diff --git a/autotests/client/test_xdg_shell.cpp b/autotests/client/test_xdg_shell.cpp
--- a/autotests/client/test_xdg_shell.cpp
+++ b/autotests/client/test_xdg_shell.cpp
@@ -408,9 +408,20 @@
     QSignalSpy pingSpy(m_xdgShellInterface, &XdgShellInterface::pongReceived);
     QVERIFY(pingSpy.isValid());
 
-    m_xdgShellInterface->ping();
+    quint32 serial = m_xdgShellInterface->ping();
     QVERIFY(pingSpy.wait());
     QCOMPARE(pingSpy.count(), 1);
+    QCOMPARE(pingSpy.takeFirst().at(0).value<quint32>(), serial);
+
+    // test of a ping failure
+    // disconnecting the connection thread to the queue will break the connection and pings will do a timeout
+    disconnect(m_connection, &ConnectionThread::eventsRead, m_queue, &EventQueue::dispatch);
+    m_xdgShellInterface->ping();
+    QSignalSpy pingDelayedSpy(m_xdgShellInterface, &XdgShellInterface::pingDelayed);
+    QVERIFY(pingDelayedSpy.wait());
+
+    QSignalSpy pingTimeoutSpy(m_xdgShellInterface, &XdgShellInterface::pingTimeout);
+    QVERIFY(pingTimeoutSpy.wait());
 }
 
 void XdgShellTest::testClose()
diff --git a/src/server/xdgshell_interface.h b/src/server/xdgshell_interface.h
--- a/src/server/xdgshell_interface.h
+++ b/src/server/xdgshell_interface.h
@@ -111,14 +111,15 @@
      **/
     XdgShellSurfaceInterface *getSurface(wl_resource *native);
 
-    /*
+    /**
      * Confirm the client is still alive and responding
      *
      * Will result in pong being emitted
      *
+     * @returns unique identifier for this request
      * @since XDGMERGE_VERSION
      */
-    void ping();
+    quint32 ping();
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void surfaceCreated(KWayland::Server::XdgShellSurfaceInterface *surface);
@@ -150,10 +151,29 @@
     /*
      * Emitted in response to a ping request
      *
-     * @param surface The popup xdg shell surface which got created
+     * @param serial unique identifier for the request
+     * @since XDGMERGE_VERSION
+     */
+    void pongReceived(quint32 serial);
+
+    /*
+     * Emitted when the application takes more than expected
+     * to answer to a ping, this will always be emitted before
+     * eventuallt pingTimeout gets emitted
+     *
+     * @param serial unique identifier for the request
+     * @since XDGMERGE_VERSION
+     */
+    void pingDelayed(quint32 serial);
+
+    /*
+     * Emitted when the application doesn't answer to a ping
+     * and the serve gave up on it
+     *
+     * @param serial unique identifier for the request
      * @since XDGMERGE_VERSION
      */
-    void pongReceived();
+    void pingTimeout(quint32 serial);
 
 protected:
     class Private;
diff --git a/src/server/xdgshell_interface.cpp b/src/server/xdgshell_interface.cpp
--- a/src/server/xdgshell_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/server/xdgshell_interface.cpp
@@ -27,11 +27,32 @@
 XdgShellInterface::Private::Private(XdgShellInterfaceVersion interfaceVersion, XdgShellInterface *q, Display *d, const wl_interface *interface, quint32 version)
     : Global::Private(d, interface, version)
     , interfaceVersion(interfaceVersion)
-    , pingTimer(new QTimer)
     , q(q)
 {
-    pingTimer->setSingleShot(true);
+}
+
+void XdgShellInterface::Private::setupTimer(quint32 serial)
+{
+    QTimer *pingTimer = new QTimer();
+    pingTimer->setSingleShot(false);
     pingTimer->setInterval(1000);
+    int attempt = 0;
+    connect(pingTimer, &QTimer::timeout, q, [this, serial, attempt]() mutable {
+        ++attempt;
+        if (attempt == 1) {
+            emit q->pingDelayed(serial);
+        } else {
+            emit q->pingTimeout(serial);
+            auto timerIt = pingTimers.find(serial);
+            if (timerIt != pingTimers.end()) {
+                delete timerIt.value();
+                pingTimers.erase(timerIt);
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    pingTimers.insert(serial, pingTimer);
+    pingTimer->start();
 }
 
 XdgShellInterface::XdgShellInterface(Private *d, QObject *parent)
@@ -53,9 +74,9 @@
     return d->interfaceVersion;
 }
 
-void XdgShellInterface::ping()
+quint32 XdgShellInterface::ping()
 {
-    d_func()->ping();
+    return d_func()->ping();
 }
 
 XdgShellInterface::Private *XdgShellInterface::d_func() const
diff --git a/src/server/xdgshell_interface_p.h b/src/server/xdgshell_interface_p.h
--- a/src/server/xdgshell_interface_p.h
+++ b/src/server/xdgshell_interface_p.h
@@ -36,9 +36,10 @@
 public:
     XdgShellInterfaceVersion interfaceVersion;
 
-    virtual void ping() = 0;
-    quint32 pingSerial = 0;
-    QScopedPointer<QTimer> pingTimer;
+    virtual quint32 ping() = 0;
+    void setupTimer(quint32 serial);
+    //pingserial/timer correspondence
+    QHash <quint32, QTimer *> pingTimers;
 
 protected:
     Private(XdgShellInterfaceVersion interfaceVersion, XdgShellInterface *q, Display *d, const wl_interface *interface, quint32 version);
diff --git a/src/server/xdgshell_v5_interface.cpp b/src/server/xdgshell_v5_interface.cpp
--- a/src/server/xdgshell_v5_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/server/xdgshell_v5_interface.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
     void createSurface(wl_client *client, uint32_t version, uint32_t id, SurfaceInterface *surface, wl_resource *parentResource);
     void createPopup(wl_client *client, uint32_t version, uint32_t id, SurfaceInterface *surface, SurfaceInterface *parent, SeatInterface *seat, quint32 serial, const QPoint &pos, wl_resource *parentResource);
     void bind(wl_client *client, uint32_t version, uint32_t id) override;
-    void ping() override;
+    quint32 ping() override;
 
     static void unbind(wl_resource *resource);
     static Private *cast(wl_resource *r) {
@@ -166,9 +166,11 @@
 {
     Q_UNUSED(client)
     auto s = cast(resource);
-    if (s->pingTimer->isActive() && serial == s->pingSerial) {
-        s->pingTimer->stop();
-        emit s->q->pongReceived();
+    auto timerIt = s->pingTimers.find(serial);
+    if (timerIt != s->pingTimers.end() && timerIt.value()->isActive()) {
+        delete timerIt.value();
+        s->pingTimers.erase(timerIt);
+        emit s->q->pongReceived(serial);
     }
 }
 
@@ -213,14 +215,16 @@
     return nullptr;
 }
 
-void XdgShellV5Interface::Private::ping()
+quint32 XdgShellV5Interface::Private::ping()
 {
-    if (!resource || pingTimer->isActive()) {
-        return;
+    if (!resource) {
+        return -1;
     }
-    pingSerial = display->nextSerial();
+    const quint32 pingSerial = display->nextSerial();
     xdg_shell_send_ping(resource, pingSerial);
-    pingTimer->start();
+
+    setupTimer(pingSerial);
+    return pingSerial;
 }
 
 XdgShellV5Interface::Private *XdgShellV5Interface::d_func() const
diff --git a/src/server/xdgshell_v6_interface.cpp b/src/server/xdgshell_v6_interface.cpp
--- a/src/server/xdgshell_v6_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/server/xdgshell_v6_interface.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 
     void bind(wl_client *client, uint32_t version, uint32_t id) override;
 
-    void ping() override;
+    quint32 ping() override;
 
     static void unbind(wl_resource *resource);
     static Private *cast(wl_resource *r) {
@@ -279,9 +279,11 @@
 {
     Q_UNUSED(client)
     auto s = cast(resource);
-    if (s->pingTimer->isActive() && serial == s->pingSerial) {
-        s->pingTimer->stop();
-        emit s->q->pongReceived();
+    auto timerIt = s->pingTimers.find(serial);
+    if (timerIt != s->pingTimers.end() && timerIt.value()->isActive()) {
+        delete timerIt.value();
+        s->pingTimers.erase(timerIt);
+        emit s->q->pongReceived(serial);
     }
 }
 
@@ -354,14 +356,16 @@
     return nullptr;
 }
 
-void XdgShellV6Interface::Private::ping()
+quint32 XdgShellV6Interface::Private::ping()
 {
-    if (!resource || pingTimer->isActive()) {
-        return;
+    if (!resource) {
+        return -1;
     }
-    pingSerial = display->nextSerial();
+    const quint32 pingSerial = display->nextSerial();
     zxdg_shell_v6_send_ping(resource, pingSerial);
-    pingTimer->start();
+
+    setupTimer(pingSerial);
+    return pingSerial;
 }
 
 XdgShellV6Interface::Private *XdgShellV6Interface::d_func() const