diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_wal_acceptor.py b/test_runner/regress/test_wal_acceptor.py
index 631798d643..aaac4570b0 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_wal_acceptor.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_wal_acceptor.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from contextlib import closing
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from functools import partial
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, List, Optional
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
 import psycopg2
 import psycopg2.errors
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import psycopg2.extras
 import pytest
 from fixtures.broker import NeonBroker
 from fixtures.log_helper import log
+from fixtures.metrics import parse_metrics
 from fixtures.neon_fixtures import (
     Endpoint,
     NeonEnv,
@@ -1477,3 +1478,72 @@ def test_pull_timeline(neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder):
 
     execute_payload(endpoint)
     show_statuses(env.safekeepers, tenant_id, timeline_id)
+
+
+# In this test we check for excessive START_REPLICATION and START_WAL_PUSH queries
+# when compute is active, but there are no writes to the timeline. In that case
+# pageserver should maintain a single connection to safekeeper and don't attempt
+# to reconnect extra times.
+#
+# The only way to verify this without manipulating time is to sleep for a while.
+# In this test we sleep for 60 seconds, so this test takes at least 1 minute to run.
+# This is longer than most other tests, we run it only for v16 to save CI resources.
+def test_idle_reconnections(neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder):
+    if os.environ.get("PYTEST_CURRENT_TEST", "").find("[debug-pg16]") == -1:
+        pytest.skip("run only on debug postgres v16 to save CI resources")
+
+    neon_env_builder.num_safekeepers = 3
+    env = neon_env_builder.init_start()
+
+    tenant_id = env.initial_tenant
+    timeline_id = env.neon_cli.create_branch("test_sk_auth_restart_endpoint")
+
+    def collect_stats() -> Dict[str, float]:
+        # we need to collect safekeeper_pg_queries_received_total metric from all safekeepers
+        sk_metrics = [
+            parse_metrics(sk.http_client().get_metrics_str(), f"safekeeper_{sk.id}")
+            for sk in env.safekeepers
+        ]
+
+        total: Dict[str, float] = {}
+
+        for sk in sk_metrics:
+            queries_received = sk.query_all("safekeeper_pg_queries_received_total")
+            log.info(f"{sk.name} queries received: {queries_received}")
+            for sample in queries_received:
+                total[sample.labels["query"]] = total.get(sample.labels["query"], 0) + sample.value
+
+        log.info(f"Total queries received: {total}")
+
+        # in the perfect world, we should see only one START_REPLICATION query,
+        # here we check for 5 to prevent flakiness
+        assert total.get("START_REPLICATION", 0) <= 5
+
+        # in the perfect world, we should see ~6 START_WAL_PUSH queries,
+        # here we check for 15 to prevent flakiness
+        assert total.get("START_WAL_PUSH", 0) <= 15
+
+        return total
+
+    collect_stats()
+
+    endpoint = env.endpoints.create_start("test_sk_auth_restart_endpoint")
+    # just write something to the timeline
+    endpoint.safe_psql("create table t(i int)")
+    collect_stats()
+
+    # sleep a bit
+    time.sleep(30)
+
+    # force checkpoint in pageserver to advance remote_consistent_lsn
+    wait_lsn_force_checkpoint(tenant_id, timeline_id, endpoint, env.pageserver)
+
+    collect_stats()
+
+    time.sleep(30)
+
+    final_stats = collect_stats()
+    # pageserver should connect to safekeepers at least once
+    assert final_stats.get("START_REPLICATION", 0) >= 1
+    # walproposer should connect to each safekeeper at least once
+    assert final_stats.get("START_WAL_PUSH", 0) >= 3