diff --git a/src/interfaces/libpq/fe-connect.c b/src/interfaces/libpq/fe-connect.c
index 360d9a45476..e69a5f5be3c 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/libpq/fe-connect.c
+++ b/src/interfaces/libpq/fe-connect.c
@@ -2168,14 +2168,14 @@ connectFailureMessage(PGconn *conn, int errorno)
 static int
 useKeepalives(PGconn *conn)
 {
-	char	   *ep;
 	int			val;
 
 	if (conn->keepalives == NULL)
 		return 1;
-	val = strtol(conn->keepalives, &ep, 10);
-	if (*ep)
+
+	if (!pqParseIntParam(conn->keepalives, &val, conn, "keepalives"))
 		return -1;
+
 	return val != 0 ? 1 : 0;
 }
 
@@ -3083,7 +3083,7 @@ keep_going:						/* We will come back to here until there is
 
 						if (usekeepalives < 0)
 						{
-							libpq_append_conn_error(conn, "keepalives parameter must be an integer");
+							/* error is already reported */
 							err = 1;
 						}
 						else if (usekeepalives == 0)