diff --git a/include/MySQL_Session.h b/include/MySQL_Session.h
index 38bc1bcd1..10aae9958 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Session.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Session.h
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ class MySQL_Session
 	unsigned long long pause_until;
 
 	unsigned long long idle_since;
+	unsigned long long transaction_started_at;
 
 	// pointers
 	MySQL_Thread *thread;
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ class MySQL_Session
 	int next_query_flagIN;
 	int mirror_hostgroup;
 	int mirror_flagOUT;
-	int active_transactions;
+	unsigned int active_transactions;
 	int autocommit_on_hostgroup;
 	int transaction_persistent_hostgroup;
 	int to_process;
diff --git a/include/MySQL_Thread.h b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
index ed055566d..d66c38940 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Thread.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Thread.h
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@ class MySQL_Threads_Handler
 		bool use_tcp_keepalive;
 		int tcp_keepalive_time;
 		int throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup;
+		int max_transaction_idle_time;
 		int max_transaction_time;
 		int threshold_query_length;
 		int threshold_resultset_size;
diff --git a/include/proxysql_structs.h b/include/proxysql_structs.h
index b715081be..0523a04dd 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_structs.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_structs.h
@@ -695,6 +695,7 @@ __thread bool mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_enabled;
 __thread bool mysql_thread___use_tcp_keepalive;
 __thread int mysql_thread___tcp_keepalive_time;
 __thread int mysql_thread___throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup;
+__thread int mysql_thread___max_transaction_idle_time;
 __thread int mysql_thread___max_transaction_time;
 __thread int mysql_thread___threshold_query_length;
 __thread int mysql_thread___threshold_resultset_size;
@@ -843,6 +844,7 @@ extern __thread bool mysql_thread___firewall_whitelist_enabled;
 extern __thread bool mysql_thread___use_tcp_keepalive;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___tcp_keepalive_time;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup;
+extern __thread int mysql_thread___max_transaction_idle_time;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___max_transaction_time;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___threshold_query_length;
 extern __thread int mysql_thread___threshold_resultset_size;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
index b7a33f498..9ee9d896f 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
@@ -463,6 +463,9 @@ MySQL_Session::MySQL_Session() {
 	mirrorPkt.size=0;
 	set_status(session_status___NONE);
 
+	idle_since = 0;
+	transaction_started_at = 0;
+
 	CurrentQuery.sess=this;
 
 	current_hostgroup=-1;
@@ -3468,8 +3471,11 @@ int MySQL_Session::handler() {
 	//unsigned int j;
 	//unsigned char c;
 
-	if (active_transactions <= 0) {
+	if (active_transactions == 0) {
 		active_transactions=NumActiveTransactions();
+		if (active_transactions > 0) {
+			transaction_started_at = thread->curtime;
+		}
 	}
 //	FIXME: Sessions without frontend are an ugly hack
 	if (session_fast_forward==false) {
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
index 54d114710..6a8fb9c28 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Thread.cpp
@@ -464,6 +464,7 @@ static char * mysql_thread_variables_names[]= {
 	(char *)"firewall_whitelist_enabled",
 	(char *)"firewall_whitelist_errormsg",
 	(char *)"throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup",
+	(char *)"max_transaction_idle_time",
 	(char *)"max_transaction_time",
 	(char *)"multiplexing",
 	(char *)"log_unhealthy_connections",
@@ -1034,6 +1035,7 @@ MySQL_Threads_Handler::MySQL_Threads_Handler() {
 	variables.use_tcp_keepalive=false;
 	variables.tcp_keepalive_time=0;
 	variables.throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup=1000000;
+	variables.max_transaction_idle_time=4*3600*1000;
 	variables.max_transaction_time=4*3600*1000;
 	variables.hostgroup_manager_verbose=1;
 	variables.binlog_reader_connect_retry_msec=3000;
@@ -1456,6 +1458,7 @@ int MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable_int(const char *name) {
 				if (!strcmp(name,"max_connections")) return (int)variables.max_connections;
 				if (!strcmp(name,"max_stmts_cache")) return (int)variables.max_stmts_cache;
 				if (!strcmp(name,"max_stmts_per_connection")) return (int)variables.max_stmts_per_connection;
+				if (!strcmp(name,"max_transaction_idle_time")) return (int)variables.max_transaction_idle_time;
 				if (!strcmp(name,"max_transaction_time")) return (int)variables.max_transaction_time;
 				if (!strcmp(name,"min_num_servers_lantency_awareness")) return (int)variables.min_num_servers_lantency_awareness;
 			}
@@ -1865,6 +1868,10 @@ char * MySQL_Threads_Handler::get_variable(char *name) {	// this is the public f
 		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup);
 		return strdup(intbuf);
 	}
+	if (!strcasecmp(name,"max_transaction_idle_time")) {
+		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.max_transaction_idle_time);
+		return strdup(intbuf);
+	}
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"max_transaction_time")) {
 		sprintf(intbuf,"%d",variables.max_transaction_time);
 		return strdup(intbuf);
@@ -2419,6 +2426,15 @@ bool MySQL_Threads_Handler::set_variable(char *name, const char *value) {	// thi
 			return false;
 		}
 	}
+	if (!strcasecmp(name,"max_transaction_idle_time")) {
+		int intv=atoi(value);
+		if (intv >= 1000 && intv <= 20*24*3600*1000) {
+			variables.max_transaction_idle_time=intv;
+			return true;
+		} else {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
 	if (!strcasecmp(name,"max_transaction_time")) {
 		int intv=atoi(value);
 		if (intv >= 1000 && intv <= 20*24*3600*1000) {
@@ -4707,17 +4723,54 @@ void MySQL_Thread::process_all_sessions() {
 #endif // IDLE_THREADS
 			{
 				sess->active_transactions=sess->NumActiveTransactions();
+				{
+					unsigned long long sess_active_transactions = sess->active_transactions;
+					sess->active_transactions=sess->NumActiveTransactions();
+					// in case we detected a new transaction just now
+					if (sess->active_transactions == 0) {
+						sess->transaction_started_at = 0;
+					} else {
+						if (sess_active_transactions == 0) {
+							sess->transaction_started_at = curtime;
+						}
+					}
+				}
 				total_active_transactions_ += sess->active_transactions;
 				sess->to_process=1;
-				if ( (sess_time/1000 > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___max_transaction_time) || (sess_time/1000 > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___wait_timeout) ) {
+				if ( (sess_time/1000 > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___max_transaction_idle_time) || (sess_time/1000 > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___wait_timeout) ) {
 					//numTrx = sess->NumActiveTransactions();
 					numTrx = sess->active_transactions;
 					if (numTrx) {
 						// the session has idle transactions, kill it
-						if (sess_time/1000 > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___max_transaction_time) sess->killed=true;
+						if (sess_time/1000 > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___max_transaction_idle_time) {
+							sess->killed=true;
+							if (sess->client_myds) {
+								proxy_warning("Killing client connection %s:%d because of (possible) transaction idle for %llums\n",sess->client_myds->addr.addr,sess->client_myds->addr.port, sess_time/1000);
+							}
+						}
 					} else {
 						// the session is idle, kill it
-						if (sess_time/1000 > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___wait_timeout) sess->killed=true;
+						if (sess_time/1000 > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___wait_timeout) {
+							sess->killed=true;
+							if (sess->client_myds) {
+								proxy_warning("Killing client connection %s:%d because inactive for %llums\n",sess->client_myds->addr.addr,sess->client_myds->addr.port, sess_time/1000);
+							}
+						}
+					}
+				} else {
+					if (sess->active_transactions > 0) {
+						// here is all the logic related to max_transaction_time
+						unsigned long long trx_started = sess->transaction_started_at;
+						if (trx_started > 0 && curtime > trx_started) {
+							unsigned long long trx_time = curtime - trx_started;
+							unsigned long long trx_time_ms = trx_time/1000;
+							if (trx_time_ms > (unsigned long long)mysql_thread___max_transaction_time) {
+								sess->killed=true;
+								if (sess->client_myds) {
+									proxy_warning("Killing client connection %s:%d because of (possible) transaction running for %llums\n",sess->client_myds->addr.addr,sess->client_myds->addr.port, trx_time_ms);
+								}
+							}
+						}
 					}
 				}
 				if (servers_table_version_current != servers_table_version_previous) { // bug fix for #1085
@@ -4747,7 +4800,9 @@ void MySQL_Thread::process_all_sessions() {
 			}
 #endif // IDLE_THREADS
 		} else {
-			sess->active_transactions = -1;
+			// NOTE: we used the special value -1 to inform MySQL_Session::handler() to recompute it
+			// removing this logic in 2.0.15
+			//sess->active_transactions = -1;
 		}
 		if (sess->healthy==0) {
 			char _buf[1024];
@@ -4813,6 +4868,7 @@ void MySQL_Thread::refresh_variables() {
 	mysql_thread___use_tcp_keepalive=(bool)GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"use_tcp_keepalive");
 	mysql_thread___tcp_keepalive_time=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"tcp_keepalive_time");
 	mysql_thread___throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"throttle_connections_per_sec_to_hostgroup");
+	mysql_thread___max_transaction_idle_time=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"max_transaction_idle_time");
 	mysql_thread___max_transaction_time=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"max_transaction_time");
 	mysql_thread___threshold_query_length=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"threshold_query_length");
 	mysql_thread___threshold_resultset_size=GloMTH->get_variable_int((char *)"threshold_resultset_size");