diff --git a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/connection.rs b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/connection.rs
index 63b55a9..c4e2b31 100644
--- a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/connection.rs
+++ b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/connection.rs
@@ -129,13 +129,16 @@ where
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use crate::message::Authenticate;
+    use crate::message::{Authenticate, Ping};
 
     use super::*;
 
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn read_write() {
-        let messages = vec![Message::Authenticate(Authenticate::new("user", "pass"))];
+        let messages = vec![
+            Message::Authenticate(Authenticate::new("user", "pass")),
+            Message::Ping(Ping::new()),
+        ];
 
         let buf_size = 1024;
         let (read, write) = tokio::io::duplex(buf_size);
diff --git a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/lib.rs b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/lib.rs
index 37e85e9..4d49a2a 100644
--- a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ pub use keyvalue::{Key, KeyValue, KeyValueError, Value};
 mod connection;
 pub use connection::Connection;
 mod message;
+
+pub(crate) type Time = chrono::DateTime<chrono::Utc>;
diff --git a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/frame.rs b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/frame.rs
index a719f24..9bfba5d 100644
--- a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/frame.rs
+++ b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/frame.rs
@@ -30,63 +30,6 @@ pub(crate) enum Frame {
 }
 
 impl Frame {
-    // TODO: remove
-    /*
-    fn read(src: &mut Cursor) -> Result<Frame, FrameError> {
-        match src.u8()? {
-            prefix::MESSAGE_START => Ok(Frame::MessageStart),
-            prefix::FRAME_LENGTH => {
-                let len = src.u64()?;
-                Ok(Frame::Length(len))
-            }
-            prefix::MESSAGE_TYPE => MessageType::try_from(src.u8()?)
-                .map_err(FrameError::InvalidMessageType)
-                .map(Frame::MessageType),
-            prefix::STRING => {
-                #[allow(clippy::cast_possible_truncation)]
-                let len = src.u64()? as usize;
-                let n = len + spec::DELIMITER.len();
-                if src.remaining() < n {
-                    return Err(FrameError::Incomplete);
-                }
-                let string = std::str::from_utf8(&src.chunk()[..len])
-                    .map_err(|e| FrameError::Invalid(e.to_string()))?
-                    .to_owned();
-
-                src.skip(n)?;
-
-                Ok(Frame::String(string))
-            }
-            prefix::BYTES => {
-                #[allow(clippy::cast_possible_truncation)]
-                let len = src.u64()? as usize;
-                let n = len + spec::DELIMITER.len();
-                if src.remaining() < n {
-                    return Err(FrameError::Incomplete);
-                }
-                let value = Vec::from(&src.chunk()[..len]);
-
-                src.skip(n)?;
-
-                Ok(Frame::Bytes(value))
-            }
-            prefix::TIME => {
-                use chrono::{DateTime, Utc};
-                let line = src.line()?.to_vec();
-                let string =
-                    String::from_utf8(line).map_err(|e| FrameError::Invalid(e.to_string()))?;
-                Ok(Frame::Time(
-                    DateTime::parse_from_rfc3339(&string)
-                        .map(|dt| dt.with_timezone(&Utc))
-                        .unwrap(),
-                ))
-            }
-            prefix::NULL => Ok(Frame::Null),
-            _ => unreachable!(),
-        }
-    }
-    */
-
     pub(crate) async fn write<W>(self, mut writer: W) -> Result<(), io::Error>
     where
         W: AsyncWriteExt + Unpin,
@@ -114,8 +57,10 @@ impl Frame {
                 writer.write_all(spec::DELIMITER).await
             }
             Frame::Time(val) => {
+                let val = val.to_rfc3339();
                 writer.write_u8(prefix::TIME).await?;
-                writer.write_all(val.to_rfc3339().as_bytes()).await?;
+                writer.write_u64(val.len() as u64).await?;
+                writer.write_all(val.as_bytes()).await?;
                 writer.write_all(spec::DELIMITER).await
             }
             Frame::Null => writer.write_u8(prefix::NULL).await,
@@ -149,4 +94,19 @@ impl MessageFrames {
     pub(super) fn push_string(&mut self, s: impl Into<String>) {
         self.0.push(Frame::String(s.into()));
     }
+
+    pub(super) fn push_time(&mut self, time: Time) {
+        self.0.push(Frame::Time(time));
+    }
+
+    pub(super) fn push_time_or_null(&mut self, time: Option<Time>) {
+        match time {
+            Some(t) => self.push_time(t),
+            None => self.push_null(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(super) fn push_null(&mut self) {
+        self.0.push(Frame::Null);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/mod.rs b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/mod.rs
index 82c235e..b74a811 100644
--- a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/mod.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ pub(crate) use frame::MessageFrames;
 mod parse;
 pub(crate) use parse::{ParseError, Parser};
 mod payload;
-pub use payload::authenticate::Authenticate;
+pub use payload::{Authenticate, Ping};
 use tokio::io::AsyncWriteExt;
 mod spec;
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ impl TryFrom<u8> for MessageType {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Message {
-    // Ping(Ping),
+    Ping(Ping),
     Authenticate(Authenticate),
     // Success(Success),
     // Fail(Fail),
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ pub enum Message {
 impl From<Message> for MessageFrames {
     fn from(message: Message) -> Self {
         match message {
+            Message::Ping(m) => m.into(),
             Message::Authenticate(m) => m.into(),
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/parse.rs b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/parse.rs
index a3a03eb..9de7cac 100644
--- a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/parse.rs
+++ b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/parse.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 use std::string::FromUtf8Error;
 
+use chrono::{DateTime, Utc};
 use thiserror::Error;
 
-use crate::message::{Authenticate, Message, MessageError, MessageType};
+use crate::message::{frame::prefix, Authenticate, Message, MessageError, MessageType, Ping};
 
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
 pub enum ParseError {
@@ -48,7 +49,38 @@ impl Parser {
         let message_type = MessageType::try_from(message_type)?;
 
         match message_type {
-            MessageType::Ping => todo!(),
+            MessageType::Ping => {
+                let parse_time = |input| -> Result<(&[u8], Option<DateTime<Utc>>), ParseError> {
+                    let (input, t) =
+                        parse::time(input).map_err(|err| ParseError::expect(err, "time"))?;
+                    let rfc3339 = String::from_utf8(t.to_vec())?;
+                    let t = DateTime::parse_from_rfc3339(&rfc3339).unwrap();
+                    Ok((input, Some(t.with_timezone(&Utc))))
+                };
+
+                let (input, pre) =
+                    parse::prefix(input).map_err(|err| ParseError::expect(err, "prefix"))?;
+
+                println!("prefix {pre}");
+
+                let (input, client) = match pre {
+                    prefix::TIME => parse_time(input)?,
+                    prefix::NULL => (input, None),
+                    _ => unreachable!(),
+                };
+                let (input, server) = match pre {
+                    prefix::TIME => parse_time(input)?,
+                    prefix::NULL => (input, None),
+                    _ => unreachable!(),
+                };
+                Ok((
+                    input,
+                    Message::Ping(Ping {
+                        client_timestamp: client,
+                        server_timestamp: server,
+                    }),
+                ))
+            }
             MessageType::Authenticate => {
                 let (input, (username, password)) = parse::authenticate(input)
                     .map_err(|err| ParseError::expect(err, "message authenticate"))?;
@@ -94,6 +126,10 @@ mod parse {
         pair(string, string).parse(input)
     }
 
+    pub(super) fn prefix(input: &[u8]) -> IResult<&[u8], u8> {
+        u8(input)
+    }
+
     fn delimiter(input: &[u8]) -> IResult<&[u8], ()> {
         map(tag(spec::DELIMITER), |_| ()).parse(input)
     }
@@ -108,8 +144,15 @@ mod parse {
         terminated(take(len), delimiter).parse(input)
     }
 
+    pub(super) fn time(input: &[u8]) -> IResult<&[u8], &[u8]> {
+        let (input, len) = preceded(tag([prefix::TIME].as_slice()), u64).parse(input)?;
+        terminated(take(len), delimiter).parse(input)
+    }
+
     #[cfg(test)]
     mod tests {
+        use chrono::DateTime;
+
         use crate::message::{frame::Frame, MessageType};
 
         use super::*;
@@ -171,5 +214,20 @@ mod parse {
             let err = string(b"").unwrap_err();
             assert!(err.is_incomplete());
         }
+
+        #[tokio::test]
+        async fn parse_time_frame() {
+            let mut buf = Vec::new();
+            let t = DateTime::from_timestamp(1000, 0).unwrap();
+            let f = Frame::Time(t);
+            f.write(&mut buf).await.unwrap();
+
+            let (remain, parsed_time) = time(buf.as_slice()).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(parsed_time, t.to_rfc3339().as_bytes());
+            assert!(remain.is_empty());
+
+            let err = time(b"").unwrap_err();
+            assert!(err.is_incomplete());
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/payload/mod.rs b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/payload/mod.rs
index d459c7b..ad4f29c 100644
--- a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/payload/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/payload/mod.rs
@@ -1 +1,5 @@
-pub(super) mod authenticate;
+mod authenticate;
+pub use authenticate::Authenticate;
+
+mod ping;
+pub use ping::Ping;
diff --git a/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/payload/ping.rs b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/payload/ping.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..322c088
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/synd_kvsd_protocol/src/message/payload/ping.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+use crate::{
+    message::{MessageFrames, MessageType},
+    Time,
+};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct Ping {
+    pub client_timestamp: Option<Time>,
+    pub server_timestamp: Option<Time>,
+}
+
+impl Ping {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            client_timestamp: None,
+            server_timestamp: None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for Ping {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self::new()
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<Ping> for MessageFrames {
+    fn from(ping: Ping) -> Self {
+        let mut frames = MessageFrames::new(MessageType::Ping, 2);
+
+        frames.push_time_or_null(ping.client_timestamp);
+        frames.push_time_or_null(ping.server_timestamp);
+
+        frames
+    }
+}