diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml
index d49f7006..339e7a70 100644
--- a/config.yaml
+++ b/config.yaml
@@ -362,3 +362,11 @@ options:
     description: |
       Manually disable lbaas services. Set this option to True if Octavia
       is used with neutron. This option is ignored for Train+ OpenStack.
+  keepalived-healthcheck-interval:
+    type: int
+    default: 30
+    description: |
+      By default all HA routers will check their external network gateway
+      by sending a ping and if that fails they trigger a vrrp transition. This
+      option defines how frequently this check is performed. Setting this value
+      to 0 will disable the healthchecks.
diff --git a/hooks/neutron_contexts.py b/hooks/neutron_contexts.py
index 7aa7c821..4abec69e 100644
--- a/hooks/neutron_contexts.py
+++ b/hooks/neutron_contexts.py
@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@ class NeutronGatewayContext(NeutronAPIContext):
             'availability_zone': get_availability_zone(),
             'enable_nfg_logging': api_settings['enable_nfg_logging'],
             'ovsdb_timeout': config('ovsdb-timeout'),
+            'keepalived_healthcheck_interval':
+            config('keepalived-healthcheck-interval')
         }
 
         ctxt['local_ip'] = get_local_ip()
diff --git a/templates/newton/l3_agent.ini b/templates/newton/l3_agent.ini
index 4ff0c2cc..f187e223 100644
--- a/templates/newton/l3_agent.ini
+++ b/templates/newton/l3_agent.ini
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ gateway_external_network_id = {{ ext_net_id }}
 external_network_bridge = br-ex
 {% endif -%}
 agent_mode = {{ agent_mode }}
-{% if use_l3ha -%}
-ha_vrrp_health_check_interval = 30
+{% if use_l3ha and keepalived_healthcheck_interval -%}
+ha_vrrp_health_check_interval = {{ keepalived_healthcheck_interval }}
 {% endif -%}
 
 [AGENT]
diff --git a/templates/queens/l3_agent.ini b/templates/queens/l3_agent.ini
index d5e003e3..60583cae 100644
--- a/templates/queens/l3_agent.ini
+++ b/templates/queens/l3_agent.ini
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ gateway_external_network_id = {{ ext_net_id }}
 external_network_bridge = br-ex
 {% endif -%}
 agent_mode = {{ agent_mode }}
-{% if use_l3ha -%}
-ha_vrrp_health_check_interval = 30
+{% if use_l3ha and keepalived_healthcheck_interval -%}
+ha_vrrp_health_check_interval = {{ keepalived_healthcheck_interval }}
 {% endif -%}
 
 [AGENT]
diff --git a/templates/rocky/l3_agent.ini b/templates/rocky/l3_agent.ini
index 10424b02..f60312a2 100644
--- a/templates/rocky/l3_agent.ini
+++ b/templates/rocky/l3_agent.ini
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ gateway_external_network_id = {{ ext_net_id }}
 external_network_bridge = br-ex
 {% endif -%}
 agent_mode = {{ agent_mode }}
-{% if use_l3ha -%}
-ha_vrrp_health_check_interval = 30
+{% if use_l3ha and keepalived_healthcheck_interval -%}
+ha_vrrp_health_check_interval = {{ keepalived_healthcheck_interval }}
 {% endif -%}
 
 [AGENT]
diff --git a/templates/stein/l3_agent.ini b/templates/stein/l3_agent.ini
index e2e99d9d..d4623e92 100644
--- a/templates/stein/l3_agent.ini
+++ b/templates/stein/l3_agent.ini
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ gateway_external_network_id = {{ ext_net_id }}
 external_network_bridge = br-ex
 {% endif -%}
 agent_mode = {{ agent_mode }}
-{% if use_l3ha -%}
-ha_vrrp_health_check_interval = 30
+{% if use_l3ha and keepalived_healthcheck_interval -%}
+ha_vrrp_health_check_interval = {{ keepalived_healthcheck_interval }}
 {% endif -%}
 
 [AGENT]
diff --git a/unit_tests/test_neutron_contexts.py b/unit_tests/test_neutron_contexts.py
index 3f3e272c..8119ab83 100644
--- a/unit_tests/test_neutron_contexts.py
+++ b/unit_tests/test_neutron_contexts.py
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ class TestNeutronGatewayContext(CharmTestCase):
 
         self.test_config.set('ovsdb-timeout', 10)
 
+        self.test_config.set('keepalived-healthcheck-interval', 0)
+
         self.network_get_primary_address.side_effect = NotImplementedError
         self.unit_get.return_value = '10.5.0.1'
         # Provided by neutron-api relation
@@ -237,6 +239,7 @@ class TestNeutronGatewayContext(CharmTestCase):
             'nfg_log_output_base': '/var/log/firewall-logs',
             'nfg_log_rate_limit': 100,
             'ovsdb_timeout': 10,
+            'keepalived_healthcheck_interval': 0,
         })
 
     @patch.object(neutron_contexts, 'validate_nfg_log_path', lambda x: x)
@@ -299,6 +302,7 @@ class TestNeutronGatewayContext(CharmTestCase):
             'nfg_log_output_base': None,
             'nfg_log_rate_limit': None,
             'ovsdb_timeout': 60,
+            'keepalived_healthcheck_interval': 30,
         })
 
     @patch('os.environ.get')