diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 786eae6..ae97170 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ Client.prototype.connect = function(options, callback) {
     self.emit('connect');
   });
 
+  // Chromecasts silently drop idle connections. Without SO_KEEPALIVE
+  // the OS never probes, so a dead socket looks alive until the next
+  // write hangs on the caller's own timeout.
+  this.socket.setKeepAlive(true, 10000);
+
   this.socket.on('error', onerror);
   this.socket.once('close', onclose);