diff --git a/src/bot.js b/src/bot.js
index 9170e48..a8488f6 100644
--- a/src/bot.js
+++ b/src/bot.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class OcrccBot {
     this.config = botConfig
     this.client = matrix.createClient(this.config.MATRIX_SERVER_URL);
     this.joinedRooms = [];
+    this.inactivityTimers = {};
   }
 
   createLocalStorage() {
@@ -178,12 +179,20 @@ class OcrccBot {
 
   handleMessageEvent(event) {
     const content = event.getContent();
+    const sender = event.getSender()
+    const roomId = event.getRoomId();
 
     // do nothing if there's no content
     if (!content) {
       return;
     }
 
+    // if it's a chat message and the facilitator has joined, reset the inactivity timeout
+    const facilitatorId = this.localStorage.getItem(`${roomId}-facilitator`)
+    if (Boolean(facilitatorId) && sender !== this.config.BOT_USERID) {
+      this.setInactivityTimeout(roomId)
+    }
+
     // bot commands
     if (content.body.startsWith("!bot")) {
       return this.handleBotCommand(event);
@@ -443,7 +452,7 @@ class OcrccBot {
             const notification = `Incoming support chat at ${chatTime} (room ID: ${roomId})`
             this.sendTextMessage(this.config.FACILITATOR_ROOM_ID, notification);
             this.inviteFacilitators(room.roomId)
-            this.setTimeoutforFacilitators(room.roomId)
+            this.setTimeoutforFacilitator(room.roomId)
           }
         } catch(err) {
           logger.log("error", "ERROR JOINING ROOM => " + err)
@@ -580,7 +589,7 @@ class OcrccBot {
     })
   }
 
-  setTimeoutforFacilitators(roomId) {
+  setTimeoutforFacilitator(roomId) {
     setTimeout(() => {
       const stillWaiting = this.localStorage.getItem(`${roomId}-waiting`)
       if (stillWaiting) {
@@ -589,6 +598,24 @@ class OcrccBot {
     }, this.config.MAX_WAIT_TIME)
   }
 
+  setInactivityTimeout(roomId) {
+    const oldTimeout = this.inactivityTimers[roomId];
+
+    if (oldTimeout) {
+      clearTimeout(oldTimeout);
+    }
+
+    const newTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      this.sendTextMessage(
+        roomId,
+        `This chat has been closed due to inactivity.`
+      );
+      this.sendBotSignal(roomId, BOT_SIGNAL_END_CHAT)
+    }, this.config.MAX_INACTIVE)
+
+    this.inactivityTimers[roomId] = newTimeout;
+  }
+
   async setMessageListeners() {
     // encrypted messages
     this.client.on("Event.decrypted", (event, err) => {
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index a05c188..450e1b6 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const {
   CAPTURE_TRANSCRIPTS,
   CHAT_NOT_AVAILABLE_MESSAGE,
   MAX_WAIT_TIME,
+  MAX_INACTIVE,
 } = process.env;
 
 const botConfig = {
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ const botConfig = {
   CAPTURE_TRANSCRIPTS,
   CHAT_NOT_AVAILABLE_MESSAGE,
   MAX_WAIT_TIME,
+  MAX_INACTIVE,
 }
 
 import OcrccBot from './bot'