diff --git a/viewer/JFJochHttpReader.cpp b/viewer/JFJochHttpReader.cpp
index 6cc7f82f..7103ad5e 100644
--- a/viewer/JFJochHttpReader.cpp
+++ b/viewer/JFJochHttpReader.cpp
@@ -34,11 +34,21 @@ namespace {
 JFJochHttpReader::HttpResult JFJochHttpReader::Request(const std::string &method, const std::string &path,
                                                        const std::string &body,
                                                        const std::string &content_type) const {
-    EnsureCurlGlobalInit();
+    // One easy handle is reused across requests so the connection stays alive. curl_easy_reset
+    // clears the previous request's options but deliberately keeps the live connection and the DNS
+    // / TLS-session caches, so a same-host request reuses the open socket; if that socket has since
+    // been closed, libcurl reconnects (and retries the request) on its own.
+    std::lock_guard cl(curl_mutex);
 
-    CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
-    if (curl == nullptr)
-        throw JFJochException(JFJochExceptionCategory::InputParameterInvalid, "Could not initialize CURL");
+    if (curl_handle == nullptr) {
+        EnsureCurlGlobalInit();
+        curl_handle = curl_easy_init();
+        if (curl_handle == nullptr)
+            throw JFJochException(JFJochExceptionCategory::InputParameterInvalid, "Could not initialize CURL");
+    } else {
+        curl_easy_reset(curl_handle);
+    }
+    CURL *curl = curl_handle;
 
     HttpResult result;
     const std::string url = addr + path;
@@ -65,10 +75,21 @@ JFJochHttpReader::HttpResult JFJochHttpReader::Request(const std::string &method
 
     if (headers != nullptr)
         curl_slist_free_all(headers);
-    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
     return result;
 }
 
+JFJochHttpReader::~JFJochHttpReader() {
+    ResetConnection();
+}
+
+void JFJochHttpReader::ResetConnection() const {
+    std::lock_guard cl(curl_mutex);
+    if (curl_handle != nullptr) {
+        curl_easy_cleanup(curl_handle);
+        curl_handle = nullptr;
+    }
+}
+
 void JFJochHttpReader::Close() {
     std::unique_lock ul(http_mutex);
     addr = "";
@@ -77,6 +98,7 @@ void JFJochHttpReader::Close() {
     last_op_http_sync = false;
     cached_pixel_mask.reset();
     cached_pixel_mask_arm_date.clear();
+    ResetConnection();  // drop the kept-alive connection on disconnect
 }
 
 ImageBufferStatus JFJochHttpReader::GetImageBufferStatus() const {
@@ -267,6 +289,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<JFJochReaderDataset> JFJochHttpReader::UpdateDataset_i() {
 
 void JFJochHttpReader::ReadURL(const std::string &url) {
     std::unique_lock ul(http_mutex);
+    ResetConnection();  // selecting an address (re)opens the connection from scratch
     addr = url;
     if (url.empty())
         SetStartMessage({});
diff --git a/viewer/JFJochHttpReader.h b/viewer/JFJochHttpReader.h
index dfaf27d0..3dbbd122 100644
--- a/viewer/JFJochHttpReader.h
+++ b/viewer/JFJochHttpReader.h
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <curl/curl.h>
+
 #include "../reader/JFJochReader.h"
 #include "../common/BrokerStatus.h"
 #include "../common/ImageBuffer.h"
@@ -12,6 +14,15 @@ class JFJochHttpReader : public JFJochReader {
     mutable std::mutex http_mutex;
     std::string addr;
 
+    // Persistent libcurl handle: created lazily on the first request (i.e. as soon as an address
+    // is selected) and then reused for every subsequent request so the TCP/TLS connection is kept
+    // alive. libcurl transparently reopens the connection if it was dropped (idle timeout,
+    // server-side session limit, ...). curl_mutex serialises access because a single easy handle
+    // must never be used from two threads at once; it is a leaf lock (nothing else is taken while
+    // it is held), so it cannot deadlock with http_mutex.
+    mutable std::mutex curl_mutex;
+    mutable CURL *curl_handle = nullptr;
+
     std::optional<int64_t> last_image_buffer_counter;
     bool last_op_http_sync = false;
 
@@ -32,6 +43,10 @@ class JFJochHttpReader : public JFJochReader {
     HttpResult Request(const std::string &method, const std::string &path,
                        const std::string &body = {}, const std::string &content_type = {}) const;
 
+    // Tear down the persistent connection (on disconnect, when a new address is selected, and in
+    // the destructor); the next Request transparently re-opens it.
+    void ResetConnection() const;
+
     ImageBufferStatus GetImageBufferStatus() const;
 
     bool LoadImage_i(std::shared_ptr<JFJochReaderDataset> &dataset,
@@ -42,7 +57,7 @@ class JFJochHttpReader : public JFJochReader {
     std::shared_ptr<JFJochReaderDataset> UpdateDataset_i();
     std::vector<float> GetPlot_i(const std::string &plot_type, float fill_value = 0.0) const;
 public:
-    ~JFJochHttpReader() override = default;
+    ~JFJochHttpReader() override;
 
     void ReadURL(const std::string& url);
     uint64_t GetNumberOfImages() const override;