diff --git a/common/ip-packet-requests/src/request.rs b/common/ip-packet-requests/src/request.rs
index 346d4c32d4..d962f10737 100644
--- a/common/ip-packet-requests/src/request.rs
+++ b/common/ip-packet-requests/src/request.rs
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ impl IpPacketRequest {
             IpPacketRequestData::DynamicConnect(request) => Some(request.request_id),
             IpPacketRequestData::Disconnect(request) => Some(request.request_id),
             IpPacketRequestData::Data(_) => None,
+            IpPacketRequestData::Ping(request) => Some(request.request_id),
         }
     }
 
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ impl IpPacketRequest {
             IpPacketRequestData::DynamicConnect(request) => Some(&request.reply_to),
             IpPacketRequestData::Disconnect(request) => Some(&request.reply_to),
             IpPacketRequestData::Data(_) => None,
+            IpPacketRequestData::Ping(request) => Some(&request.reply_to),
         }
     }
 
@@ -123,6 +125,7 @@ pub enum IpPacketRequestData {
     DynamicConnect(DynamicConnectRequest),
     Disconnect(DisconnectRequest),
     Data(DataRequest),
+    Ping(PingRequest),
 }
 
 // A static connect request is when the client provides the internal IP address it will use on the
@@ -186,6 +189,14 @@ pub struct DataRequest {
     pub ip_packets: bytes::Bytes,
 }
 
+// A ping request is when the client wants to check if the ip packet router is still alive.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
+pub struct PingRequest {
+    pub request_id: u64,
+    // The nym-address the response should be sent back to
+    pub reply_to: Recipient,
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/common/ip-packet-requests/src/response.rs b/common/ip-packet-requests/src/response.rs
index dff327350c..5c50bd715e 100644
--- a/common/ip-packet-requests/src/response.rs
+++ b/common/ip-packet-requests/src/response.rs
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ impl IpPacketResponse {
             IpPacketResponseData::Disconnect(response) => Some(response.request_id),
             IpPacketResponseData::UnrequestedDisconnect(_) => None,
             IpPacketResponseData::Data(_) => None,
+            IpPacketResponseData::Pong(response) => Some(response.request_id),
             IpPacketResponseData::Error(response) => Some(response.request_id),
         }
     }
@@ -158,6 +159,7 @@ impl IpPacketResponse {
             IpPacketResponseData::Disconnect(response) => Some(&response.reply_to),
             IpPacketResponseData::UnrequestedDisconnect(response) => Some(&response.reply_to),
             IpPacketResponseData::Data(_) => None,
+            IpPacketResponseData::Pong(response) => Some(&response.reply_to),
             IpPacketResponseData::Error(response) => Some(&response.reply_to),
         }
     }
@@ -193,6 +195,9 @@ pub enum IpPacketResponseData {
     // Response to a data request
     Data(DataResponse),
 
+    // Response to ping request
+    Pong(PongResponse),
+
     // Error response
     Error(ErrorResponse),
 }
@@ -308,6 +313,12 @@ pub struct DataResponse {
     pub ip_packet: bytes::Bytes,
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct PongResponse {
+    pub request_id: u64,
+    pub reply_to: Recipient,
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct ErrorResponse {
     pub request_id: u64,
diff --git a/service-providers/ip-packet-router/src/mixnet_listener.rs b/service-providers/ip-packet-router/src/mixnet_listener.rs
index 7cbe7dc23c..95d668b83e 100644
--- a/service-providers/ip-packet-router/src/mixnet_listener.rs
+++ b/service-providers/ip-packet-router/src/mixnet_listener.rs
@@ -529,6 +529,10 @@ impl MixnetListener {
                 Ok(vec![self.on_disconnect_request(disconnect_request)])
             }
             IpPacketRequestData::Data(data_request) => self.on_data_request(data_request).await,
+            IpPacketRequestData::Ping(_) => {
+                log::info!("Received ping request: not implemented, dropping");
+                Ok(vec![])
+            }
         }
     }