diff --git a/doc/qbk/06_websocket/06_timeouts.qbk b/doc/qbk/06_websocket/06_timeouts.qbk
index cc27dbc61d..e39a5df36b 100644
--- a/doc/qbk/06_websocket/06_timeouts.qbk
+++ b/doc/qbk/06_websocket/06_timeouts.qbk
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ There are three timeout settings which may be set independently on the stream:
     [[link beast.ref.boost__beast__websocket__stream_base__timeout.idle_timeout `timeout::idle_timeout`]]
     [`duration`]
     [
-        If no data is received from the peer for a time equal to the idle
-        timeout, then the connection will time out.
+        If no data or control frames are received from the peer for a time
+        equal to the idle timeout, then the connection will time out.
         The value returned by
         [link beast.ref.boost__beast__websocket__stream_base.none `stream_base::none()`]
         may be assigned to disable this timeout.
diff --git a/include/boost/beast/websocket/stream_base.hpp b/include/boost/beast/websocket/stream_base.hpp
index 0968e80e49..2b7f88ff53 100644
--- a/include/boost/beast/websocket/stream_base.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/beast/websocket/stream_base.hpp
@@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ struct stream_base
             An outstanding read operation must be pending, which will
             complete immediately the error @ref beast::error::timeout.
 
-            @li When `keep_alive_pings` is `false`, the connection will be closed.
-            An outstanding read operation must be pending, which will
+            @li When `keep_alive_pings` is `false`, the connection will
+            be closed if there has been no activity. Both websocket
+            message frames and control frames count as activity. An
+            outstanding read operation must be pending, which will
             complete immediately the error @ref beast::error::timeout.
         */
         bool keep_alive_pings;