diff --git a/include/MySQL_Data_Stream.h b/include/MySQL_Data_Stream.h
index 86c281188..337a1a743 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Data_Stream.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Data_Stream.h
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ class MySQL_Data_Stream
 	unsigned int connect_tries;
 	int query_retries_on_failure;
 	int connect_retries_on_failure;
+	uint32_t unexp_com_pings { 0 };
 	enum mysql_data_stream_status DSS;
 	enum MySQL_DS_type myds_type;
 
diff --git a/include/MySQL_Thread.h b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
index 7391b5ab5..0caccecef 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Thread.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ enum MySQL_Thread_status_variable {
 	st_var_backend_lagging_during_query,
 	st_var_backend_offline_during_query,
 	st_var_unexpected_com_quit,
+	st_var_unexpected_com_ping,
 	st_var_unexpected_packet,
 	st_var_killed_connections,
 	st_var_killed_queries,
@@ -280,6 +281,7 @@ struct p_th_counter {
 		queries_with_max_lag_ms__delayed,
 		queries_with_max_lag_ms__total_wait_time_us,
 		mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_quit,
+		mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_ping,
 		hostgroup_locked_set_cmds,
 		hostgroup_locked_queries,
 		mysql_unexpected_frontend_packets,
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
index 17b452e3d..e64513056 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
@@ -7768,6 +7768,37 @@ void MySQL_Session::RequestEnd(MySQL_Data_Stream *myds,const unsigned int myerrn
 		}
 		myds->free_mysql_real_query();
 	}
+
+	// NOTE: Unexpected-Ping-Handling: Section 2-2
+	///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+	// Implements part-2 of the temporary workaround for the handling of unexpected 'COM_PING' packets
+	// received during query processing, while a resultset is yet being streamed to the client. We send a
+	// number of OK packets matching the 'queued' pings. This should ALWAYS be done before the session status
+	// goes back to 'WAITING_CLIENT_DATA', otherwise the flow between client-server could be compromised. By
+	// always sending the OK packets before this transisiton we ensure that the client doesn't hang waiting
+	// for response.
+	//
+	// @note This is a "temporary" solution that should be removed if packet queueing is implemented, since
+	// it will make the 'unexp_com_pings' field obsolete.
+	///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+	if (client_myds->unexp_com_pings) {
+		client_myds->setDSS_STATE_QUERY_SENT_NET();
+
+		while (client_myds->unexp_com_pings) {
+			proxy_warning("Sending OK packet for unexpected COM_PING packet\n");
+
+			client_myds->pkt_sid += 1;
+			uint16_t st = NumActiveTransactions() ? SERVER_STATUS_IN_TRANS : 0;
+			if (autocommit) { st |= SERVER_STATUS_AUTOCOMMIT; }
+
+			client_myds->myprot.generate_pkt_OK(true, NULL, NULL, client_myds->pkt_sid, 0, 0, st, 0, NULL);
+			client_myds->unexp_com_pings--;
+		}
+
+		client_myds->DSS = STATE_SLEEP;
+	}
+	///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 	if (session_fast_forward == SESSION_FORWARD_TYPE_NONE) {
 		// reset status of the session
 		status=WAITING_CLIENT_DATA;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
index 330c37af0..5ca0dfd42 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ mythr_st_vars_t MySQL_Thread_status_variables_counter_array[] {
 	{ st_var_hostgroup_locked_set_cmds,   p_th_counter::hostgroup_locked_set_cmds,        (char *)"hostgroup_locked_set_cmds" },
 	{ st_var_hostgroup_locked_queries,    p_th_counter::hostgroup_locked_queries,         (char *)"hostgroup_locked_queries" },
 	{ st_var_unexpected_com_quit,         p_th_counter::mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_quit,(char *)"mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_quit" },
+	{ st_var_unexpected_com_ping,         p_th_counter::mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_ping,(char *)"mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_ping" },
 	{ st_var_unexpected_packet,           p_th_counter::mysql_unexpected_frontend_packets,(char *)"mysql_unexpected_frontend_packets" },
 	{ st_var_queries_with_max_lag_ms__total_wait_time_us , p_th_counter::queries_with_max_lag_ms__total_wait_time_us,  (char *)"queries_with_max_lag_ms__total_wait_time_us" },
 	{ st_var_queries_with_max_lag_ms__delayed , p_th_counter::queries_with_max_lag_ms__delayed,  (char *)"queries_with_max_lag_ms__delayed" },
@@ -750,6 +751,12 @@ th_metrics_map = std::make_tuple(
 			"Total waited time due to connection selection because of 'max_lag' annotation.",
 			metric_tags {}
 		),
+		std::make_tuple (
+			p_th_counter::mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_ping,
+			"proxysql_mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_ping_total",
+			"Unexpected 'COM_PING' received from the client.",
+			metric_tags {}
+		),
 		std::make_tuple (
 			p_th_counter::mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_quit,
 			"proxysql_mysql_unexpected_frontend_com_quit_total",
diff --git a/lib/mysql_data_stream.cpp b/lib/mysql_data_stream.cpp
index 22e875da1..bb28d9194 100644
--- a/lib/mysql_data_stream.cpp
+++ b/lib/mysql_data_stream.cpp
@@ -475,6 +475,38 @@ void MySQL_Data_Stream::shut_hard() {
  */
 void MySQL_Data_Stream::check_data_flow() {
 	if ( (PSarrayIN->len || queue_data(queueIN) ) && ( PSarrayOUT->len || queue_data(queueOUT) ) ){
+		// NOTE: Unexpected-Ping-Handling: Section 1-2
+		///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+		// Implements part-1 of the temporary workaround for the handling of unexpected 'COM_PING' packets
+		// received during query processing, while a resultset is yet being streamed to the client. Received
+		// 'COM_PING' packets are queued in the form of a counter. This counter is later used to sent the
+		// corresponding number of 'OK' packets to the client. This should be ALWAYS done before
+		// 'MySQL_Session' transitions back to 'WAITING_CLIENT_DATA'.
+		//
+		// @note This is a "temporary" solution that should be removed if packet queueing is implemented, since
+		// it will make the 'unexp_com_pings' field obsolete.
+		///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+		if (PSarrayIN->len >= 1 && PSarrayIN->pdata[0].size == 5) {
+			const uint8_t c = *(static_cast<uint8_t*>(PSarrayIN->pdata[0].ptr) + sizeof(mysql_hdr));
+
+			if (c == _MYSQL_COM_PING && this->sess->status != WAITING_CLIENT_DATA) {
+				proxy_warning("Handling unexpected COM_PING packet\n");
+
+				// Queue the COM_PING for later handling at MySQL_Session level
+				this->unexp_com_pings += 1;
+				this->sess->thread->status_variables.stvar[st_var_unexpected_com_ping] += 1;
+
+				// Discard the packet before session attempts to handle it
+				PtrSize_t pkt {};
+				PSarrayIN->remove_index(0, &pkt);
+				l_free(pkt.size, pkt.ptr);
+
+				// Return without further checks
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+		///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 		if (sess && sess->status == FAST_FORWARD && sess->session_fast_forward == SESSION_FORWARD_TYPE_PERMANENT) {
 			// Permanent fast-forward sessions: log warning but continue
 			proxy_warning("Session=%p, DataStream=%p -- Data at both ends of a MySQL data stream: IN <%d bytes %d packets> , OUT <%d bytes %d packets>\n", sess, this, queue_data(queueIN), PSarrayIN->len, queue_data(queueOUT), PSarrayOUT->len);