diff --git a/l4d2web/routes/log_routes.py b/l4d2web/routes/log_routes.py
index d4bd89b..5f80eb7 100644
--- a/l4d2web/routes/log_routes.py
+++ b/l4d2web/routes/log_routes.py
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ def stream_server_logs(server_id: int) -> Response:
 
     def generate():
         for line in facade.stream_server_logs(server.name, lines=200, follow=True):
-            yield f"data: {line}\n\n"
+            if line == "":
+                yield ": keepalive\n\n"
+            else:
+                yield f"data: {line}\n\n"
 
     return Response(generate(), mimetype="text/event-stream")
diff --git a/l4d2web/services/host_commands.py b/l4d2web/services/host_commands.py
index a925b9e..ab4ffef 100644
--- a/l4d2web/services/host_commands.py
+++ b/l4d2web/services/host_commands.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 import os
+import select
 import signal
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -143,19 +144,37 @@ def run_command(
     return result
 
 
-def stream_command(cmd: Sequence[str]) -> Iterator[str]:
+def stream_command(cmd: Sequence[str], *, heartbeat_interval: float = 15.0) -> Iterator[str]:
+    # An empty string yielded between real lines is a heartbeat tick: it lets
+    # SSE callers emit a keepalive frame so a closed peer is detected, instead
+    # of blocking forever inside readline() when the child is silent.
     proc = subprocess.Popen(
         list(cmd),
         stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
         stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
-        text=True,
-        bufsize=1,
+        bufsize=0,
     )
     try:
         if proc.stdout is None:
             return
-        for raw in iter(proc.stdout.readline, ""):
-            yield raw.rstrip("\n")
+        fd = proc.stdout.fileno()
+        buffer = b""
+        while True:
+            ready, _, _ = select.select([fd], [], [], heartbeat_interval)
+            if not ready:
+                if proc.poll() is not None:
+                    break
+                yield ""
+                continue
+            chunk = os.read(fd, 4096)
+            if not chunk:
+                break
+            buffer += chunk
+            while b"\n" in buffer:
+                line, buffer = buffer.split(b"\n", 1)
+                yield line.decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
+        if buffer:
+            yield buffer.decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
     finally:
         if proc.poll() is None:
             proc.terminate()
diff --git a/l4d2web/tests/test_host_commands.py b/l4d2web/tests/test_host_commands.py
index f9a6512..3447676 100644
--- a/l4d2web/tests/test_host_commands.py
+++ b/l4d2web/tests/test_host_commands.py
@@ -72,3 +72,46 @@ def test_stream_command_yields_stdout_lines() -> None:
     lines = list(stream_command(["python3", "-c", "print('one'); print('two')"]))
 
     assert lines == ["one", "two"]
+
+
+def test_stream_command_emits_heartbeat_when_subprocess_silent() -> None:
+    import time
+
+    from l4d2web.services.host_commands import stream_command
+
+    cmd = [
+        "python3",
+        "-c",
+        "import time; time.sleep(0.4); print('done')",
+    ]
+
+    started = time.monotonic()
+    items: list[str] = []
+    for item in stream_command(cmd, heartbeat_interval=0.05):
+        items.append(item)
+        if time.monotonic() - started > 2.0:
+            break
+
+    assert "done" in items, items
+    heartbeats = [i for i in items if i == ""]
+    assert len(heartbeats) >= 2, f"expected ≥2 heartbeat ticks during the silent 0.4s window, got items={items!r}"
+
+
+def test_stream_command_close_releases_subprocess_promptly() -> None:
+    import time
+
+    from l4d2web.services.host_commands import stream_command
+
+    cmd = [
+        "python3",
+        "-c",
+        "import time;\nwhile True:\n    time.sleep(60)",
+    ]
+
+    gen = stream_command(cmd, heartbeat_interval=0.05)
+    assert next(gen) == ""
+
+    started = time.monotonic()
+    gen.close()
+    elapsed = time.monotonic() - started
+    assert elapsed < 1.0, f"gen.close() took {elapsed:.2f}s; subprocess cleanup must not block"
diff --git a/l4d2web/tests/test_status_and_server_logs.py b/l4d2web/tests/test_status_and_server_logs.py
index c13942c..978211e 100644
--- a/l4d2web/tests/test_status_and_server_logs.py
+++ b/l4d2web/tests/test_status_and_server_logs.py
@@ -48,6 +48,23 @@ def test_owner_can_stream_server_logs(owner_client_with_server, monkeypatch) ->
     assert response.status_code == 200
 
 
+def test_log_stream_translates_heartbeat_to_sse_keepalive(owner_client_with_server, monkeypatch) -> None:
+    client, server_id = owner_client_with_server
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "l4d2web.services.l4d2_facade.stream_server_logs",
+        lambda name, lines=200, follow=True: iter(["first", "", "second"]),
+    )
+
+    response = client.get(f"/servers/{server_id}/logs/stream")
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    body = response.get_data(as_text=True)
+    assert "data: first\n\n" in body
+    assert "data: second\n\n" in body
+    assert ": keepalive\n\n" in body
+    assert "data: \n\n" not in body
+
+
 def test_status_precedence() -> None:
     from l4d2web.services.status import compute_display_state