diff --git a/fs/smb/server/transport_tcp.c b/fs/smb/server/transport_tcp.c
index 0ae5f145a332..921e4e86d01c 100644
--- a/fs/smb/server/transport_tcp.c
+++ b/fs/smb/server/transport_tcp.c
@@ -292,6 +292,12 @@ static int ksmbd_kthread_fn(void *p)
 		ksmbd_debug(CONN, "connect success: accepted new connection\n");
 		client_sk->sk->sk_rcvtimeo = KSMBD_TCP_RECV_TIMEOUT;
 		client_sk->sk->sk_sndtimeo = KSMBD_TCP_SEND_TIMEOUT;
+		/*
+		 * Detect peers that disappear without sending a FIN or RST.
+		 * Otherwise the connection handler can retry receive timeouts
+		 * indefinitely and keep the connection in conn_list.
+		 */
+		sock_set_keepalive(client_sk->sk);
 
 		ksmbd_tcp_new_connection(client_sk);
 	}