diff --git a/include/MySQL_Thread.h b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
index 7063c61fd..8bfb93c54 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Thread.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ class MySQL_Threads_Handler
 		int monitor_read_only_interval;
 		int monitor_read_only_timeout;
 		bool monitor_enabled;
+		bool monitor_wait_timeout;
 		bool monitor_writer_is_also_reader;
 		int monitor_replication_lag_interval;
 		int monitor_replication_lag_timeout;
diff --git a/include/proxysql_structs.h b/include/proxysql_structs.h
index f6eeaa482..953932a3e 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_structs.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_structs.h
@@ -655,6 +655,7 @@ __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_ping_max_failures;
 __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_ping_timeout;
 __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_read_only_interval;
 __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_read_only_timeout;
+__thread bool mysql_thread___monitor_wait_timeout;
 __thread bool mysql_thread___monitor_writer_is_also_reader;
 __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_replication_lag_interval;
 __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_replication_lag_timeout;
@@ -747,6 +748,7 @@ extern __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_ping_max_failures;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_ping_timeout;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_read_only_interval;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_read_only_timeout;
+extern __thread bool mysql_thread___monitor_wait_timeout;
 extern __thread bool mysql_thread___monitor_writer_is_also_reader;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_replication_lag_interval;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___monitor_replication_lag_timeout;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Monitor.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Monitor.cpp
index 92cc53f56..0767ef25e 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Monitor.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Monitor.cpp
@@ -467,6 +467,9 @@ __fast_exit_monitor_ping_thread:
 }
 
 bool MySQL_Monitor_State_Data::set_wait_timeout() {
+	if (mysql_thread___monitor_wait_timeout==false) {
+		return true;
+	}
 	bool ret=false;
 	char *query=NULL;
 	char *qt=(char *)"SET wait_timeout=%d";
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
index c9c192eaf..40bfb87e6 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ static char * mysql_thread_variables_names[]= {
 	(char *)"monitor_query_interval",
 	(char *)"monitor_query_timeout",
 	(char *)"monitor_slave_lag_when_null",
+	(char *)"monitor_wait_timeout",
 	(char *)"monitor_writer_is_also_reader",
 	(char *)"max_allowed_packet",
 	(char *)"max_transaction_time",
@@ -320,6 +321,7 @@ MySQL_Threads_Handler::MySQL_Threads_Handler() {
 	variables.monitor_slave_lag_when_null=60;
 	variables.monitor_username=strdup((char *)"monitor");
 	variables.monitor_password=strdup((char *)"monitor");
+	variables.monitor_wait_timeout=true;
 	variables.monitor_writer_is_also_reader=true;
 	variables.max_allowed_packet=4*1024*1024;
 	variables.max_transaction_time=4*3600*1000;
@@ -546,6 +548,7 @@ int MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable_int(char *name) {
 		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_query_interval")) return (int)variables.monitor_query_interval;
 		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_query_timeout")) return (int)variables.monitor_query_timeout;
 		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_slave_lag_when_null")) return (int)variables.monitor_slave_lag_when_null;
+		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_wait_timeout")) return (int)variables.monitor_wait_timeout;
 		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_writer_is_also_reader")) return (int)variables.monitor_writer_is_also_reader;
 	}
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"shun_on_failures")) return (int)variables.shun_on_failures;
@@ -726,6 +729,9 @@ char * MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable(char *name) {	// this is the public f
 		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_writer_is_also_reader")) {
 			return strdup((variables.monitor_writer_is_also_reader ? "true" : "false"));
 		}
+		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_wait_timeout")) {
+			return strdup((variables.monitor_wait_timeout ? "true" : "false"));
+		}
 	}
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"default_charset")) {
 		const CHARSET_INFO *c = proxysql_find_charset_nr(variables.default_charset);
@@ -1081,6 +1087,17 @@ bool MySQL_Threads_Handler::set_variable(char *name, char *value) {	// this is t
 				return false;
 			}
 		}
+		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_wait_timeout")) {
+			if (strcasecmp(value,"true")==0 || strcasecmp(value,"1")==0) {
+				variables.monitor_wait_timeout=true;
+				return true;
+			}
+			if (strcasecmp(value,"false")==0 || strcasecmp(value,"0")==0) {
+				variables.monitor_wait_timeout=false;
+				return true;
+			}
+			return false;
+		}
 		if (!strcasecmp(name,"monitor_writer_is_also_reader")) {
 			if (strcasecmp(value,"true")==0 || strcasecmp(value,"1")==0) {
 				variables.monitor_writer_is_also_reader=true;
@@ -2775,6 +2792,7 @@ void MySQL_Thread::refresh_variables() {
 	if (mysql_thread___ssl_p2s_cipher) free(mysql_thread___ssl_p2s_cipher);
 	mysql_thread___ssl_p2s_cipher=GloMTH->get_variable_string((char *)"ssl_p2s_cipher");
 
+	mysql_thread___monitor_wait_timeout=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"monitor_wait_timeout");
 	mysql_thread___monitor_writer_is_also_reader=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"monitor_writer_is_also_reader");
 	mysql_thread___monitor_enabled=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"monitor_enabled");
 	mysql_thread___monitor_history=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"monitor_history");