diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/shardsplit/shardsplit_decoder.c b/src/backend/distributed/shardsplit/shardsplit_decoder.c
index 1386a21b0..7145b4dfa 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/shardsplit/shardsplit_decoder.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/shardsplit/shardsplit_decoder.c
@@ -90,6 +90,46 @@ replication_origin_filter_cb(LogicalDecodingContext *ctx, RepOriginId origin_id)
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * update_replication_progress is copied from Postgres 15. We use it to send keepalive
+ * messages when we are filtering out the wal changes resulting from the initial copy.
+ * If we do not send out messages long enough, wal reciever will time out.
+ * Postgres 16 has refactored this code such that keepalive messages are sent during
+ * reordering phase which is above change_cb. So we do not need to send keepalive in
+ * change_cb.
+ */
+#if (PG_VERSION_NUM < PG_VERSION_16)
+static void
+update_replication_progress(LogicalDecodingContext *ctx, bool skipped_xact)
+{
+	static int changes_count = 0;
+
+	/*
+	 * We don't want to try sending a keepalive message after processing each
+	 * change as that can have overhead. Tests revealed that there is no
+	 * noticeable overhead in doing it after continuously processing 100 or so
+	 * changes.
+	 */
+#define CHANGES_THRESHOLD 100
+
+	/*
+	 * After continuously processing CHANGES_THRESHOLD changes, we
+	 * try to send a keepalive message if required.
+	 */
+	if (ctx->end_xact || ++changes_count >= CHANGES_THRESHOLD)
+	{
+#if (PG_VERSION_NUM >= PG_VERSION_15)
+		OutputPluginUpdateProgress(ctx, skipped_xact);
+#else
+		OutputPluginUpdateProgress(ctx);
+#endif
+		changes_count = 0;
+	}
+}
+
+
+#endif
+
 /*
  * shard_split_change_cb function emits the incoming tuple change
  * to the appropriate destination shard.
@@ -108,6 +148,12 @@ shard_split_change_cb(LogicalDecodingContext *ctx, ReorderBufferTXN *txn,
 		return;
 	}
 
+#if (PG_VERSION_NUM < PG_VERSION_16)
+
+	/* Send replication keepalive. */
+	update_replication_progress(ctx, false);
+#endif
+
 	/* check if the relation is publishable.*/
 	if (!is_publishable_relation(relation))
 	{