diff --git a/qiskit_ibm/api/clients/base.py b/qiskit_ibm/api/clients/base.py
index a8c45cae2..ff9c128fb 100644
--- a/qiskit_ibm/api/clients/base.py
+++ b/qiskit_ibm/api/clients/base.py
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ def stream(
                 logger.debug('Starting new websocket connection: %s using proxy %s',
                              url, self._proxy_params)
                 self._reset_state()
-                self._ws.run_forever(**self._proxy_params)
+                self._ws.run_forever(ping_interval=60, ping_timeout=10, **self._proxy_params)
                 self.connected = False
 
                 logger.debug("Websocket run_forever finished.")
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-websocket-connection-drop-3892e313554e99df.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-websocket-connection-drop-3892e313554e99df.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..81ce82f86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-websocket-connection-drop-3892e313554e99df.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixes `#209 <https://github.com/Qiskit-Partners/qiskit-ibm/issues/209>`__ where the websocket
+    connection kept timing out when streaming results for a runtime job, due to inactivity,
+    when the job is in a pending state for a long time.
diff --git a/test/ibm/runtime/test_runtime_integration.py b/test/ibm/runtime/test_runtime_integration.py
index 351186c69..1aefc335d 100644
--- a/test/ibm/runtime/test_runtime_integration.py
+++ b/test/ibm/runtime/test_runtime_integration.py
@@ -506,8 +506,6 @@ def result_callback(job_id, interim_result):
         callback_err = []
         iterations = 3
         job = self._run_program(iterations=iterations, interim_results=int_res)
-
-        self._wait_for_status(job, JobStatus.RUNNING)
         job.stream_results(result_callback)
         job.wait_for_final_state()
         self.assertEqual(iterations-1, final_it)