diff --git a/msm/vidc/hfi_common.c b/msm/vidc/hfi_common.c
index 16f9d17e3d2c6..74aa73796f394 100644
--- a/msm/vidc/hfi_common.c
+++ b/msm/vidc/hfi_common.c
@@ -1807,6 +1807,34 @@ static int venus_hfi_core_release(void *dev)
 	return rc;
 }
 
+static int venus_hfi_core_ping(void *device, u32 sid)
+{
+	struct hfi_cmd_sys_ping_packet pkt;
+	int rc = 0;
+	struct venus_hfi_device *dev;
+
+	if (!device) {
+		d_vpr_e("invalid device\n");
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
+	dev = device;
+	mutex_lock(&dev->lock);
+
+	rc = call_hfi_pkt_op(dev, sys_ping, &pkt, sid);
+	if (rc) {
+		d_vpr_e("core_ping: failed to create packet\n");
+		goto err_create_pkt;
+	}
+
+	if (__iface_cmdq_write(dev, &pkt, sid))
+		rc = -ENOTEMPTY;
+
+err_create_pkt:
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->lock);
+	return rc;
+}
+
 static int venus_hfi_core_trigger_ssr(void *device,
 	enum hal_ssr_trigger_type ssr_type, u32 sub_client_id,
 	u32 test_addr)
@@ -2790,6 +2818,7 @@ static int __response_handler(struct venus_hfi_device *device)
 		case HAL_SESSION_RELEASE_BUFFER_DONE:
 		case HAL_SESSION_RELEASE_RESOURCE_DONE:
 		case HAL_SESSION_PROPERTY_INFO:
+		case HAL_SYS_PING_ACK:
 			inst_id = &info->response.cmd.inst_id;
 			break;
 		case HAL_SESSION_ERROR:
@@ -4284,6 +4313,7 @@ void venus_hfi_delete_device(void *device)
 static void venus_init_hfi_callbacks(struct hfi_device *hdev)
 {
 	hdev->core_init = venus_hfi_core_init;
+	hdev->core_ping = venus_hfi_core_ping;
 	hdev->core_release = venus_hfi_core_release;
 	hdev->core_trigger_ssr = venus_hfi_core_trigger_ssr;
 	hdev->session_init = venus_hfi_session_init;
diff --git a/msm/vidc/hfi_packetization.c b/msm/vidc/hfi_packetization.c
index 345638f869029..00f92a68c4069 100644
--- a/msm/vidc/hfi_packetization.c
+++ b/msm/vidc/hfi_packetization.c
@@ -71,6 +71,20 @@ int create_pkt_cmd_sys_init(struct hfi_cmd_sys_init_packet *pkt,
 	return rc;
 }
 
+int create_pkt_cmd_sys_ping(struct hfi_cmd_sys_ping_packet *pkt, u32 sid)
+{
+	int rc = 0;
+
+	if (!pkt)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	pkt->size = sizeof(struct hfi_cmd_sys_ping_packet);
+	pkt->packet_type = HFI_CMD_SYS_PING;
+	pkt->sid = sid;
+
+	return rc;
+}
+
 int create_pkt_cmd_sys_pc_prep(struct hfi_cmd_sys_pc_prep_packet *pkt)
 {
 	int rc = 0;
@@ -692,6 +706,7 @@ int create_pkt_cmd_sys_image_version(
 
 static struct hfi_packetization_ops hfi_default = {
 	.sys_init = create_pkt_cmd_sys_init,
+	.sys_ping = create_pkt_cmd_sys_ping,
 	.sys_pc_prep = create_pkt_cmd_sys_pc_prep,
 	.sys_power_control = create_pkt_cmd_sys_power_control,
 	.sys_set_resource = create_pkt_cmd_sys_set_resource,
diff --git a/msm/vidc/hfi_packetization.h b/msm/vidc/hfi_packetization.h
index accce3144aa40..412f83199660c 100644
--- a/msm/vidc/hfi_packetization.h
+++ b/msm/vidc/hfi_packetization.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ enum hfi_packetization_type {
 
 struct hfi_packetization_ops {
 	int (*sys_init)(struct hfi_cmd_sys_init_packet *pkt, u32 arch_type);
+	int (*sys_ping)(struct hfi_cmd_sys_ping_packet *pkt, u32 sid);
 	int (*sys_pc_prep)(struct hfi_cmd_sys_pc_prep_packet *pkt);
 	int (*sys_power_control)(struct hfi_cmd_sys_set_property_packet *pkt,
 		u32 enable);
diff --git a/msm/vidc/hfi_response_handler.c b/msm/vidc/hfi_response_handler.c
index b129dec72f31d..ca5c21f3a9d65 100644
--- a/msm/vidc/hfi_response_handler.c
+++ b/msm/vidc/hfi_response_handler.c
@@ -1079,6 +1079,29 @@ static int hfi_process_session_abort_done(u32 device_id,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int hfi_process_sys_ping_ack(u32 device_id,
+		void *_pkt,
+		struct msm_vidc_cb_info *info)
+{
+	struct hfi_msg_sys_ping_ack_pkt *pkt = _pkt;
+	struct msm_vidc_cb_cmd_done cmd_done = {0};
+	if (!pkt || pkt->size !=
+		sizeof(struct hfi_msg_sys_ping_ack_pkt)) {
+		d_vpr_e("%s: bad packet/packet size: %d\n",
+				__func__, pkt ? pkt->size : 0);
+		return -E2BIG;
+	}
+	s_vpr_h(pkt->sid, "RECEIVED: SYS PING ACK\n");
+	cmd_done.device_id = device_id;
+	cmd_done.inst_id = (void *)(uintptr_t)pkt->sid;
+	cmd_done.size = 0;
+
+	info->response_type = HAL_SYS_PING_ACK;
+	info->response.cmd = cmd_done;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static void hfi_process_sys_get_prop_image_version(
 		struct hfi_msg_sys_property_info_packet *pkt)
 {
@@ -1213,6 +1236,9 @@ int hfi_process_msg_packet(u32 device_id, struct vidc_hal_msg_pkt_hdr *msg_hdr,
 	case HFI_MSG_SYS_SESSION_ABORT_DONE:
 		pkt_func = (pkt_func_def)hfi_process_session_abort_done;
 		break;
+	case HFI_MSG_SYS_PING_ACK:
+		pkt_func = (pkt_func_def)hfi_process_sys_ping_ack;
+		break;
 	default:
 		d_vpr_l("Unable to parse message: %#x\n", msg_hdr->packet);
 		break;
diff --git a/msm/vidc/msm_vidc_common.c b/msm/vidc/msm_vidc_common.c
index b4de4e3b235ee..b8a97f53c7783 100644
--- a/msm/vidc/msm_vidc_common.c
+++ b/msm/vidc/msm_vidc_common.c
@@ -1269,8 +1269,20 @@ static int wait_for_sess_signal_receipt(struct msm_vidc_inst *inst,
 		msecs_to_jiffies(
 			inst->core->resources.msm_vidc_hw_rsp_timeout));
 	if (!rc) {
-		s_vpr_e(inst->sid, "Wait interrupted or timed out: %d\n",
+		s_vpr_e(inst->sid, "Wait interrupted or timed out(sending ping cmd): %d\n",
 				SESSION_MSG_INDEX(cmd));
+		rc = call_hfi_op(hdev, core_ping, hdev->hfi_device_data, inst->sid);
+		rc = wait_for_completion_timeout(
+				&inst->core->completions[SYS_MSG_INDEX(HAL_SYS_PING_ACK)],
+				msecs_to_jiffies(
+				inst->core->resources.msm_vidc_hw_rsp_timeout));
+		if (rc) {
+			if (try_wait_for_completion(&inst->completions[SESSION_MSG_INDEX(cmd)])) {
+				s_vpr_e(inst->sid, "Received %d response. Continue session\n",
+								SESSION_MSG_INDEX(cmd));
+				return 0;
+			}
+		}
 		msm_comm_kill_session(inst);
 		rc = -EIO;
 	} else {
@@ -1900,6 +1912,28 @@ static void handle_stop_done(enum hal_command_response cmd, void *data)
 	put_inst(inst);
 }
 
+static void handle_ping_done(enum hal_command_response cmd, void *data)
+{
+	struct msm_vidc_cb_cmd_done *response = data;
+	struct msm_vidc_inst *inst;
+
+	if (!response) {
+		d_vpr_e("Failed to get valid response for stop\n");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	inst = get_inst(get_vidc_core(response->device_id),
+			response->inst_id);
+	if (!inst) {
+		d_vpr_e("Got a response for an inactive session\n");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	s_vpr_l(inst->sid, "handled: SYS_PING_DONE\n");
+	complete(&inst->core->completions[SYS_MSG_INDEX(HAL_SYS_PING_ACK)]);
+	put_inst(inst);
+}
+
 static void handle_release_res_done(enum hal_command_response cmd, void *data)
 {
 	struct msm_vidc_cb_cmd_done *response = data;
@@ -2728,6 +2762,9 @@ void handle_cmd_response(enum hal_command_response cmd, void *data)
 	case HAL_SESSION_ABORT_DONE:
 		handle_session_close(cmd, data);
 		break;
+	case HAL_SYS_PING_ACK:
+		handle_ping_done(cmd, data);
+		break;
 	case HAL_SESSION_EVENT_CHANGE:
 		handle_event_change(cmd, data);
 		break;
diff --git a/msm/vidc/vidc_hfi.h b/msm/vidc/vidc_hfi.h
index 9d2ab5d0dfe75..3ae3d0ffb2ab5 100644
--- a/msm/vidc/vidc_hfi.h
+++ b/msm/vidc/vidc_hfi.h
@@ -313,6 +313,8 @@ struct hfi_uncompressed_plane_actual_constraints_info {
 #define HFI_CMD_SYS_OX_START		\
 (HFI_DOMAIN_BASE_COMMON + HFI_ARCH_OX_OFFSET + HFI_CMD_START_OFFSET + 0x0000)
 #define HFI_CMD_SYS_SESSION_ABORT	(HFI_CMD_SYS_OX_START + 0x001)
+#define HFI_CMD_SYS_PING		(HFI_CMD_SYS_OX_START + 0x002)
+
 
 #define HFI_CMD_SESSION_OX_START	\
 (HFI_DOMAIN_BASE_COMMON + HFI_ARCH_OX_OFFSET + HFI_CMD_START_OFFSET + 0x1000)
@@ -336,6 +338,7 @@ struct hfi_uncompressed_plane_actual_constraints_info {
 
 #define HFI_MSG_SYS_OX_START			\
 (HFI_DOMAIN_BASE_COMMON + HFI_ARCH_OX_OFFSET + HFI_MSG_START_OFFSET + 0x0000)
+#define HFI_MSG_SYS_PING_ACK	(HFI_MSG_SYS_OX_START + 0x2)
 #define HFI_MSG_SYS_SESSION_ABORT_DONE	(HFI_MSG_SYS_OX_START + 0x4)
 
 #define HFI_MSG_SESSION_OX_START		\
@@ -368,6 +371,12 @@ struct hfi_cmd_sys_session_abort_packet {
 	u32 sid;
 };
 
+struct hfi_cmd_sys_ping_packet {
+	u32 size;
+	u32 packet_type;
+	u32 sid;
+};
+
 struct hfi_cmd_session_load_resources_packet {
 	u32 size;
 	u32 packet_type;
@@ -507,6 +516,12 @@ struct hfi_msg_sys_session_abort_done_packet {
 	u32 error_type;
 };
 
+struct hfi_msg_sys_ping_ack_pkt {
+	u32 size;
+	u32 packet_type;
+	u32 sid;
+};
+
 struct hfi_msg_sys_property_info_packet {
 	u32 size;
 	u32 packet_type;
diff --git a/msm/vidc/vidc_hfi_api.h b/msm/vidc/vidc_hfi_api.h
index ee86ad85f7be1..230c217d3db61 100644
--- a/msm/vidc/vidc_hfi_api.h
+++ b/msm/vidc/vidc_hfi_api.h
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ enum hal_command_response {
 	HAL_SYS_SET_RESOURCE_DONE,
 	HAL_SYS_RELEASE_RESOURCE_DONE,
 	HAL_SYS_PC_PREP_DONE,
-	HAL_SYS_IDLE,
+	HAL_SYS_PING_ACK,
 	HAL_SYS_DEBUG,
 	HAL_SYS_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT,
 	HAL_SYS_ERROR,
@@ -635,6 +635,7 @@ struct hfi_device {
 
 	/*Add function pointers for all the hfi functions below*/
 	int (*core_init)(void *device);
+	int (*core_ping)(void *device, u32 sid);
 	int (*core_release)(void *device);
 	int (*core_trigger_ssr)(void *device,
 		enum hal_ssr_trigger_type ssr_type, u32 sub_client_id,