diff --git a/doc/source/configuration.rst b/doc/source/configuration.rst
index 5bdec95e..587d5fd2 100644
--- a/doc/source/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/source/configuration.rst
@@ -115,10 +115,12 @@ section of this documentation.
 
         **Default value:** ``60``
 
-        A ping is sent to the server every N seconds, N being the value of that option.
-        Change this to a low value if you want to know quickly when you are disconnected,
-        and to a very high value if bandwidth matters so much that you can’t afford
-        100 bytes/minute (seriously?).
+        A ping is sent to the server every N seconds, N being the value of
+        that option.  Change this to a low value if you want to know quickly
+        when you are disconnected, and to a very high value if bandwidth
+        matters so much that you can’t afford 100 bytes/minute, or if you
+        don’t want to waste your battery by waking up the TCP connection too
+        often.  Disable this ping altogether by setting this value to 0.
 
     connection_timeout_delay
 
diff --git a/src/connection.py b/src/connection.py
index d6b3fca0..d8746557 100644
--- a/src/connection.py
+++ b/src/connection.py
@@ -115,13 +115,17 @@ class Connection(sleekxmpp.ClientXMPP):
         Unload and reload the ping plugin, with the new values.
         """
         ping_interval = config.get('connection_check_interval', 60)
-        if ping_interval <= 0:
-            ping_interval = 60
         timeout_delay = config.get('connection_timeout_delay', 10)
         if timeout_delay <= 0:
-            timeout_delay = 10
+            # We help the stupid user (with a delay of 0, poezio will try to
+            # reconnect immediately because the timeout is immediately
+            # passed)
+            # 1 second is short, but, well
+            timeout_delay = 1
         self.plugin['xep_0199'].disable_keepalive()
-        self.plugin['xep_0199'].enable_keepalive(ping_interval, timeout_delay)
+        # If the ping_interval is 0 or less, we just disable the keepalive
+        if ping_interval > 0:
+            self.plugin['xep_0199'].enable_keepalive(ping_interval, timeout_delay)
 
     def start(self):
         # TODO, try multiple servers