diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 50797fe6..357e1b3e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ multiple concurrent HTTP requests without blocking.
         * [ServerRequest](#serverrequest)
         * [ResponseException](#responseexception)
     * [React\Http\Middleware](#reacthttpmiddleware)
+        * [InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware](#inactiveconnectiontimeoutmiddleware)
         * [StreamingRequestMiddleware](#streamingrequestmiddleware)
         * [LimitConcurrentRequestsMiddleware](#limitconcurrentrequestsmiddleware)
         * [RequestBodyBufferMiddleware](#requestbodybuffermiddleware)
@@ -2498,6 +2499,22 @@ access its underlying response object.
 
 ### React\Http\Middleware
 
+#### InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware
+
+The `React\Http\Middleware\InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware` is purely a configuration middleware to configure the
+`HttpServer` to close any inactive connections between requests to close the connection and not leave them needlessly open.
+
+The following example configures the `HttpServer` to close any inactive connections after one and a half second:
+
+```php
+$http = new React\Http\HttpServer(
+    new React\Http\Middleware\InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware(1.5),
+    $handler
+);
+```
+> Internally, this class is used as a "value object" to override the default timeout of one minute.
+  As such it doesn't have any behavior internally, that is all in the internal "StreamingServer". 
+
 #### StreamingRequestMiddleware
 
 The `React\Http\Middleware\StreamingRequestMiddleware` can be used to
diff --git a/src/HttpServer.php b/src/HttpServer.php
index f2334733..004a1e06 100644
--- a/src/HttpServer.php
+++ b/src/HttpServer.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use React\Http\Io\IniUtil;
 use React\Http\Io\MiddlewareRunner;
 use React\Http\Io\StreamingServer;
+use React\Http\Middleware\InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware;
 use React\Http\Middleware\LimitConcurrentRequestsMiddleware;
 use React\Http\Middleware\StreamingRequestMiddleware;
 use React\Http\Middleware\RequestBodyBufferMiddleware;
@@ -219,10 +220,13 @@ public function __construct($requestHandlerOrLoop)
         }
 
         $streaming = false;
+        $idleConnectTimeout = InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware::DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;
         foreach ((array) $requestHandlers as $handler) {
             if ($handler instanceof StreamingRequestMiddleware) {
                 $streaming = true;
-                break;
+            }
+            if ($handler instanceof InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware) {
+                $idleConnectTimeout = $handler->getTimeout();
             }
         }
 
@@ -252,10 +256,10 @@ public function __construct($requestHandlerOrLoop)
          * doing anything with the request.
          */
         $middleware = \array_filter($middleware, function ($handler) {
-            return !($handler instanceof StreamingRequestMiddleware);
+            return !($handler instanceof StreamingRequestMiddleware) && !($handler instanceof InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware);
         });
 
-        $this->streamingServer = new StreamingServer($loop, new MiddlewareRunner($middleware));
+        $this->streamingServer = new StreamingServer($loop, new MiddlewareRunner($middleware), $idleConnectTimeout);
 
         $that = $this;
         $this->streamingServer->on('error', function ($error) use ($that) {
diff --git a/src/Io/StreamingServer.php b/src/Io/StreamingServer.php
index dd4c0584..b36676b4 100644
--- a/src/Io/StreamingServer.php
+++ b/src/Io/StreamingServer.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use React\EventLoop\LoopInterface;
 use React\Http\Message\Response;
 use React\Http\Message\ServerRequest;
+use React\Http\Middleware\InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware;
 use React\Promise;
 use React\Promise\CancellablePromiseInterface;
 use React\Promise\PromiseInterface;
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ final class StreamingServer extends EventEmitter
     private $callback;
     private $parser;
     private $loop;
+    private $idleConnectionTimeout;
 
     /**
      * Creates an HTTP server that invokes the given callback for each incoming HTTP request
@@ -96,15 +98,17 @@ final class StreamingServer extends EventEmitter
      *
      * @param LoopInterface $loop
      * @param callable $requestHandler
+     * @param float $idleConnectTimeout
      * @see self::listen()
      */
-    public function __construct(LoopInterface $loop, $requestHandler)
+    public function __construct(LoopInterface $loop, $requestHandler, $idleConnectTimeout = InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware::DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
     {
         if (!\is_callable($requestHandler)) {
             throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Invalid request handler given');
         }
 
         $this->loop = $loop;
+        $this->idleConnectionTimeout = $idleConnectTimeout;
 
         $this->callback = $requestHandler;
         $this->parser = new RequestHeaderParser();
@@ -134,7 +138,27 @@ public function __construct(LoopInterface $loop, $requestHandler)
      */
     public function listen(ServerInterface $socket)
     {
-        $socket->on('connection', array($this->parser, 'handle'));
+        $socket->on('connection', array($this, 'handle'));
+    }
+
+    /** @internal */
+    public function handle(ConnectionInterface $conn)
+    {
+        $timer = $this->loop->addTimer($this->idleConnectionTimeout, function () use ($conn) {
+            $conn->close();
+        });
+        $loop = $this->loop;
+        $conn->once('data', function () use ($loop, $timer) {
+            $loop->cancelTimer($timer);
+        });
+        $conn->on('end', function () use ($loop, $timer) {
+            $loop->cancelTimer($timer);
+        });
+        $conn->on('close', function () use ($loop, $timer) {
+            $loop->cancelTimer($timer);
+        });
+
+        $this->parser->handle($conn);
     }
 
     /** @internal */
@@ -350,7 +374,7 @@ public function handleResponse(ConnectionInterface $connection, ServerRequestInt
 
             // either wait for next request over persistent connection or end connection
             if ($persist) {
-                $this->parser->handle($connection);
+                $this->handle($connection);
             } else {
                 $connection->end();
             }
@@ -371,10 +395,10 @@ public function handleResponse(ConnectionInterface $connection, ServerRequestInt
         // write streaming body and then wait for next request over persistent connection
         if ($persist) {
             $body->pipe($connection, array('end' => false));
-            $parser = $this->parser;
-            $body->on('end', function () use ($connection, $parser, $body) {
+            $that = $this;
+            $body->on('end', function () use ($connection, $that, $body) {
                 $connection->removeListener('close', array($body, 'close'));
-                $parser->handle($connection);
+                $that->handle($connection);
             });
         } else {
             $body->pipe($connection);
diff --git a/src/Middleware/InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware.php b/src/Middleware/InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ba0200a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Middleware/InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware.php
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace React\Http\Middleware;
+
+use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
+use Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface;
+use React\Http\Io\HttpBodyStream;
+use React\Http\Io\PauseBufferStream;
+use React\Promise;
+use React\Promise\PromiseInterface;
+use React\Promise\Deferred;
+use React\Stream\ReadableStreamInterface;
+
+/**
+ * Closes any inactive connection after the specified amount of seconds since last activity.
+ *
+ * This allows you to set an alternative timeout to the default one minute (60 seconds). For example
+ * thirteen and a half seconds:
+ *
+ * ```php
+ * $http = new React\Http\HttpServer(
+ *     new React\Http\Middleware\InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware(13.5),
+ *     $handler
+ * );
+ *
+ * > Internally, this class is used as a "value object" to override the default timeout of one minute.
+ *   As such it doesn't have any behavior internally, that is all in the internal "StreamingServer".
+ */
+final class InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware
+{
+    const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 60;
+
+    /**
+     * @var float
+     */
+    private $timeout;
+
+    /**
+     * @param float $timeout
+     */
+    public function __construct($timeout = self::DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
+    {
+        $this->timeout = $timeout;
+    }
+
+    public function __invoke(ServerRequestInterface $request, $next)
+    {
+        return $next($request);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return float
+     */
+    public function getTimeout()
+    {
+        return $this->timeout;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/HttpServerTest.php b/tests/HttpServerTest.php
index 9200aa66..d6115e2b 100644
--- a/tests/HttpServerTest.php
+++ b/tests/HttpServerTest.php
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 use React\EventLoop\Factory;
 use React\Http\HttpServer;
 use React\Http\Io\IniUtil;
+use React\Http\Io\StreamingServer;
+use React\Http\Middleware\InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware;
 use React\Http\Middleware\StreamingRequestMiddleware;
 use React\Promise;
 use React\Promise\Deferred;
@@ -254,6 +256,19 @@ function (ServerRequestInterface $request) use (&$streaming) {
         $this->assertEquals(true, $streaming);
     }
 
+    public function testIdleConnectionWillBeClosedAfterConfiguredTimeout()
+    {
+        $this->connection->expects($this->once())->method('close');
+
+        $loop = Factory::create();
+        $http = new HttpServer($loop, new InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware(0.1), $this->expectCallableNever());
+
+        $http->listen($this->socket);
+        $this->socket->emit('connection', array($this->connection));
+
+        $loop->run();
+    }
+
     public function testForwardErrors()
     {
         $exception = new \Exception();
@@ -434,7 +449,7 @@ public function testConstructServerWithMemoryLimitDoesLimitConcurrency()
 
     public function testConstructFiltersOutConfigurationMiddlewareBefore()
     {
-        $http = new HttpServer(new StreamingRequestMiddleware(), function () { });
+        $http = new HttpServer(new InactiveConnectionTimeoutMiddleware(0), new StreamingRequestMiddleware(), function () { });
 
         $ref = new \ReflectionProperty($http, 'streamingServer');
         $ref->setAccessible(true);
diff --git a/tests/Io/StreamingServerTest.php b/tests/Io/StreamingServerTest.php
index ccafe338..92ac8261 100644
--- a/tests/Io/StreamingServerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Io/StreamingServerTest.php
@@ -58,6 +58,19 @@ public function testRequestEventWillNotBeEmittedForIncompleteHeaders()
         $this->connection->emit('data', array($data));
     }
 
+    public function testIdleConnectionWillBeClosedAfterConfiguredTimeout()
+    {
+        $this->connection->expects($this->once())->method('close');
+
+        $loop = Factory::create();
+        $server = new StreamingServer($loop, $this->expectCallableNever(), 0.1);
+
+        $server->listen($this->socket);
+        $this->socket->emit('connection', array($this->connection));
+
+        $loop->run();
+    }
+
     public function testRequestEventIsEmitted()
     {
         $server = new StreamingServer(Factory::create(), $this->expectCallableOnce());
@@ -3196,9 +3209,9 @@ public function testNewConnectionWillInvokeParserTwiceAfterInvokingRequestHandle
         // pretend parser just finished parsing
         $server->handleRequest($this->connection, $request);
 
-        $this->assertCount(2, $this->connection->listeners('close'));
+        $this->assertCount(3, $this->connection->listeners('close'));
         $body->end();
-        $this->assertCount(1, $this->connection->listeners('close'));
+        $this->assertCount(3, $this->connection->listeners('close'));
     }
 
     private function createGetRequest()