diff --git a/sw/deployer/src/sc64/link.rs b/sw/deployer/src/sc64/link.rs
index 69ae1eb..cbdee88 100644
--- a/sw/deployer/src/sc64/link.rs
+++ b/sw/deployer/src/sc64/link.rs
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@ use std::{
     collections::VecDeque,
     io::{BufRead, BufReader, BufWriter, ErrorKind, Read, Write},
     net::{TcpListener, TcpStream},
-    time::Duration,
+    time::{Duration, Instant},
 };
 
 enum DataType {
     Command,
     Response,
     Packet,
+    KeepAlive,
 }
 
 impl From<DataType> for u32 {
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ impl From<DataType> for u32 {
             DataType::Command => 1,
             DataType::Response => 2,
             DataType::Packet => 3,
+            DataType::KeepAlive => 0xCAFEBEEF,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ impl TryFrom<u32> for DataType {
             1 => Self::Command,
             2 => Self::Response,
             3 => Self::Packet,
+            0xCAFEBEEF => Self::KeepAlive,
             _ => return Err(Error::new("Unknown data type")),
         })
     }
@@ -150,11 +153,10 @@ impl Backend for SerialBackend {
 }
 
 fn new_serial_backend(port: &str) -> Result<SerialBackend, Error> {
-    let mut backend = SerialBackend {
-        serial: serialport::new(port, 115_200)
-            .timeout(Duration::from_secs(10))
-            .open()?,
-    };
+    let serial = serialport::new(port, 115_200)
+        .timeout(Duration::from_secs(10))
+        .open()?;
+    let mut backend = SerialBackend { serial };
     backend.reset()?;
     Ok(backend)
 }
@@ -248,6 +250,7 @@ impl Backend for TcpBackend {
                         break;
                     }
                 }
+                DataType::KeepAlive => {}
                 _ => return Err(Error::new("Unexpected payload data type received")),
             };
         }
@@ -415,10 +418,13 @@ fn server_accept_connection(
     event_callback: fn(ServerEvent),
     stream: &mut TcpStream,
 ) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let peer = stream.peer_addr()?.to_string();
+
     stream.set_write_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(10)))?;
     stream.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(10)))?;
 
-    let peer = stream.peer_addr()?.to_string();
+    let mut reader = BufReader::new(stream.try_clone()?);
+    let mut writer = BufWriter::new(stream.try_clone()?);
 
     let mut serial_backend = new_serial_backend(port)?;
     serial_backend.reset()?;
@@ -427,11 +433,13 @@ fn server_accept_connection(
 
     let mut buffer = [0u8; 4];
 
+    let mut keepalive = Instant::now();
+
     event_callback(ServerEvent::Connection(peer.clone()));
 
     loop {
         stream.set_nonblocking(true)?;
-        match stream.read_exact(&mut buffer) {
+        match reader.read_exact(&mut buffer) {
             Ok(()) => {
                 stream.set_nonblocking(false)?;
 
@@ -444,16 +452,16 @@ fn server_accept_connection(
                 let mut id_buffer = [0u8; 1];
                 let mut args = [0u32; 2];
 
-                stream.read_exact(&mut id_buffer)?;
-                stream.read_exact(&mut buffer)?;
+                reader.read_exact(&mut id_buffer)?;
+                reader.read_exact(&mut buffer)?;
                 args[0] = u32::from_be_bytes(buffer);
-                stream.read_exact(&mut buffer)?;
+                reader.read_exact(&mut buffer)?;
                 args[1] = u32::from_be_bytes(buffer);
 
-                stream.read_exact(&mut buffer)?;
+                reader.read_exact(&mut buffer)?;
                 let command_data_length = u32::from_be_bytes(buffer) as usize;
                 let mut data = vec![0u8; command_data_length];
-                stream.read_exact(&mut data)?;
+                reader.read_exact(&mut data)?;
 
                 serial_backend.send_command(&Command {
                     id: id_buffer[0],
@@ -474,18 +482,22 @@ fn server_accept_connection(
         if let Some(response) =
             serial_backend.process_incoming_data(DataType::Packet, &mut packets)?
         {
-            stream.write_all(&u32::to_be_bytes(DataType::Response.into()))?;
-            stream.write_all(&[response.id])?;
-            stream.write_all(&[response.error as u8])?;
-            stream.write_all(&(response.data.len() as u32).to_be_bytes())?;
-            stream.write_all(&response.data)?;
-            stream.flush()?;
+            writer.write_all(&u32::to_be_bytes(DataType::Response.into()))?;
+            writer.write_all(&[response.id])?;
+            writer.write_all(&[response.error as u8])?;
+            writer.write_all(&(response.data.len() as u32).to_be_bytes())?;
+            writer.write_all(&response.data)?;
+            writer.flush()?;
         } else if let Some(packet) = packets.pop_front() {
-            stream.write_all(&u32::to_be_bytes(DataType::Packet.into()))?;
-            stream.write_all(&[packet.id])?;
-            stream.write_all(&(packet.data.len() as u32).to_be_bytes())?;
-            stream.write_all(&packet.data)?;
-            stream.flush()?;
+            writer.write_all(&u32::to_be_bytes(DataType::Packet.into()))?;
+            writer.write_all(&[packet.id])?;
+            writer.write_all(&(packet.data.len() as u32).to_be_bytes())?;
+            writer.write_all(&packet.data)?;
+            writer.flush()?;
+        } else if keepalive.elapsed() > Duration::from_secs(5) {
+            keepalive = Instant::now();
+            writer.write_all(&u32::to_be_bytes(DataType::KeepAlive.into()))?;
+            writer.flush()?;
         } else {
             std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1));
         }