diff --git a/nomad/client_endpoint.go b/nomad/client_endpoint.go
index 229a7ec31..1860b49cd 100644
--- a/nomad/client_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/client_endpoint.go
@@ -61,6 +61,16 @@ func (c *ClientEndpoint) Register(args *structs.NodeRegisterRequest, reply *stru
 		reply.EvalCreateIndex = evalIndex
 	}
 
+	// Check if we need to setup a heartbeat
+	if !args.Node.TerminalStatus() {
+		ttl, err := c.srv.resetHeartbeatTimer(args.Node.ID)
+		if err != nil {
+			c.srv.logger.Printf("[ERR] nomad.client: heartbeat reset failed: %v", err)
+			return err
+		}
+		reply.HeartbeatTTL = ttl
+	}
+
 	// Set the reply index
 	reply.Index = index
 	return nil
@@ -86,6 +96,9 @@ func (c *ClientEndpoint) Deregister(args *structs.NodeDeregisterRequest, reply *
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Clear the heartbeat timer if any
+	c.srv.clearHeartbeatTimer(args.NodeID)
+
 	// Create the evaluations for this node
 	evalIDs, evalIndex, err := c.createNodeEvals(args.NodeID, index)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/nomad/heartbeat.go b/nomad/heartbeat.go
index 60a2c7076..3ecd37c4c 100644
--- a/nomad/heartbeat.go
+++ b/nomad/heartbeat.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const (
 	// defaultHeartbeatTTL is the TTL value used for heartbeats
 	// when they are first initialized. This should be longer than
 	// the usual TTL since clients are switching to a new leader.
-	defaultHeartbeatTTL = 120 * time.Second
+	defaultHeartbeatTTL = 300 * time.Second
 
 	// minHeartbeatTTL is the minimum heartbeat interval.
 	minHeartbeatTTL = 15 * time.Second
diff --git a/nomad/heartbeat_test.go b/nomad/heartbeat_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c6086a9a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nomad/heartbeat_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,271 @@
+package nomad
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/net-rpc-msgpackrpc"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/mock"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/testutil"
+)
+
+func TestInitializeHeartbeatTimers(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	node := mock.Node()
+	state := s1.fsm.State()
+	err := state.RegisterNode(1, node)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Reset the heartbeat timers
+	err = s1.initializeHeartbeatTimers()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Check that we have a timer
+	_, ok := s1.heartbeatTimers[node.ID]
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("missing heartbeat timer")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResetHeartbeatTimer(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	// Create a new timer
+	ttl, err := s1.resetHeartbeatTimer("test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+	if ttl != minHeartbeatTTL {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", ttl)
+	}
+
+	// Check that we have a timer
+	_, ok := s1.heartbeatTimers["test"]
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("missing heartbeat timer")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResetHeartbeatTimerLocked(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Lock()
+	s1.resetHeartbeatTimerLocked("foo", 5*time.Millisecond)
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Unlock()
+
+	if _, ok := s1.heartbeatTimers["foo"]; !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("missing timer")
+	}
+
+	time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	if _, ok := s1.heartbeatTimers["foo"]; ok {
+		t.Fatalf("timer should be gone")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResetHeartbeatTimerLocked_Renew(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Lock()
+	s1.resetHeartbeatTimerLocked("foo", 5*time.Millisecond)
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Unlock()
+
+	if _, ok := s1.heartbeatTimers["foo"]; !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("missing timer")
+	}
+
+	time.Sleep(2 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Renew the heartbeat
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Lock()
+	s1.resetHeartbeatTimerLocked("foo", 5*time.Millisecond)
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Unlock()
+	renew := time.Now()
+
+	// Watch for invalidation
+	for time.Now().Sub(renew) < 20*time.Millisecond {
+		s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Lock()
+		_, ok := s1.heartbeatTimers["foo"]
+		s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Unlock()
+		if !ok {
+			end := time.Now()
+			if diff := end.Sub(renew); diff < 5*time.Millisecond {
+				t.Fatalf("early invalidate %v", diff)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
+	}
+	t.Fatalf("should have expired")
+}
+
+func TestInvalidateHeartbeat(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	// Create a node
+	node := mock.Node()
+	state := s1.fsm.State()
+	err := state.RegisterNode(1, node)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// This should cause a status update
+	s1.invalidateHeartbeat(node.ID)
+
+	// Check it is updated
+	out, err := state.GetNodeByID(node.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !out.TerminalStatus() {
+		t.Fatalf("should update node: %#v", out)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestClearHeartbeatTimer(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Lock()
+	s1.resetHeartbeatTimerLocked("foo", 5*time.Millisecond)
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Unlock()
+
+	err := s1.clearHeartbeatTimer("foo")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := s1.heartbeatTimers["foo"]; ok {
+		t.Fatalf("timer should be gone")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestClearAllHeartbeatTimers(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Lock()
+	s1.resetHeartbeatTimerLocked("foo", 10*time.Millisecond)
+	s1.resetHeartbeatTimerLocked("bar", 10*time.Millisecond)
+	s1.resetHeartbeatTimerLocked("baz", 10*time.Millisecond)
+	s1.heartbeatTimersLock.Unlock()
+
+	err := s1.clearAllHeartbeatTimers()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(s1.heartbeatTimers) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("timers should be gone")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestServer_HeartbeatTTL_Failover(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+
+	s2 := testServer(t, func(c *Config) {
+		c.DevDisableBootstrap = true
+	})
+	defer s2.Shutdown()
+
+	s3 := testServer(t, func(c *Config) {
+		c.DevDisableBootstrap = true
+	})
+	defer s3.Shutdown()
+	servers := []*Server{s1, s2, s3}
+	testJoin(t, s1, s2, s3)
+
+	testutil.WaitForResult(func() (bool, error) {
+		peers, _ := s1.raftPeers.Peers()
+		return len(peers) == 3, nil
+	}, func(err error) {
+		t.Fatalf("should have 3 peers")
+	})
+
+	// Find the leader
+	var leader *Server
+	for _, s := range servers {
+		// Check that s.heartbeatTimers is empty
+		if len(s.heartbeatTimers) != 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("should have no heartbeatTimers")
+		}
+		// Find the leader too
+		if s.IsLeader() {
+			leader = s
+		}
+	}
+	if leader == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Should have a leader")
+	}
+	codec := rpcClient(t, leader)
+
+	// Create the register request
+	node := mock.Node()
+	req := &structs.NodeRegisterRequest{
+		Node:         node,
+		WriteRequest: structs.WriteRequest{Region: "region1"},
+	}
+
+	// Fetch the response
+	var resp structs.GenericResponse
+	if err := msgpackrpc.CallWithCodec(codec, "Client.Register", req, &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Check that heartbeatTimers has the heartbeat ID
+	if _, ok := leader.heartbeatTimers[node.ID]; !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("missing heartbeat timer")
+	}
+
+	// Shutdown the leader!
+	leader.Shutdown()
+
+	// heartbeatTimers should be cleared on leader shutdown
+	if len(leader.heartbeatTimers) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("heartbeat timers should be empty on the shutdown leader")
+	}
+
+	// Find the new leader
+	testutil.WaitForResult(func() (bool, error) {
+		leader = nil
+		for _, s := range servers {
+			if s.IsLeader() {
+				leader = s
+			}
+		}
+		if leader == nil {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("Should have a new leader")
+		}
+
+		// Ensure heartbeat timer is restored
+		if _, ok := leader.heartbeatTimers[node.ID]; !ok {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("missing heartbeat timer")
+		}
+
+		return true, nil
+	}, func(err error) {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs.go b/nomad/structs/structs.go
index 18f4fc243..e0df1b337 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs.go
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ type JobDeregisterResponse struct {
 
 // NodeUpdateResponse is used to respond to a node update
 type NodeUpdateResponse struct {
+	HeartbeatTTL    time.Duration
 	EvalIDs         []string
 	EvalCreateIndex uint64
 	NodeModifyIndex uint64