diff --git a/connection_go18.go b/connection_go18.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..51e9ce27c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/connection_go18.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// +build go1.8
+
+package mysql
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func (mc *mysqlConn) Ping(ctx context.Context) error {
+	err := mc.writeCommandPacket(comPing)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	ch := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		_, err := mc.readResultOK()
+		ch <- err
+	}()
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		mc.netConn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now())
+		return ctx.Err()
+	case err := <-ch:
+		return err
+	}
+}
diff --git a/driver_go18_test.go b/driver_go18_test.go
index 93918ad46..3792ead38 100644
--- a/driver_go18_test.go
+++ b/driver_go18_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 package mysql
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"database/sql"
+	"database/sql/driver"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
@@ -188,3 +190,18 @@ func TestSkipResults(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+func TestPing(t *testing.T) {
+	runTests(t, dsn, func(dbt *DBTest) {
+		mysqlDriver := dbt.db.Driver().(driver.Driver)
+		conn, err := mysqlDriver.Open(dsn)
+		if err != nil {
+			dbt.Fatalf("error opening conn: %s", err)
+		}
+		pinger := conn.(driver.Pinger)
+		err = pinger.Ping(context.Background())
+		if err != nil {
+			dbt.Fatalf("error on ping: %s", err)
+		}
+	})
+}