diff --git a/tests/cel/clientsettingspolicy_test.go b/tests/cel/clientsettingspolicy_test.go
index 00833b39aa..7e7ea5c4b1 100644
--- a/tests/cel/clientsettingspolicy_test.go
+++ b/tests/cel/clientsettingspolicy_test.go
@@ -10,14 +10,17 @@ import (
 	gatewayv1alpha2 "sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api/apis/v1alpha2"
 
 	ngfAPIv1alpha1 "github.com/nginx/nginx-gateway-fabric/v2/apis/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/nginx/nginx-gateway-fabric/v2/internal/framework/helpers"
 	"github.com/nginx/nginx-gateway-fabric/v2/tests/framework"
 )
 
 func TestClientSettingsPoliciesTargetRefKind(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	g := NewWithT(t)
+
 	k8sClient, err := getKubernetesClient(t)
 	g.Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
 	tests := []struct {
 		policySpec ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientSettingsPolicySpec
 		name       string
@@ -83,8 +86,10 @@ func TestClientSettingsPoliciesTargetRefKind(t *testing.T) {
 func TestClientSettingsPoliciesTargetRefGroup(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	g := NewWithT(t)
+
 	k8sClient, err := getKubernetesClient(t)
 	g.Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
 	tests := []struct {
 		policySpec ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientSettingsPolicySpec
 		name       string
@@ -129,6 +134,68 @@ func TestClientSettingsPoliciesTargetRefGroup(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestClientSettingsPoliciesKeepAliveTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	g := NewWithT(t)
+
+	k8sClient, err := getKubernetesClient(t)
+	g.Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		policySpec ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientSettingsPolicySpec
+		name       string
+		wantErrors []string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Validate KeepAliveTimeout is not set",
+			policySpec: ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientSettingsPolicySpec{
+				TargetRef: gatewayv1alpha2.LocalPolicyTargetReference{
+					Kind:  gatewayKind,
+					Group: gatewayGroup,
+				},
+				KeepAlive: nil,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Validate KeepAlive is set",
+			policySpec: ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientSettingsPolicySpec{
+				TargetRef: gatewayv1alpha2.LocalPolicyTargetReference{
+					Kind:  gatewayKind,
+					Group: gatewayGroup,
+				},
+				KeepAlive: &ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientKeepAlive{
+					Timeout: &ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientKeepAliveTimeout{
+						Server: helpers.GetPointer[ngfAPIv1alpha1.Duration]("5s"),
+						Header: helpers.GetPointer[ngfAPIv1alpha1.Duration]("2s"),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "Validate Header cannot be set without Server",
+			wantErrors: []string{expectedHeaderWithoutServerError},
+			policySpec: ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientSettingsPolicySpec{
+				TargetRef: gatewayv1alpha2.LocalPolicyTargetReference{
+					Kind:  gatewayKind,
+					Group: gatewayGroup,
+				},
+				KeepAlive: &ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientKeepAlive{
+					Timeout: &ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientKeepAliveTimeout{
+						Header: helpers.GetPointer[ngfAPIv1alpha1.Duration]("2s"),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			validateClientSettingsPolicy(t, tt, g, k8sClient)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func validateClientSettingsPolicy(t *testing.T, tt struct {
 	policySpec ngfAPIv1alpha1.ClientSettingsPolicySpec
 	name       string
diff --git a/tests/cel/common.go b/tests/cel/common.go
index e7b969c3a6..2f25b1f7af 100644
--- a/tests/cel/common.go
+++ b/tests/cel/common.go
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ const (
 )
 
 const (
-	expectedTargetRefKindError  = `TargetRef Kind must be one of: Gateway, HTTPRoute, or GRPCRoute`
-	expectedTargetRefGroupError = `TargetRef Group must be gateway.networking.k8s.io.`
+	expectedTargetRefKindError       = `TargetRef Kind must be one of: Gateway, HTTPRoute, or GRPCRoute`
+	expectedTargetRefGroupError      = `TargetRef Group must be gateway.networking.k8s.io.`
+	expectedHeaderWithoutServerError = `header can only be specified if server is specified`
 )
 
 const (