diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 2a9051b6..a15b51a9 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ type client struct {
 	stop            chan struct{}
 	persist         Store
 	options         ClientOptions
-	lastSent        time.Time
-	lastReceived    time.Time
-	pingOutstanding bool
+	lastSent        int64
+	lastReceived    int64
+	pingOutstanding int32
 	status          uint32
 	workers         sync.WaitGroup
 }
@@ -239,8 +239,8 @@ func (c *client) Connect() Token {
 		c.stop = make(chan struct{})
 
 		if c.options.KeepAlive != 0 {
-			c.lastReceived = time.Now()
-			c.lastSent = time.Now()
+			atomic.StoreInt64(&c.lastReceived, time.Now().Unix())
+			atomic.StoreInt64(&c.lastSent, time.Now().Unix())
 			c.workers.Add(1)
 			go keepalive(c)
 		}
@@ -342,9 +342,9 @@ func (c *client) reconnect() {
 	}
 
 	if c.options.KeepAlive != 0 {
-		c.pingOutstanding = false
-		c.lastReceived = time.Now()
-		c.lastSent = time.Now()
+		atomic.StoreInt32(&c.pingOutstanding, 0)
+		atomic.StoreInt64(&c.lastReceived, time.Now().Unix())
+		atomic.StoreInt64(&c.lastSent, time.Now().Unix())
 		c.workers.Add(1)
 		go keepalive(c)
 	}
diff --git a/message.go b/message.go
index b1b71648..720df5be 100644
--- a/message.go
+++ b/message.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func newConnectMsgFromOptions(options *ClientOptions) *packets.ConnectPacket {
 		}
 	}
 
-	m.Keepalive = uint16(options.KeepAlive.Seconds())
+	m.Keepalive = uint16(options.KeepAlive)
 
 	return m
 }
diff --git a/net.go b/net.go
index 56c7b180..9fd33ec6 100644
--- a/net.go
+++ b/net.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/eclipse/paho.mqtt.golang/packets"
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ func incoming(c *client) {
 		case c.ibound <- cp:
 			// Notify keepalive logic that we recently received a packet
 			if c.options.KeepAlive != 0 {
-				c.lastReceived = time.Now()
+				atomic.StoreInt64(&c.lastReceived, time.Now().Unix())
 			}
 		case <-c.stop:
 			// This avoids a deadlock should a message arrive while shutting down.
@@ -205,7 +206,7 @@ func outgoing(c *client) {
 		}
 		// Reset ping timer after sending control packet.
 		if c.options.KeepAlive != 0 {
-			c.lastSent = time.Now()
+			atomic.StoreInt64(&c.lastSent, time.Now().Unix())
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ func alllogic(c *client) {
 			switch m := msg.(type) {
 			case *packets.PingrespPacket:
 				DEBUG.Println(NET, "received pingresp")
-				c.pingOutstanding = false
+				atomic.StoreInt32(&c.pingOutstanding, 0)
 			case *packets.SubackPacket:
 				DEBUG.Println(NET, "received suback, id:", m.MessageID)
 				token := c.getToken(m.MessageID)
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 956772c4..6acb5559 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ type ClientOptions struct {
 	ProtocolVersion         uint
 	protocolVersionExplicit bool
 	TLSConfig               tls.Config
-	KeepAlive               time.Duration
+	KeepAlive               int64
 	PingTimeout             time.Duration
 	ConnectTimeout          time.Duration
 	MaxReconnectInterval    time.Duration
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func NewClientOptions() *ClientOptions {
 		ProtocolVersion:         0,
 		protocolVersionExplicit: false,
 		TLSConfig:               tls.Config{},
-		KeepAlive:               30 * time.Second,
+		KeepAlive:               30,
 		PingTimeout:             10 * time.Second,
 		ConnectTimeout:          30 * time.Second,
 		MaxReconnectInterval:    10 * time.Minute,
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ func (o *ClientOptions) SetStore(s Store) *ClientOptions {
 // allow the client to know that a connection has not been lost with the
 // server.
 func (o *ClientOptions) SetKeepAlive(k time.Duration) *ClientOptions {
-	o.KeepAlive = k
+	o.KeepAlive = int64(k / time.Second)
 	return o
 }
 
diff --git a/options_reader.go b/options_reader.go
index aab6e453..81674fba 100644
--- a/options_reader.go
+++ b/options_reader.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (r *ClientOptionsReader) TLSConfig() tls.Config {
 }
 
 func (r *ClientOptionsReader) KeepAlive() time.Duration {
-	s := r.options.KeepAlive
+	s := time.Duration(r.options.KeepAlive * int64(time.Second))
 	return s
 }
 
diff --git a/ping.go b/ping.go
index f9f05fdf..6df939ef 100644
--- a/ping.go
+++ b/ping.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package mqtt
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/eclipse/paho.mqtt.golang/packets"
@@ -24,16 +25,16 @@ import (
 func keepalive(c *client) {
 	defer c.workers.Done()
 	DEBUG.Println(PNG, "keepalive starting")
-	var checkInterval time.Duration
+	var checkInterval int64
 	var pingSent time.Time
 
-	if c.options.KeepAlive > 10*time.Second {
-		checkInterval = 5 * time.Second
+	if c.options.KeepAlive > 10 {
+		checkInterval = 5
 	} else {
 		checkInterval = c.options.KeepAlive / 2
 	}
 
-	intervalTicker := time.NewTicker(checkInterval)
+	intervalTicker := time.NewTicker(time.Duration(checkInterval * int64(time.Second)))
 	defer intervalTicker.Stop()
 
 	for {
@@ -42,19 +43,20 @@ func keepalive(c *client) {
 			DEBUG.Println(PNG, "keepalive stopped")
 			return
 		case <-intervalTicker.C:
-			if time.Now().Sub(c.lastSent) >= c.options.KeepAlive || time.Now().Sub(c.lastReceived) >= c.options.KeepAlive {
-				if !c.pingOutstanding {
+			DEBUG.Println(PNG, "ping check", time.Now().Unix()-atomic.LoadInt64(&c.lastSent))
+			if time.Now().Unix()-atomic.LoadInt64(&c.lastSent) >= c.options.KeepAlive || time.Now().Unix()-atomic.LoadInt64(&c.lastReceived) >= c.options.KeepAlive {
+				if atomic.LoadInt32(&c.pingOutstanding) == 0 {
 					DEBUG.Println(PNG, "keepalive sending ping")
 					ping := packets.NewControlPacket(packets.Pingreq).(*packets.PingreqPacket)
 					//We don't want to wait behind large messages being sent, the Write call
 					//will block until it it able to send the packet.
-					c.pingOutstanding = true
+					atomic.StoreInt32(&c.pingOutstanding, 1)
 					ping.Write(c.conn)
-					c.lastSent = time.Now()
+					atomic.StoreInt64(&c.lastSent, time.Now().Unix())
 					pingSent = time.Now()
 				}
 			}
-			if c.pingOutstanding && time.Now().Sub(pingSent) >= c.options.PingTimeout {
+			if atomic.LoadInt32(&c.pingOutstanding) > 0 && time.Now().Sub(pingSent) >= c.options.PingTimeout {
 				CRITICAL.Println(PNG, "pingresp not received, disconnecting")
 				c.errors <- errors.New("pingresp not received, disconnecting")
 				return
diff --git a/unit_options_test.go b/unit_options_test.go
index be6ad8b4..e1483565 100644
--- a/unit_options_test.go
+++ b/unit_options_test.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func Test_NewClientOptions_default(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("bad default password")
 	}
 
-	if o.KeepAlive != 30*time.Second {
+	if o.KeepAlive != 30 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad default timeout")
 	}
 }
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func Test_NewClientOptions_mix(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("bad set password")
 	}
 
-	if o.KeepAlive != 88000000000 {
+	if o.KeepAlive != 88 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad set timeout: %d", o.KeepAlive)
 	}
 }