diff --git a/patches/series b/patches/series
index fd7a18b..66384c7 100644
--- a/patches/series
+++ b/patches/series
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ make-rc-unit-test.patch
 flaky-test_fix.patch
 async-transaction.patch
 plus_one.patch
+transport-timeout-interval.patch
diff --git a/patches/transport-timeout-interval.patch b/patches/transport-timeout-interval.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..315f768
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/transport-timeout-interval.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+Adds timeoutIntervals argument.
+
+This controls the variable of same name in BasicTransport.cc
+
+From: Ofer Gill <ofer.gill@stateless.net>
+---
+ src/BasicTransport.cc |    6 ++++++
+ src/OptionParser.cc   |    5 +++++
+ src/OptionParser.h    |   13 ++++++++++++-
+ 3 files changed, 23 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/src/BasicTransport.cc b/src/BasicTransport.cc
+index 5253669a..8073d8f0 100644
+--- a/src/BasicTransport.cc
++++ b/src/BasicTransport.cc
+@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
+ #include <algorithm>
+ 
+ #include "BasicTransport.h"
++#include "OptionParser.h"
+ #include "Service.h"
+ #include "TimeTrace.h"
+ #include "WorkerManager.h"
+@@ -110,6 +111,11 @@ BasicTransport::BasicTransport(Context* context, const ServiceLocator* locator,
+     timerInterval = Cycles::fromMicroseconds(2000);
+     nextTimeoutCheck = Cycles::rdtsc() + timerInterval;
+ 
++    if ((context->options != NULL) && 
++        (context->options->getTimeoutIntervals() != 0)) {
++        timeoutIntervals = context->options->getTimeoutIntervals();
++    }
++
+     LOG(NOTICE, "BasicTransport parameters: maxDataPerPacket %u, "
+             "roundTripBytes %u, grantIncrement %u, pingIntervals %d, "
+             "timeoutIntervals %d, timerInterval %.2f ms",
+diff --git a/src/OptionParser.cc b/src/OptionParser.cc
+index 0b89f4db..ac233aac 100644
+--- a/src/OptionParser.cc
++++ b/src/OptionParser.cc
+@@ -231,6 +231,11 @@ OptionParser::setup(int argc, char* argv[])
+              "How long transports should wait (ms) before declaring that a "
+              "client connection for each rpc session is dead."
+              "0 means use transport-specific default.")
++            ("timeoutIntervals",
++             ProgramOptions::value<uint32_t>(&options.timeoutIntervals)->
++                default_value(0),
++             "How many intervals (attempts) in an rpc session to try with the "
++             "client connection before declaring that session is dead.")
+             ("dpdkPort",
+              ProgramOptions::value<int>(&options.dpdkPort)->
+                 default_value(-1),
+diff --git a/src/OptionParser.h b/src/OptionParser.h
+index b715995b..0bd52f97 100644
+--- a/src/OptionParser.h
++++ b/src/OptionParser.h
+@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class CommandLineOptions {
+         , externalStorageLocator()
+         , pcapFilePath()
+         , sessionTimeout(0)
++        , timeoutIntervals(0)
+         , portTimeout(0)
+         , clusterName()
+         , configDir()
+@@ -118,6 +119,15 @@ class CommandLineOptions {
+         return sessionTimeout;
+     }
+ 
++    /**
++     * Returns the number of intervals (attempts) the transport should use
++     * in an rpc session before assuming the connection has failed.
++     */
++    uint32_t getTimeoutIntervals() const
++    {
++        return timeoutIntervals;
++    }
++
+     /**
+      * Returns the time (in ms) after which transports should assume that
+      * the client for the lisning port is dead.
+@@ -168,7 +178,8 @@ class CommandLineOptions {
+     string externalStorageLocator;  ///< See getExternalStorageLocator().
+     string pcapFilePath;            ///< Packet log file, "" to disable.
+     uint32_t sessionTimeout;        ///< See getSessionTimeout().
+-    int32_t  portTimeout;           ///< See getSessionTimeout().
++    uint32_t timeoutIntervals;      ///< See getTimeoutIntervals().
++    int32_t  portTimeout;           ///< See getPortTimeout().
+     string clusterName;             ///< See getClusterName().
+     string configDir;               ///< See getConfigDir().
+     int dpdkPort;                   ///< See getDpdkPort().