diff --git a/lib/connection.js b/lib/connection.js
index 6cf19f73..17c10dfc 100644
--- a/lib/connection.js
+++ b/lib/connection.js
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ Connection.prototype.addAllListeners = function() {
 
 Connection.prototype.heartbeat = function () {
   if(this.socket.writable) this.write(new Buffer([8,0,0,0,0,0,0,206]));
+  else this.emit('heartbeat_fail');
 };
 
 // connection.exchange('my-exchange', { type: 'topic' });
diff --git a/test/test-heartbeats-fail.js b/test/test-heartbeats-fail.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d5052168
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-heartbeats-fail.js
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+global.options = { heartbeat: 1 };
+
+require('./harness').run();
+
+var isClosed = false, q;
+
+setTimeout(function() {
+  assert.ok(!isClosed);
+  setTimeout(function() {
+    connection.disconnect()
+    setTimeout(function() {
+      connection.options['heartbeat'] = 0;
+    }, 2000);
+  }, 2000);
+}, 1000);
+
+connection.on('heartbeat', function() {
+  puts(" <- heartbeat");
+});
+connection.on('heartbeat_fail', function() {
+  assert.ok(isClosed);
+  puts(" <- heartbeat_fail");
+  connection.reconnect()
+});
+connection.on('close', function() {
+  puts("closed");
+  isClosed = true;
+});
+connection.addListener('ready', function () {
+  puts("connected to " + connection.serverProperties.product);
+
+  q = connection.queue('node-test-heartbeat', {autoDelete: true});
+  q.on('queueDeclareOk', function (args) {
+    puts('queue opened.');
+    assert.equal(0, args.messageCount);
+    assert.equal(0, args.consumerCount);
+
+    q.bind("#");
+    q.subscribe(function(json) {
+      // We should not be subscribed to the queue, the heartbeat will peter out before.
+      assert.ok(false);
+    });
+  });
+});
\ No newline at end of file