diff --git a/examples/async_insert.ts b/examples/async_insert.ts
index 7fc8f7ef..fea45911 100644
--- a/examples/async_insert.ts
+++ b/examples/async_insert.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { ClickHouseError } from '@clickhouse/client-common' // or '@clickhouse/c
 // See https://clickhouse.com/docs/en/optimize/asynchronous-inserts
 void (async () => {
   const client = createClient({
-    host: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_HOST'], // defaults to 'http://localhost:8123'
+    url: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_URL'], // defaults to 'http://localhost:8123'
     password: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD'], // defaults to an empty string
     max_open_connections: 10,
     clickhouse_settings: {
diff --git a/examples/async_insert_without_waiting.ts b/examples/async_insert_without_waiting.ts
index 9f656795..75ee1a64 100644
--- a/examples/async_insert_without_waiting.ts
+++ b/examples/async_insert_without_waiting.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { EventEmitter } from 'events'
 // See https://clickhouse.com/docs/en/optimize/asynchronous-inserts
 void (async () => {
   const client = createClient({
-    host: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_HOST'], // defaults to 'http://localhost:8123'
+    url: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_URL'], // defaults to 'http://localhost:8123'
     password: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD'], // defaults to an empty string
     max_open_connections: 10,
     clickhouse_settings: {
diff --git a/examples/ping.ts b/examples/ping.ts
index d159fefe..8fa36250 100644
--- a/examples/ping.ts
+++ b/examples/ping.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ void (async () => {
 
 async function existingHostPing() {
   const client = createClient({
-    host: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_HOST'], // defaults to 'http://localhost:8123'
+    url: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_URL'], // defaults to 'http://localhost:8123'
     password: process.env['CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD'], // defaults to an empty string
   })
   const pingResult = await client.ping()
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ async function existingHostPing() {
 
 async function nonExistingHostPing() {
   const client = createClient({
-    host: 'http://localhost:8100', // non-existing host
+    url: 'http://localhost:8100', // non-existing host
     request_timeout: 50, // low request_timeout to speed up the example
   })
   // Ping does not throw an error; instead, { success: false; error: Error } is returned.
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ async function nonExistingHostPing() {
 async function timeoutPing() {
   const server = startSlowHTTPServer()
   const client = createClient({
-    host: 'http://localhost:18123',
+    url: 'http://localhost:18123',
     request_timeout: 50, // low request_timeout to speed up the example
   })
   // Ping does not throw an error; instead, { success: false; error: Error } is returned.
diff --git a/packages/client-common/src/client.ts b/packages/client-common/src/client.ts
index 6f3542bc..0a6771f2 100644
--- a/packages/client-common/src/client.ts
+++ b/packages/client-common/src/client.ts
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ export type InsertResult = {
   /**
    * Indicates whether the INSERT statement was executed on the server.
    * Will be `false` if there was no data to insert.
-   * For example: if {@link InsertParams.values} was an empty array,
+   * For example, if {@link InsertParams.values} was an empty array,
    * the client does not send any requests to the server, and {@link executed} is false.
    */
   executed: boolean
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ export type InsertResult = {
   WithResponseHeaders
 
 export type ExecResult<Stream> = ConnExecResult<Stream>
-export type PingResult = ConnPingResult
 
 /** {@link except} field contains a non-empty list of columns to exclude when generating `(* EXCEPT (...))` clause */
 export interface InsertColumnsExcept {
@@ -145,6 +144,19 @@ export interface InsertParams<Stream = unknown, T = unknown>
   columns?: NonEmptyArray<string> | InsertColumnsExcept
 }
 
+/** Parameters for the health-check request - using the built-in `/ping` endpoint. */
+export type PingParamsWithEndpoint = { select: false } & Pick<
+  BaseQueryParams,
+  'abort_signal' | 'http_headers'
+>
+/** Parameters for the health-check request - using a SELECT query. */
+export type PingParamsWithSelectQuery = { select: true } & Omit<
+  BaseQueryParams,
+  'query_params'
+>
+export type PingParams = PingParamsWithEndpoint | PingParamsWithSelectQuery
+export type PingResult = ConnPingResult
+
 export class ClickHouseClient<Stream = unknown> {
   private readonly clientClickHouseSettings: ClickHouseSettings
   private readonly connectionParams: ConnectionParams
@@ -221,7 +233,7 @@ export class ClickHouseClient<Stream = unknown> {
   /**
    * It should be used for statements that do not have any output,
    * when the format clause is not applicable, or when you are not interested in the response at all.
-   * Response stream is destroyed immediately as we do not expect useful information there.
+   * The response stream is destroyed immediately as we do not expect useful information there.
    * Examples of such statements are DDLs or custom inserts.
    *
    * @note if you have a custom query that does not work with {@link ClickHouseClient.query},
@@ -284,11 +296,16 @@ export class ClickHouseClient<Stream = unknown> {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Health-check request. It does not throw if an error occurs -
-   * the error is returned inside the result object.
+   * A health-check request. It does not throw if an error occurs - the error is returned inside the result object.
+   *
+   * By default, Node.js version uses the built-in `/ping` endpoint, which does not verify credentials.
+   * Optionally, it can be switched to a `SELECT` query (see {@link PingParamsWithSelectQuery}).
+   * In that case, the server will verify the credentials.
+   *
+   * **NOTE**: Since the `/ping` endpoint does not support CORS, the Web version always uses a `SELECT` query.
    */
-  async ping(): Promise<PingResult> {
-    return await this.connection.ping()
+  async ping(params?: PingParams): Promise<PingResult> {
+    return await this.connection.ping(params ?? { select: false })
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/client-common/src/connection.ts b/packages/client-common/src/connection.ts
index 3fb1bdb1..24dcb859 100644
--- a/packages/client-common/src/connection.ts
+++ b/packages/client-common/src/connection.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ export interface ConnBaseQueryParams {
   http_headers?: Record<string, string>
 }
 
+export type ConnPingParams = { select: boolean } & Omit<
+  ConnBaseQueryParams,
+  'query' | 'query_params'
+>
+
 export interface ConnInsertParams<Stream> extends ConnBaseQueryParams {
   values: string | Stream
 }
@@ -72,10 +77,10 @@ export type ConnPingResult =
 export type ConnOperation = 'Ping' | 'Query' | 'Insert' | 'Exec' | 'Command'
 
 export interface Connection<Stream> {
-  ping(): Promise<ConnPingResult>
-  close(): Promise<void>
+  ping(params: ConnPingParams): Promise<ConnPingResult>
   query(params: ConnBaseQueryParams): Promise<ConnQueryResult<Stream>>
   insert(params: ConnInsertParams<Stream>): Promise<ConnInsertResult>
-  exec(params: ConnExecParams<Stream>): Promise<ConnExecResult<Stream>>
   command(params: ConnBaseQueryParams): Promise<ConnCommandResult>
+  exec(params: ConnExecParams<Stream>): Promise<ConnExecResult<Stream>>
+  close(): Promise<void>
 }
diff --git a/packages/client-common/src/index.ts b/packages/client-common/src/index.ts
index 4812a178..2e476a5b 100644
--- a/packages/client-common/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/client-common/src/index.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ export {
   type ExecResult,
   type InsertResult,
   type PingResult,
+  type PingParams,
+  type PingParamsWithSelectQuery,
+  type PingParamsWithEndpoint,
 } from './client'
 export { type BaseClickHouseClientConfigOptions } from './config'
 export type {
@@ -127,6 +130,7 @@ export type {
   ConnPingResult,
   ConnCommandResult,
   ConnOperation,
+  ConnPingParams,
 } from './connection'
 export type { QueryParamsWithFormat } from './client'
 export type { IsSame } from './ts_utils'
diff --git a/packages/client-common/src/utils/url.ts b/packages/client-common/src/utils/url.ts
index 00960335..a33c4f26 100644
--- a/packages/client-common/src/utils/url.ts
+++ b/packages/client-common/src/utils/url.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export function transformUrl({
 }
 
 type ToSearchParamsOptions = {
-  database: string
+  database: string | undefined
   clickhouse_settings?: ClickHouseSettings
   query_params?: Record<string, unknown>
   query?: string
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export function toSearchParams({
     }
   }
 
-  if (database !== 'default') {
+  if (database !== undefined && database !== 'default') {
     params.set('database', database)
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/client-node/__tests__/integration/node_logger_support.test.ts b/packages/client-node/__tests__/integration/node_logger_support.test.ts
index 701a4f52..6a0b97db 100644
--- a/packages/client-node/__tests__/integration/node_logger_support.test.ts
+++ b/packages/client-node/__tests__/integration/node_logger_support.test.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ describe('[Node.js] logger support', () => {
         },
       })
       await client.ping()
-      // logs[0] are about current log level
+      // logs[0] are about the current log level
       expect(logs[1]).toEqual(
         jasmine.objectContaining({
           message: 'Ping: got a response from ClickHouse',
diff --git a/packages/client-node/__tests__/integration/node_ping.test.ts b/packages/client-node/__tests__/integration/node_ping.test.ts
index a4f72e9d..3877c068 100644
--- a/packages/client-node/__tests__/integration/node_ping.test.ts
+++ b/packages/client-node/__tests__/integration/node_ping.test.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
-import type { ClickHouseClient } from '@clickhouse/client-common'
+import type {
+  ClickHouseClient,
+  ClickHouseError,
+} from '@clickhouse/client-common'
 import { createTestClient } from '@test/utils'
 
 describe('[Node.js] ping', () => {
   let client: ClickHouseClient
+
   afterEach(async () => {
     await client.close()
   })
+
   it('does not swallow a client error', async () => {
     client = createTestClient({
       url: 'http://localhost:3333',
@@ -20,4 +25,29 @@ describe('[Node.js] ping', () => {
       }),
     )
   })
+
+  it('ignores credentials by default', async () => {
+    client = createTestClient({
+      username: 'wrong',
+    })
+    const response = await client.ping()
+    expect(response.success).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('checks credentials when select query mode is enabled', async () => {
+    client = createTestClient({
+      username: 'wrong',
+    })
+    const response = await client.ping({
+      select: true,
+    })
+    expect(response.success).toBe(false)
+
+    const err = (response as unknown as { error: ClickHouseError }).error
+    expect(err.code).toEqual('516')
+    expect(err.type).toEqual('AUTHENTICATION_FAILED')
+    expect(err.message).toEqual(
+      jasmine.stringContaining('Authentication failed'),
+    )
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/client-node/src/connection/node_base_connection.ts b/packages/client-node/src/connection/node_base_connection.ts
index 9f2c5027..2728057d 100644
--- a/packages/client-node/src/connection/node_base_connection.ts
+++ b/packages/client-node/src/connection/node_base_connection.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   transformUrl,
   withHttpSettings,
 } from '@clickhouse/client-common'
+import { type ConnPingParams } from '@clickhouse/client-common'
 import crypto from 'crypto'
 import type Http from 'http'
 import type * as net from 'net'
@@ -107,34 +108,59 @@ export abstract class NodeBaseConnection
     this.idleSocketTTL = params.keep_alive.idle_socket_ttl
   }
 
-  async ping(): Promise<ConnPingResult> {
-    const abortController = new AbortController()
+  async ping(params: ConnPingParams): Promise<ConnPingResult> {
+    const query_id = this.getQueryId(params.query_id)
+    const { controller, controllerCleanup } = this.getAbortController(params)
+    let result: RequestResult
     try {
-      const { stream } = await this.request(
-        {
-          method: 'GET',
-          url: transformUrl({ url: this.params.url, pathname: '/ping' }),
-          abort_signal: abortController.signal,
-          headers: this.buildRequestHeaders(),
-          query: 'ping',
-        },
-        'Ping',
-      )
-      await drainStream(stream)
+      if (params.select) {
+        const searchParams = toSearchParams({
+          database: undefined,
+          query: PingQuery,
+          query_id,
+        })
+        result = await this.request(
+          {
+            method: 'GET',
+            url: transformUrl({ url: this.params.url, searchParams }),
+            query: PingQuery,
+            abort_signal: controller.signal,
+            headers: this.buildRequestHeaders(),
+          },
+          'Ping',
+        )
+      } else {
+        result = await this.request(
+          {
+            method: 'GET',
+            url: transformUrl({ url: this.params.url, pathname: '/ping' }),
+            abort_signal: controller.signal,
+            headers: this.buildRequestHeaders(),
+            query: 'ping',
+          },
+          'Ping',
+        )
+      }
+      await drainStream(result.stream)
       return { success: true }
     } catch (error) {
       // it is used to ensure that the outgoing request is terminated,
       // and we don't get unhandled error propagation later
-      abortController.abort('Ping failed')
+      controller.abort('Ping failed')
       // not an error, as this might be semi-expected
       this.logger.warn({
         message: this.httpRequestErrorMessage('Ping'),
         err: error as Error,
+        args: {
+          query_id,
+        },
       })
       return {
         success: false,
         error: error as Error, // should NOT be propagated to the user
       }
+    } finally {
+      controllerCleanup()
     }
   }
 
@@ -320,7 +346,7 @@ export abstract class NodeBaseConnection
   }
 
   // a wrapper over the user's Signal to terminate the failed requests
-  private getAbortController(params: ConnBaseQueryParams): {
+  private getAbortController(params: { abort_signal?: AbortSignal }): {
     controller: AbortController
     controllerCleanup: () => void
   } {
@@ -764,3 +790,5 @@ type RunExecParams = ConnBaseQueryParams & {
   values?: ConnExecParams<Stream.Readable>['values']
   decompress_response_stream?: boolean
 }
+
+const PingQuery = `SELECT 'ping'`
diff --git a/packages/client-web/__tests__/integration/web_ping.test.ts b/packages/client-web/__tests__/integration/web_ping.test.ts
index 79558eee..38d78ee8 100644
--- a/packages/client-web/__tests__/integration/web_ping.test.ts
+++ b/packages/client-web/__tests__/integration/web_ping.test.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
-import type { ClickHouseClient } from '@clickhouse/client-common'
+import type {
+  ClickHouseClient,
+  ClickHouseError,
+} from '@clickhouse/client-common'
 import { createTestClient } from '@test/utils'
 
 describe('[Web] ping', () => {
   let client: ClickHouseClient
+
   afterEach(async () => {
     await client.close()
   })
+
   it('does not swallow a client error', async () => {
     client = createTestClient({
       url: 'http://localhost:3333',
@@ -21,4 +26,21 @@ describe('[Web] ping', () => {
       }),
     )
   })
+
+  it('checks credentials by default', async () => {
+    client = createTestClient({
+      username: 'wrong',
+    })
+    const response = await client.ping({
+      select: false, // ignored
+    })
+    expect(response.success).toBe(false)
+
+    const err = (response as unknown as { error: ClickHouseError }).error
+    expect(err.code).toEqual('516')
+    expect(err.type).toEqual('AUTHENTICATION_FAILED')
+    expect(err.message).toEqual(
+      jasmine.stringContaining('Authentication failed'),
+    )
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/client-web/src/connection/web_connection.ts b/packages/client-web/src/connection/web_connection.ts
index 9925563b..e6c94c37 100644
--- a/packages/client-web/src/connection/web_connection.ts
+++ b/packages/client-web/src/connection/web_connection.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export class WebConnection implements Connection<ReadableStream> {
       query_id,
     })
     const response = await this.request({
-      values: params.query,
+      body: params.query,
       params,
       searchParams,
     })
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ export class WebConnection implements Connection<ReadableStream> {
       query_id,
     })
     const response = await this.request({
-      values: params.values,
+      body: params.values,
       params,
       searchParams,
     })
@@ -123,7 +123,13 @@ export class WebConnection implements Connection<ReadableStream> {
     // so we are using a simple SELECT as a workaround
     try {
       const response = await this.request({
-        values: 'SELECT 1 FORMAT CSV',
+        body: null,
+        searchParams: toSearchParams({
+          database: undefined,
+          query: `SELECT 'ping'`,
+          query_id: getQueryId(undefined),
+        }),
+        method: 'GET',
       })
       if (response.body !== null) {
         await response.body.cancel()
@@ -145,13 +151,13 @@ export class WebConnection implements Connection<ReadableStream> {
   }
 
   private async request({
-    values,
+    body,
     params,
     searchParams,
     pathname,
     method,
   }: {
-    values: string | null
+    body: string | null
     params?: ConnBaseQueryParams
     searchParams?: URLSearchParams
     pathname?: string
@@ -191,7 +197,7 @@ export class WebConnection implements Connection<ReadableStream> {
       // avoiding "fetch called on an object that does not implement interface Window" error
       const fetchFn = this.params.fetch ?? fetch
       const response = await fetchFn(url, {
-        body: values,
+        body,
         headers,
         keepalive: this.params.keep_alive.enabled,
         method: method ?? 'POST',
@@ -235,7 +241,7 @@ export class WebConnection implements Connection<ReadableStream> {
       query_id,
     })
     const response = await this.request({
-      values: params.query,
+      body: params.query,
       params,
       searchParams,
     })