time.Timer) bool {
+	if !t.Stop() {
+		select {
+		case <-t.C:
+		default:
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/debug.go b/src/yggdrasil/debug.go
index f7319e46..94faba40 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/debug.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/debug.go
@@ -97,9 +97,7 @@ func (c *Core) DEBUG_getPeers() *peers {
 }
 
 func (ps *peers) DEBUG_newPeer(box crypto.BoxPubKey, sig crypto.SigPubKey, link crypto.BoxSharedKey) *peer {
-	//in <-chan []byte,
-	//out chan<- []byte) *peer {
-	return ps.newPeer(&box, &sig, &link, "(simulator)") //, in, out)
+	return ps.newPeer(&box, &sig, &link, "(simulator)", nil)
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/link.go b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
index 2d2155c9..be98dd92 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/link.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ type link struct {
 	mutex      sync.RWMutex // protects interfaces below
 	interfaces map[linkInfo]*linkInterface
 	awdl       awdl // AWDL interface support
+	// TODO timeout (to remove from switch), read from config.ReadTimeout
 }
 
 type linkInfo struct {
@@ -78,8 +79,6 @@ func (l *link) create(msgIO linkInterfaceMsgIO, name, linkType, local, remote st
 		incoming: incoming,
 		force:    force,
 	}
-	//l.interfaces[intf.name] = &intf
-	//go intf.start()
 	return &intf, nil
 }
 
@@ -142,7 +141,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 	intf.link.mutex.Unlock()
 	// Create peer
 	shared := crypto.GetSharedKey(myLinkPriv, &meta.link)
-	intf.peer = intf.link.core.peers.newPeer(&meta.box, &meta.sig, shared, intf.name)
+	intf.peer = intf.link.core.peers.newPeer(&meta.box, &meta.sig, shared, intf.name, func() { intf.msgIO.close() })
 	if intf.peer == nil {
 		return errors.New("failed to create peer")
 	}
@@ -161,52 +160,57 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 	themAddr := address.AddrForNodeID(crypto.GetNodeID(&intf.info.box))
 	themAddrString := net.IP(themAddr[:]).String()
 	themString := fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", themAddrString, intf.info.remote)
-	intf.peer.close = func() {
-		intf.msgIO.close()
-		intf.link.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s",
-			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
-	}
 	intf.link.core.log.Infof("Connected %s: %s, source %s",
 		strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
+	defer intf.link.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s",
+		strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
 	// Start the link loop
 	go intf.peer.linkLoop()
 	// Start the writer
 	signalReady := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	signalSent := make(chan bool, 1)
+	sendAck := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	go func() {
 		defer close(signalReady)
+		defer close(signalSent)
 		interval := 4 * time.Second
-		timer := time.NewTimer(interval)
-		clearTimer := func() {
-			if !timer.Stop() {
-				select {
-				case <-timer.C:
-				default:
-				}
+		tcpTimer := time.NewTimer(interval) // used for backwards compat with old tcp
+		defer util.TimerStop(tcpTimer)
+		send := func(bs []byte) {
+			intf.msgIO.writeMsg(bs)
+			select {
+			case signalSent <- len(bs) > 0:
+			default:
 			}
 		}
-		defer clearTimer()
 		for {
 			// First try to send any link protocol traffic
 			select {
 			case msg := <-intf.peer.linkOut:
-				intf.msgIO.writeMsg(msg)
+				send(msg)
 				continue
 			default:
 			}
 			// No protocol traffic to send, so reset the timer
-			clearTimer()
-			timer.Reset(interval)
+			util.TimerStop(tcpTimer)
+			tcpTimer.Reset(interval)
 			// Now block until something is ready or the timer triggers keepalive traffic
 			select {
-			case <-timer.C:
-				intf.msgIO.writeMsg(nil)
+			case <-tcpTimer.C:
+				intf.link.core.log.Debugf("Sending (legacy) keep-alive to %s: %s, source %s",
+					strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
+				send(nil)
+			case <-sendAck:
+				intf.link.core.log.Debugf("Sending ack to %s: %s, source %s",
+					strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
+				send(nil)
 			case msg := <-intf.peer.linkOut:
 				intf.msgIO.writeMsg(msg)
 			case msg, ok := <-out:
 				if !ok {
 					return
 				}
-				intf.msgIO.writeMsg(msg)
+				send(msg)
 				util.PutBytes(msg)
 				select {
 				case signalReady <- struct{}{}:
@@ -217,27 +221,22 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 	}()
 	//intf.link.core.switchTable.idleIn <- intf.peer.port // notify switch that we're idle
 	// Used to enable/disable activity in the switch
-	signalAlive := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	signalAlive := make(chan bool, 1) // True = real packet, false = keep-alive
 	defer close(signalAlive)
 	go func() {
 		var isAlive bool
 		var isReady bool
-		interval := 6 * time.Second // TODO set to ReadTimeout from the config, reset if it gets changed
-		timer := time.NewTimer(interval)
-		clearTimer := func() {
-			if !timer.Stop() {
-				select {
-				case <-timer.C:
-				default:
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		defer clearTimer()
+		var sendTimerRunning bool
+		var recvTimerRunning bool
+		recvTime := 6 * time.Second // TODO set to ReadTimeout from the config, reset if it gets changed
+		sendTime := time.Second
+		sendTimer := time.NewTimer(sendTime)
+		defer util.TimerStop(sendTimer)
+		recvTimer := time.NewTimer(recvTime)
+		defer util.TimerStop(recvTimer)
 		for {
-			clearTimer()
-			timer.Reset(interval)
 			select {
-			case _, ok := <-signalAlive:
+			case gotMsg, ok := <-signalAlive:
 				if !ok {
 					return
 				}
@@ -249,6 +248,27 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 						intf.link.core.switchTable.idleIn <- intf.peer.port
 					}
 				}
+				if gotMsg && !sendTimerRunning {
+					// We got a message
+					// Start a timer, if it expires then send a 0-sized ack to let them know we're alive
+					util.TimerStop(sendTimer)
+					sendTimer.Reset(sendTime)
+					sendTimerRunning = true
+				}
+			case sentMsg, ok := <-signalSent:
+				// Stop any running ack timer
+				if !ok {
+					return
+				}
+				util.TimerStop(sendTimer)
+				sendTimerRunning = false
+				if sentMsg && !recvTimerRunning {
+					// We sent a message
+					// Start a timer, if it expires and we haven't gotten any return traffic (including a 0-sized ack), then assume there's a problem
+					util.TimerStop(recvTimer)
+					recvTimer.Reset(recvTime)
+					recvTimerRunning = true
+				}
 			case _, ok := <-signalReady:
 				if !ok {
 					return
@@ -260,7 +280,14 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 					// Keep enabled in the switch
 					intf.link.core.switchTable.idleIn <- intf.peer.port
 				}
-			case <-timer.C:
+			case <-sendTimer.C:
+				// We haven't sent anything, so signal a send of a 0 packet to let them know we're alive
+				select {
+				case sendAck <- struct{}{}:
+				default:
+				}
+			case <-recvTimer.C:
+				// We haven't received anything, so assume there's a problem and don't return this node to the switch until they start responding
 				isAlive = false
 			}
 		}
@@ -275,7 +302,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 			return err
 		}
 		select {
-		case signalAlive <- struct{}{}:
+		case signalAlive <- len(msg) > 0:
 		default:
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/peer.go b/src/yggdrasil/peer.go
index ad54fbc3..237d6f61 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/peer.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/peer.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ type peer struct {
 }
 
 // Creates a new peer with the specified box, sig, and linkShared keys, using the lowest unoccupied port number.
-func (ps *peers) newPeer(box *crypto.BoxPubKey, sig *crypto.SigPubKey, linkShared *crypto.BoxSharedKey, endpoint string) *peer {
+func (ps *peers) newPeer(box *crypto.BoxPubKey, sig *crypto.SigPubKey, linkShared *crypto.BoxSharedKey, endpoint string, closer func()) *peer {
 	now := time.Now()
 	p := peer{box: *box,
 		sig:        *sig,
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ func (ps *peers) newPeer(box *crypto.BoxPubKey, sig *crypto.SigPubKey, linkShare
 		firstSeen:  now,
 		doSend:     make(chan struct{}, 1),
 		dinfo:      make(chan *dhtInfo, 1),
+		close:      closer,
 		core:       ps.core}
 	ps.mutex.Lock()
 	defer ps.mutex.Unlock()
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/router.go b/src/yggdrasil/router.go
index d5059369..99e69828 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/router.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/router.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func (r *router) init(core *Core) {
 	r.addr = *address.AddrForNodeID(&r.core.dht.nodeID)
 	r.subnet = *address.SubnetForNodeID(&r.core.dht.nodeID)
 	in := make(chan []byte, 32) // TODO something better than this...
-	p := r.core.peers.newPeer(&r.core.boxPub, &r.core.sigPub, &crypto.BoxSharedKey{}, "(self)")
+	p := r.core.peers.newPeer(&r.core.boxPub, &r.core.sigPub, &crypto.BoxSharedKey{}, "(self)", nil)
 	p.out = func(packet []byte) {
 		// This is to make very sure it never blocks
 		select {
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/switch.go b/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
index f2adf3fb..db39d010 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ func (t *switchTable) cleanPeers() {
 		if now.Sub(peer.time) > switch_timeout+switch_throttle {
 			// Longer than switch_timeout to make sure we don't remove a working peer because the root stopped responding.
 			delete(t.data.peers, port)
+			go t.core.peers.removePeer(port) // TODO figure out if it's safe to do this without a goroutine, or make it safe
 		}
 	}
 	if _, isIn := t.data.peers[t.parent]; !isIn {