diff --git a/include/AMQPcpp.h b/include/AMQPcpp.h
index 1d7ba68..e452fba 100644
--- a/include/AMQPcpp.h
+++ b/include/AMQPcpp.h
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ class AMQP {
 		AMQP();
 		AMQP(std::string cnnStr, bool use_ssl_=false,
 				std::string cacert_path_="", std::string client_cert_path_="", std::string client_key_path_="",
-				bool verify_peer_=false, bool verify_hostname_=false);
+				bool verify_peer_=false, bool verify_hostname_=false, int heartbeat = 0);
 		~AMQP();
 
 		AMQPExchange * createExchange();
@@ -309,12 +309,12 @@ class AMQP {
 	private:
 		void init(enum AMQPProto_e proto);
 		void initDefault(enum AMQPProto_e proto);
-		void connect();
+		void connect(int heartbeat = 0);
 		void parseCnnString(std::string cnnString );
 		void parseHostPort(std::string hostPortString );
 		void parseUserStr(std::string userString );
 		void sockConnect();
-		void login();
+		void login(int heartbeat);
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/AMQP.cpp b/src/AMQP.cpp
index 459e30f..482c963 100644
--- a/src/AMQP.cpp
+++ b/src/AMQP.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ AMQP::AMQP() {
 
 AMQP::AMQP(string cnnStr, bool use_ssl_,
 		string cacert_path_, string client_cert_path_, string client_key_path_,
-		bool verify_peer_, bool verify_hostname_) {
+		bool verify_peer_, bool verify_hostname_, int heartbeat) {
 	use_ssl = use_ssl_;
 	proto = SET_AMQP_PROTO_BY_SSL_USAGE(use_ssl);
 	cacert_path = cacert_path_;
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ AMQP::AMQP(string cnnStr, bool use_ssl_,
 
 	AMQP::init(proto);
 	AMQP::parseCnnString(cnnStr);
-	AMQP::connect();
+	AMQP::connect(heartbeat);
 };
 
 AMQP::~AMQP() {
@@ -159,9 +159,9 @@ void AMQP::parseHostPort(string hostPortString ) {
 	}
 }
 
-void AMQP::connect() {
+void AMQP::connect(int heartbeat) {
 	AMQP::sockConnect();
-	AMQP::login();
+	AMQP::login(heartbeat);
 }
 
 void AMQP::printConnect() {
@@ -220,8 +220,8 @@ void AMQP::sockConnect() {
 	}
 }
 
-void AMQP::login() {
-	amqp_rpc_reply_t res = amqp_login(cnn, vhost.c_str(), 0, FRAME_MAX, 0, AMQP_SASL_METHOD_PLAIN, user.c_str(), password.c_str());
+void AMQP::login(int heartbeat) {
+	amqp_rpc_reply_t res = amqp_login(cnn, vhost.c_str(), 0, FRAME_MAX, heartbeat, AMQP_SASL_METHOD_PLAIN, user.c_str(), password.c_str());
 	if ( res.reply_type != AMQP_RESPONSE_NORMAL) {
 		const AMQPException exception(&res);
 		amqp_destroy_connection(cnn);