diff --git a/CONFIG.md b/CONFIG.md
index 188a2b1..bcd6f09 100644
--- a/CONFIG.md
+++ b/CONFIG.md
@@ -49,6 +49,14 @@ default: 30000 # milliseconds
 
 How long an idle connection with a server is left open (ms).
 
+### idle_client_in_transaction_timeout
+```
+path: general.idle_client_in_transaction_timeout
+default: 0 # milliseconds
+```
+
+How long a client is allowed to be idle while in a transaction (ms).
+
 ### healthcheck_timeout
 ```
 path: general.healthcheck_timeout
diff --git a/pgcat.toml b/pgcat.toml
index 7903cdf..0d883a3 100644
--- a/pgcat.toml
+++ b/pgcat.toml
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ connect_timeout = 5000 # milliseconds
 # How long an idle connection with a server is left open (ms).
 idle_timeout = 30000 # milliseconds
 
+# How long a client is allowed to be idle while in a transaction (ms).
+idle_client_in_transaction_timeout = 0 # milliseconds
+
 # How much time to give the health check query to return with a result (ms).
 healthcheck_timeout = 1000 # milliseconds
 
diff --git a/src/client.rs b/src/client.rs
index bb70a65..68f6f57 100644
--- a/src/client.rs
+++ b/src/client.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use tokio::sync::broadcast::Receiver;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc::Sender;
 
 use crate::admin::{generate_server_info_for_admin, handle_admin};
-use crate::config::{get_config, Address, PoolMode};
+use crate::config::{get_config, get_idle_client_in_transaction_timeout, Address, PoolMode};
 use crate::constants::*;
 
 use crate::messages::*;
@@ -859,6 +859,11 @@ where
 
             let mut initial_message = Some(message);
 
+            let idle_client_timeout_duration = match get_idle_client_in_transaction_timeout() {
+                0 => tokio::time::Duration::MAX,
+                timeout => tokio::time::Duration::from_millis(timeout),
+            };
+
             // Transaction loop. Multiple queries can be issued by the client here.
             // The connection belongs to the client until the transaction is over,
             // or until the client disconnects if we are in session mode.
@@ -870,15 +875,26 @@ where
                     None => {
                         trace!("Waiting for message inside transaction or in session mode");
 
-                        match read_message(&mut self.read).await {
-                            Ok(message) => message,
-                            Err(err) => {
+                        match tokio::time::timeout(
+                            idle_client_timeout_duration,
+                            read_message(&mut self.read),
+                        )
+                        .await
+                        {
+                            Ok(Ok(message)) => message,
+                            Ok(Err(err)) => {
                                 // Client disconnected inside a transaction.
                                 // Clean up the server and re-use it.
                                 server.checkin_cleanup().await?;
 
                                 return Err(err);
                             }
+                            Err(_) => {
+                                // Client idle in transaction timeout
+                                error_response(&mut self.write, "idle transaction timeout").await?;
+                                error!("Client idle in transaction timeout: {{ pool_name: {:?}, username: {:?}, shard: {:?}, role: \"{:?}\"}}", self.pool_name.clone(), self.username.clone(), query_router.shard(), query_router.role());
+                                break;
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                     Some(message) => {
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 5adf8d5..a3182e2 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -197,6 +197,9 @@ pub struct General {
     #[serde(default = "General::default_ban_time")]
     pub ban_time: i64,
 
+    #[serde(default = "General::default_idle_client_in_transaction_timeout")]
+    pub idle_client_in_transaction_timeout: u64,
+
     #[serde(default = "General::default_worker_threads")]
     pub worker_threads: usize,
 
@@ -260,6 +263,10 @@ impl General {
     pub fn default_worker_threads() -> usize {
         4
     }
+
+    pub fn default_idle_client_in_transaction_timeout() -> u64 {
+        0
+    }
 }
 
 impl Default for General {
@@ -276,6 +283,7 @@ impl Default for General {
             healthcheck_delay: Self::default_healthcheck_delay(),
             ban_time: Self::default_ban_time(),
             worker_threads: Self::default_worker_threads(),
+            idle_client_in_transaction_timeout: Self::default_idle_client_in_transaction_timeout(),
             tcp_keepalives_idle: Self::default_tcp_keepalives_idle(),
             tcp_keepalives_count: Self::default_tcp_keepalives_count(),
             tcp_keepalives_interval: Self::default_tcp_keepalives_interval(),
@@ -655,6 +663,13 @@ impl From<&Config> for std::collections::HashMap<String, String> {
                 config.general.healthcheck_delay.to_string(),
             ),
             ("ban_time".to_string(), config.general.ban_time.to_string()),
+            (
+                "idle_client_in_transaction_timeout".to_string(),
+                config
+                    .general
+                    .idle_client_in_transaction_timeout
+                    .to_string(),
+            ),
         ];
 
         r.append(&mut static_settings);
@@ -666,6 +681,10 @@ impl Config {
     /// Print current configuration.
     pub fn show(&self) {
         info!("Ban time: {}s", self.general.ban_time);
+        info!(
+            "Idle client in transaction timeout: {}ms",
+            self.general.idle_client_in_transaction_timeout
+        );
         info!("Worker threads: {}", self.general.worker_threads);
         info!(
             "Healthcheck timeout: {}ms",
@@ -819,6 +838,12 @@ pub fn get_config() -> Config {
     (*(*CONFIG.load())).clone()
 }
 
+pub fn get_idle_client_in_transaction_timeout() -> u64 {
+    (*(*CONFIG.load()))
+        .general
+        .idle_client_in_transaction_timeout
+}
+
 /// Parse the configuration file located at the path.
 pub async fn parse(path: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let mut contents = String::new();
@@ -889,6 +914,7 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(get_config().path, "pgcat.toml".to_string());
 
         assert_eq!(get_config().general.ban_time, 60);
+        assert_eq!(get_config().general.idle_client_in_transaction_timeout, 0);
         assert_eq!(get_config().general.idle_timeout, 30000);
         assert_eq!(get_config().pools.len(), 2);
         assert_eq!(get_config().pools["sharded_db"].shards.len(), 3);
diff --git a/tests/ruby/misc_spec.rb b/tests/ruby/misc_spec.rb
index 2f69fb4..1a04c5d 100644
--- a/tests/ruby/misc_spec.rb
+++ b/tests/ruby/misc_spec.rb
@@ -309,4 +309,58 @@ describe "Miscellaneous" do
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe "Idle client timeout" do
+    context "idle transaction timeout set to 0" do
+      before do
+        current_configs = processes.pgcat.current_config
+        correct_idle_client_transaction_timeout = current_configs["general"]["idle_client_in_transaction_timeout"]
+        puts(current_configs["general"]["idle_client_in_transaction_timeout"])
+  
+        current_configs["general"]["idle_client_in_transaction_timeout"] = 0
+  
+        processes.pgcat.update_config(current_configs) # with timeout 0
+        processes.pgcat.reload_config
+      end
+
+      it "Allow client to be idle in transaction" do
+        conn = PG::connect(processes.pgcat.connection_string("sharded_db", "sharding_user"))
+        conn.async_exec("BEGIN")
+        conn.async_exec("SELECT 1")
+        sleep(2)
+        conn.async_exec("COMMIT")
+        conn.close
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "idle transaction timeout set to 500ms" do
+      before do
+        current_configs = processes.pgcat.current_config
+        correct_idle_client_transaction_timeout = current_configs["general"]["idle_client_in_transaction_timeout"]  
+        current_configs["general"]["idle_client_in_transaction_timeout"] = 500
+  
+        processes.pgcat.update_config(current_configs) # with timeout 500
+        processes.pgcat.reload_config
+      end
+
+      it "Allow client to be idle in transaction below timeout" do
+        conn = PG::connect(processes.pgcat.connection_string("sharded_db", "sharding_user"))
+        conn.async_exec("BEGIN")
+        conn.async_exec("SELECT 1")
+        sleep(0.4) # below 500ms
+        conn.async_exec("COMMIT")
+        conn.close
+      end
+
+      it "Error when client idle in transaction time exceeds timeout" do
+        conn = PG::connect(processes.pgcat.connection_string("sharded_db", "sharding_user"))
+        conn.async_exec("BEGIN")
+        conn.async_exec("SELECT 1")
+        sleep(1) # above 500ms
+        expect{ conn.async_exec("COMMIT") }.to raise_error(PG::SystemError, /idle transaction timeout/) 
+        conn.async_exec("SELECT 1") # should be able to send another query
+        conn.close
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end