diff --git a/server/internal/gen/request_handler.go.tmpl b/server/internal/gen/request_handler.go.tmpl
index 4e139e17..5c69f5fa 100644
--- a/server/internal/gen/request_handler.go.tmpl
+++ b/server/internal/gen/request_handler.go.tmpl
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ func (s *MCPServer) HandleMessage(
 		JSONRPC string      `json:"jsonrpc"`
 		Method  mcp.MCPMethod `json:"method"`
 		ID      any           `json:"id,omitempty"`
+		Result  any           `json:"result,omitempty"`
 	}
 
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(message, &baseMessage); err != nil {
@@ -56,6 +57,12 @@ func (s *MCPServer) HandleMessage(
 		return nil // Return nil for notifications
 	}
 
+	if baseMessage.Result != nil {
+		// this is a response to a request sent by the server (e.g. from a ping
+		// sent due to WithKeepAlive option)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	switch baseMessage.Method {
 	{{- range .}}
 	case mcp.{{.MethodName}}:
diff --git a/server/request_handler.go b/server/request_handler.go
index 946ca7ab..55d2d19e 100644
--- a/server/request_handler.go
+++ b/server/request_handler.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ func (s *MCPServer) HandleMessage(
 		JSONRPC string        `json:"jsonrpc"`
 		Method  mcp.MCPMethod `json:"method"`
 		ID      any           `json:"id,omitempty"`
+		Result  any           `json:"result,omitempty"`
 	}
 
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(message, &baseMessage); err != nil {
@@ -55,6 +56,12 @@ func (s *MCPServer) HandleMessage(
 		return nil // Return nil for notifications
 	}
 
+	if baseMessage.Result != nil {
+		// this is a response to a request sent by the server (e.g. from a ping
+		// sent due to WithKeepAlive option)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	switch baseMessage.Method {
 	case mcp.MethodInitialize:
 		var request mcp.InitializeRequest
diff --git a/server/sse.go b/server/sse.go
index f69451c6..20405965 100644
--- a/server/sse.go
+++ b/server/sse.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ type sseSession struct {
 	done                chan struct{}
 	eventQueue          chan string // Channel for queuing events
 	sessionID           string
+	requestID           atomic.Int64
 	notificationChannel chan mcp.JSONRPCNotification
 	initialized         atomic.Bool
 }
@@ -282,8 +283,16 @@ func (s *SSEServer) handleSSE(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			for {
 				select {
 				case <-ticker.C:
-					//: ping - 2025-03-27 07:44:38.682659+00:00
-					session.eventQueue <- fmt.Sprintf(":ping - %s\n\n", time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
+					message := mcp.JSONRPCRequest{
+						JSONRPC: "2.0",
+						ID:      session.requestID.Add(1),
+						Request: mcp.Request{
+							Method: "ping",
+						},
+					}
+					messageBytes, _ := json.Marshal(message)
+					pingMsg := fmt.Sprintf("event: message\ndata:%s\n\n", messageBytes)
+					session.eventQueue <- pingMsg
 				case <-session.done:
 					return
 				case <-r.Context().Done():
diff --git a/server/sse_test.go b/server/sse_test.go
index 111c5845..8e0f9264 100644
--- a/server/sse_test.go
+++ b/server/sse_test.go
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 package server
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net/http"
@@ -739,4 +741,117 @@ func TestSSEServer(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 	})
+
+	t.Run("Client receives and can respond to ping messages", func(t *testing.T) {
+		mcpServer := NewMCPServer("test", "1.0.0")
+		testServer := NewTestServer(mcpServer, 
+			WithKeepAlive(true),
+			WithKeepAliveInterval(50*time.Millisecond),
+		)
+		defer testServer.Close()
+
+		sseResp, err := http.Get(fmt.Sprintf("%s/sse", testServer.URL))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to connect to SSE endpoint: %v", err)
+		}
+		defer sseResp.Body.Close()
+
+		reader := bufio.NewReader(sseResp.Body)
+		
+		var messageURL string
+		var pingID float64
+		
+		for {
+			line, err := reader.ReadString('\n')
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Failed to read SSE event: %v", err)
+			}
+			
+			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "event: endpoint") {
+				dataLine, err := reader.ReadString('\n')
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Failed to read endpoint data: %v", err)
+				}
+				messageURL = strings.TrimSpace(strings.TrimPrefix(dataLine, "data: "))
+				
+				_, err = reader.ReadString('\n')
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Failed to read blank line: %v", err)
+				}
+			}
+			
+			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "event: message") {
+				dataLine, err := reader.ReadString('\n')
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Failed to read message data: %v", err)
+				}
+				
+				pingData := strings.TrimSpace(strings.TrimPrefix(dataLine, "data:"))
+				var pingMsg mcp.JSONRPCRequest
+				if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(pingData), &pingMsg); err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Failed to parse ping message: %v", err)
+				}
+				
+				if pingMsg.Method == "ping" {
+					pingID = pingMsg.ID.(float64)
+					t.Logf("Received ping with ID: %f", pingID)
+					break // We got the ping, exit the loop
+				}
+				
+				_, err = reader.ReadString('\n')
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Failed to read blank line: %v", err)
+				}
+			}
+			
+			if messageURL != "" && pingID != 0 {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		
+		if messageURL == "" {
+			t.Fatal("Did not receive message endpoint URL")
+		}
+		
+		pingResponse := map[string]any{
+			"jsonrpc": "2.0",
+			"id":      pingID,
+			"result":  map[string]any{},
+		}
+		
+		requestBody, err := json.Marshal(pingResponse)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to marshal ping response: %v", err)
+		}
+		
+		resp, err := http.Post(
+			messageURL,
+			"application/json",
+			bytes.NewBuffer(requestBody),
+		)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to send ping response: %v", err)
+		}
+		defer resp.Body.Close()
+		
+		if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusAccepted {
+			t.Errorf("Expected status 202 for ping response, got %d", resp.StatusCode)
+		}
+		
+		body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to read response body: %v", err)
+		}
+		
+		if len(body) > 0 {
+			var response map[string]any
+			if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &response); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Failed to parse response body: %v", err)
+			}
+			
+			if response["error"] != nil {
+				t.Errorf("Expected no error in response, got %v", response["error"])
+			}
+		}
+	})
 }