diff --git a/include/grpc/impl/codegen/grpc_types.h b/include/grpc/impl/codegen/grpc_types.h
index baea961fcb3e4eae0d3a1ddae35a1b6a35926739..833ccf3bfe59ced4c022478c6731fe730984effa 100644
--- a/include/grpc/impl/codegen/grpc_types.h
+++ b/include/grpc/impl/codegen/grpc_types.h
@@ -198,14 +198,14 @@ typedef struct {
 #define GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_WRITE_BUFFER_SIZE "grpc.http2.write_buffer_size"
 /** After a duration of this time the client pings the server to see if the
     transport is still alive. Int valued, seconds. */
-#define GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_KEEPALIVE_TIME "grpc.http2.keepalive_time"
+#define GRPC_ARG_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_S "grpc.client_keepalive_time"
 /** After waiting for a duration of this time, if the client does not receive
     the ping ack, it will close the transport. Int valued, seconds. */
-#define GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT "grpc.http2.keepalive_timeout"
+#define GRPC_ARG_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_S "grpc.client_keepalive_timeout"
 /** Is it permissible to send keepalive pings without any outstanding streams.
     Int valued, 0(false)/1(true). */
-#define GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_KEEPALIVE_PERMIT_WITHOUT_CALLS \
-  "grpc.http2.keepalive_permit_without_calls"
+#define GRPC_ARG_KEEPALIVE_PERMIT_WITHOUT_CALLS \
+  "grpc.keepalive_permit_without_calls"
 /** Default authority to pass if none specified on call construction. A string.
  * */
 #define GRPC_ARG_DEFAULT_AUTHORITY "grpc.default_authority"
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
index 967470be516c6c128301a904ecd10d8b6c91056d..c90ff6a01dd45d49c2c1745cecf1bf086bb8a587 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/chttp2_transport.c
@@ -69,10 +69,16 @@
 #define MAX_WRITE_BUFFER_SIZE (64 * 1024 * 1024)
 #define DEFAULT_MAX_HEADER_LIST_SIZE (16 * 1024)
 
-#define DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_SECOND INT_MAX
-#define DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_SECOND 20
+#define DEFAULT_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_S INT_MAX
+#define DEFAULT_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_S 20
 #define DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_PERMIT_WITHOUT_CALLS false
 
+static int g_default_client_keepalive_time_s = DEFAULT_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_S;
+static int g_default_client_keepalive_timeout_s =
+    DEFAULT_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_S;
+static bool g_default_keepalive_permit_without_calls =
+    DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_PERMIT_WITHOUT_CALLS;
+
 #define MAX_CLIENT_STREAM_ID 0x7fffffffu
 int grpc_http_trace = 0;
 int grpc_flowctl_trace = 0;
@@ -345,15 +351,16 @@ static void init_transport(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_chttp2_transport *t,
 
   /* client-side keepalive setting */
   t->keepalive_time =
-      DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_SECOND == INT_MAX
+      g_default_client_keepalive_time_s == INT_MAX
           ? gpr_inf_future(GPR_TIMESPAN)
-          : gpr_time_from_seconds(DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_SECOND, GPR_TIMESPAN);
+          : gpr_time_from_seconds(g_default_client_keepalive_time_s,
+                                  GPR_TIMESPAN);
   t->keepalive_timeout =
-      DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_SECOND == INT_MAX
+      g_default_client_keepalive_timeout_s == INT_MAX
           ? gpr_inf_future(GPR_TIMESPAN)
-          : gpr_time_from_seconds(DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_SECOND,
+          : gpr_time_from_seconds(g_default_client_keepalive_timeout_s,
                                   GPR_TIMESPAN);
-  t->keepalive_permit_without_calls = DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_PERMIT_WITHOUT_CALLS;
+  t->keepalive_permit_without_calls = g_default_keepalive_permit_without_calls;
 
   if (channel_args) {
     for (i = 0; i < channel_args->num_args; i++) {
@@ -403,24 +410,25 @@ static void init_transport(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, grpc_chttp2_transport *t,
         t->enable_bdp_probe = grpc_channel_arg_get_integer(
             &channel_args->args[i], (grpc_integer_options){1, 0, 1});
       } else if (0 == strcmp(channel_args->args[i].key,
-                             GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_KEEPALIVE_TIME)) {
+                             GRPC_ARG_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_S)) {
         const int value = grpc_channel_arg_get_integer(
             &channel_args->args[i],
-            (grpc_integer_options){DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_SECOND, 1, INT_MAX});
+            (grpc_integer_options){g_default_client_keepalive_time_s, 1,
+                                   INT_MAX});
         t->keepalive_time = value == INT_MAX
                                 ? gpr_inf_future(GPR_TIMESPAN)
                                 : gpr_time_from_seconds(value, GPR_TIMESPAN);
       } else if (0 == strcmp(channel_args->args[i].key,
-                             GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT)) {
+                             GRPC_ARG_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_S)) {
         const int value = grpc_channel_arg_get_integer(
             &channel_args->args[i],
-            (grpc_integer_options){DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_SECOND, 0,
+            (grpc_integer_options){g_default_client_keepalive_timeout_s, 0,
                                    INT_MAX});
         t->keepalive_timeout = value == INT_MAX
                                    ? gpr_inf_future(GPR_TIMESPAN)
                                    : gpr_time_from_seconds(value, GPR_TIMESPAN);
       } else if (0 == strcmp(channel_args->args[i].key,
-                             GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_KEEPALIVE_PERMIT_WITHOUT_CALLS)) {
+                             GRPC_ARG_KEEPALIVE_PERMIT_WITHOUT_CALLS)) {
         t->keepalive_permit_without_calls =
             (uint32_t)grpc_channel_arg_get_integer(
                 &channel_args->args[i], (grpc_integer_options){0, 0, 1});
@@ -2108,6 +2116,32 @@ static void finish_bdp_ping_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *tp,
   GRPC_CHTTP2_UNREF_TRANSPORT(exec_ctx, t, "bdp_ping");
 }
 
+void grpc_chttp2_config_default_keepalive_args(grpc_channel_args *args) {
+  size_t i;
+  if (args) {
+    for (i = 0; i < args->num_args; i++) {
+      if (0 == strcmp(args->args[i].key, GRPC_ARG_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_S)) {
+        g_default_client_keepalive_time_s = grpc_channel_arg_get_integer(
+            &args->args[i], (grpc_integer_options){
+                                g_default_client_keepalive_time_s, 1, INT_MAX});
+      } else if (0 == strcmp(args->args[i].key,
+                             GRPC_ARG_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_S)) {
+        g_default_client_keepalive_timeout_s = grpc_channel_arg_get_integer(
+            &args->args[i],
+            (grpc_integer_options){g_default_client_keepalive_timeout_s, 0,
+                                   INT_MAX});
+      } else if (0 == strcmp(args->args[i].key,
+                             GRPC_ARG_KEEPALIVE_PERMIT_WITHOUT_CALLS)) {
+        g_default_keepalive_permit_without_calls =
+            (uint32_t)grpc_channel_arg_get_integer(
+                &args->args[i],
+                (grpc_integer_options){g_default_keepalive_permit_without_calls,
+                                       0, 1});
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 static void init_keepalive_ping_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
                                        grpc_error *error) {
   grpc_chttp2_transport *t = arg;
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.c b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.c
index de8462a17ea2976ba548672e641fd7dfbcb60ddb..46dafdb62f6d4afcd995d33b6d39f624bf9c95f2 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.c
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 #include <grpc/support/log.h>
 #include <grpc/support/string_util.h>
 
+static bool g_disable_ping_ack = false;
+
 grpc_slice grpc_chttp2_ping_create(uint8_t ack, uint64_t opaque_8bytes) {
   grpc_slice slice = grpc_slice_malloc(9 + 8);
   uint8_t *p = GRPC_SLICE_START_PTR(slice);
@@ -101,15 +103,21 @@ grpc_error *grpc_chttp2_ping_parser_parse(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *parser,
     if (p->is_ack) {
       grpc_chttp2_ack_ping(exec_ctx, t, p->opaque_8bytes);
     } else {
-      if (t->ping_ack_count == t->ping_ack_capacity) {
-        t->ping_ack_capacity = GPR_MAX(t->ping_ack_capacity * 3 / 2, 3);
-        t->ping_acks = gpr_realloc(
-            t->ping_acks, t->ping_ack_capacity * sizeof(*t->ping_acks));
+      if (!g_disable_ping_ack) {
+        if (t->ping_ack_count == t->ping_ack_capacity) {
+          t->ping_ack_capacity = GPR_MAX(t->ping_ack_capacity * 3 / 2, 3);
+          t->ping_acks = gpr_realloc(
+              t->ping_acks, t->ping_ack_capacity * sizeof(*t->ping_acks));
+        }
+        t->ping_acks[t->ping_ack_count++] = p->opaque_8bytes;
+        grpc_chttp2_initiate_write(exec_ctx, t, false, "ping response");
       }
-      t->ping_acks[t->ping_ack_count++] = p->opaque_8bytes;
-      grpc_chttp2_initiate_write(exec_ctx, t, false, "ping response");
     }
   }
 
   return GRPC_ERROR_NONE;
 }
+
+void grpc_set_disable_ping_ack(bool disable_ping_ack) {
+  g_disable_ping_ack = disable_ping_ack;
+}
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.h b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.h
index ef642465d7ecb970137497a85a8f3e20f4252c08..01983d2b127ec66a4b4f100eb9467fe849d0e363 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.h
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.h
@@ -53,4 +53,7 @@ grpc_error *grpc_chttp2_ping_parser_parse(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *parser,
                                           grpc_chttp2_stream *s,
                                           grpc_slice slice, int is_last);
 
+/* Test-only function for disabling ping ack */
+void grpc_set_disable_ping_ack(bool disable_ping_ack);
+
 #endif /* GRPC_CORE_EXT_TRANSPORT_CHTTP2_TRANSPORT_FRAME_PING_H */
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/internal.h b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/internal.h
index 3c56c215991f22a9e74c554d411d1d948a452ceb..891ae2f281229489af42cea83ab10800b051c840 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/internal.h
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/internal.h
@@ -827,4 +827,8 @@ void grpc_chttp2_fail_pending_writes(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
 
 uint32_t grpc_chttp2_target_incoming_window(grpc_chttp2_transport *t);
 
+/** Set the default keepalive configurations, must only be called at
+    initialization */
+void grpc_chttp2_config_default_keepalive_args(grpc_channel_args *args);
+
 #endif /* GRPC_CORE_EXT_TRANSPORT_CHTTP2_TRANSPORT_INTERNAL_H */
diff --git a/test/core/end2end/tests/keepalive_timeout.c b/test/core/end2end/tests/keepalive_timeout.c
index 4296be361903c4baa96dd636f70ae63c3c5dbc4a..44b6e12abc7f4900443e106a3adbe8e7fa6a4ff5 100644
--- a/test/core/end2end/tests/keepalive_timeout.c
+++ b/test/core/end2end/tests/keepalive_timeout.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include <grpc/support/log.h>
 #include <grpc/support/time.h>
 #include <grpc/support/useful.h>
+#include "src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/frame_ping.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/channel/channel_args.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/iomgr/exec_ctx.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/support/env.h"
@@ -109,13 +110,15 @@ static void test_keepalive_timeout(grpc_end2end_test_config config) {
       grpc_raw_byte_buffer_create(&response_payload_slice, 1);
   gpr_timespec deadline = five_seconds_time();
 
-  grpc_arg keepalive_args[2];
-  keepalive_args[0].type = GRPC_ARG_INTEGER;
-  keepalive_args[0].key = GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_KEEPALIVE_TIME;
-  keepalive_args[0].value.integer = 2;
-  keepalive_args[1].type = GRPC_ARG_INTEGER;
-  keepalive_args[1].key = GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT;
-  keepalive_args[1].value.integer = 0;
+  grpc_arg keepalive_args[] = {{.type = GRPC_ARG_INTEGER,
+                                .key = GRPC_ARG_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIME_S,
+                                .value.integer = 2},
+                               {.type = GRPC_ARG_INTEGER,
+                                .key = GRPC_ARG_CLIENT_KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_S,
+                                .value.integer = 0},
+                               {.type = GRPC_ARG_INTEGER,
+                                .key = GRPC_ARG_HTTP2_BDP_PROBE,
+                                .value.integer = 1}};
 
   grpc_channel_args *client_args = NULL;
   client_args = grpc_channel_args_copy_and_add(client_args, keepalive_args, 2);
@@ -134,6 +137,9 @@ static void test_keepalive_timeout(grpc_end2end_test_config config) {
   grpc_call_error error;
   grpc_slice details;
 
+  /* Disable ping ack to trigger the keepalive timeout */
+  grpc_set_disable_ping_ack(true);
+
   c = grpc_channel_create_call(
       f.client, NULL, GRPC_PROPAGATE_DEFAULTS, f.cq,
       grpc_slice_from_static_string("/foo"),