diff --git a/src/networking.c b/src/networking.c
index 8bc6389a4..9c100db19 100644
--- a/src/networking.c
+++ b/src/networking.c
@@ -1561,7 +1561,7 @@ unsigned long getClientOutputBufferMemoryUsage(redisClient *c) {
 int getClientType(redisClient *c) {
     if ((c->flags & REDIS_SLAVE) && !(c->flags & REDIS_MONITOR))
         return REDIS_CLIENT_TYPE_SLAVE;
-    if (dictSize(c->pubsub_channels) || listLength(c->pubsub_patterns))
+    if (c->flags & REDIS_PUBSUB)
         return REDIS_CLIENT_TYPE_PUBSUB;
     return REDIS_CLIENT_TYPE_NORMAL;
 }
diff --git a/src/pubsub.c b/src/pubsub.c
index f83c3a7a1..720cd5185 100644
--- a/src/pubsub.c
+++ b/src/pubsub.c
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ int listMatchPubsubPattern(void *a, void *b) {
            (equalStringObjects(pa->pattern,pb->pattern));
 }
 
+/* Return the number of channels + patterns a client is subscribed to. */
+int clientSubscriptionsCount(redisClient *c) {
+    return dictSize(c->pubsub_channels)+
+           listLength(c->pubsub_patterns);
+}
+
 /* Subscribe a client to a channel. Returns 1 if the operation succeeded, or
  * 0 if the client was already subscribed to that channel. */
 int pubsubSubscribeChannel(redisClient *c, robj *channel) {
@@ -73,7 +79,7 @@ int pubsubSubscribeChannel(redisClient *c, robj *channel) {
     addReply(c,shared.mbulkhdr[3]);
     addReply(c,shared.subscribebulk);
     addReplyBulk(c,channel);
-    addReplyLongLong(c,dictSize(c->pubsub_channels)+listLength(c->pubsub_patterns));
+    addReplyLongLong(c,clientSubscriptionsCount(c));
     return retval;
 }
 
@@ -135,7 +141,7 @@ int pubsubSubscribePattern(redisClient *c, robj *pattern) {
     addReply(c,shared.mbulkhdr[3]);
     addReply(c,shared.psubscribebulk);
     addReplyBulk(c,pattern);
-    addReplyLongLong(c,dictSize(c->pubsub_channels)+listLength(c->pubsub_patterns));
+    addReplyLongLong(c,clientSubscriptionsCount(c));
     return retval;
 }
 
@@ -168,7 +174,7 @@ int pubsubUnsubscribePattern(redisClient *c, robj *pattern, int notify) {
 }
 
 /* Unsubscribe from all the channels. Return the number of channels the
- * client was subscribed from. */
+ * client was subscribed to. */
 int pubsubUnsubscribeAllChannels(redisClient *c, int notify) {
     dictIterator *di = dictGetSafeIterator(c->pubsub_channels);
     dictEntry *de;
@@ -273,6 +279,7 @@ void subscribeCommand(redisClient *c) {
 
     for (j = 1; j < c->argc; j++)
         pubsubSubscribeChannel(c,c->argv[j]);
+    c->flags |= REDIS_PUBSUB;
 }
 
 void unsubscribeCommand(redisClient *c) {
@@ -284,6 +291,7 @@ void unsubscribeCommand(redisClient *c) {
         for (j = 1; j < c->argc; j++)
             pubsubUnsubscribeChannel(c,c->argv[j],1);
     }
+    if (clientSubscriptionsCount(c) == 0) c->flags &= ~REDIS_PUBSUB;
 }
 
 void psubscribeCommand(redisClient *c) {
@@ -291,6 +299,7 @@ void psubscribeCommand(redisClient *c) {
 
     for (j = 1; j < c->argc; j++)
         pubsubSubscribePattern(c,c->argv[j]);
+    c->flags |= REDIS_PUBSUB;
 }
 
 void punsubscribeCommand(redisClient *c) {
@@ -302,6 +311,7 @@ void punsubscribeCommand(redisClient *c) {
         for (j = 1; j < c->argc; j++)
             pubsubUnsubscribePattern(c,c->argv[j],1);
     }
+    if (clientSubscriptionsCount(c) == 0) c->flags &= ~REDIS_PUBSUB;
 }
 
 void publishCommand(redisClient *c) {
diff --git a/src/redis.c b/src/redis.c
index 1976cc4db..026e2f0e5 100644
--- a/src/redis.c
+++ b/src/redis.c
@@ -907,8 +907,7 @@ int clientsCronHandleTimeout(redisClient *c) {
         !(c->flags & REDIS_SLAVE) &&    /* no timeout for slaves */
         !(c->flags & REDIS_MASTER) &&   /* no timeout for masters */
         !(c->flags & REDIS_BLOCKED) &&  /* no timeout for BLPOP */
-        dictSize(c->pubsub_channels) == 0 && /* no timeout for pubsub */
-        listLength(c->pubsub_patterns) == 0 &&
+        !(c->flags & REDIS_PUBSUB) &&   /* no timeout for Pub/Sub clients */
         (now - c->lastinteraction > server.maxidletime))
     {
         redisLog(REDIS_VERBOSE,"Closing idle client");
@@ -2211,8 +2210,8 @@ int processCommand(redisClient *c) {
     }
 
     /* Only allow SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE in the context of Pub/Sub */
-    if ((dictSize(c->pubsub_channels) > 0 || listLength(c->pubsub_patterns) > 0)
-        &&
+    if (c->flags & REDIS_PUBSUB &&
+        c->cmd->proc != pingCommand &&
         c->cmd->proc != subscribeCommand &&
         c->cmd->proc != unsubscribeCommand &&
         c->cmd->proc != psubscribeCommand &&
diff --git a/src/redis.h b/src/redis.h
index 9c3596d9f..d2b00bff5 100644
--- a/src/redis.h
+++ b/src/redis.h
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ typedef long long mstime_t; /* millisecond time type. */
 #define REDIS_FORCE_REPL (1<<15)  /* Force replication of current cmd. */
 #define REDIS_PRE_PSYNC (1<<16)   /* Instance don't understand PSYNC. */
 #define REDIS_READONLY (1<<17)    /* Cluster client is in read-only state. */
+#define REDIS_PUBSUB (1<<18)      /* Client is in Pub/Sub mode. */
 
 /* Client block type (btype field in client structure)
  * if REDIS_BLOCKED flag is set. */