diff --git a/conf/vanilla/autoload_configs/switch.conf.xml b/conf/vanilla/autoload_configs/switch.conf.xml
index 345a16c19e..ababe548ac 100644
--- a/conf/vanilla/autoload_configs/switch.conf.xml
+++ b/conf/vanilla/autoload_configs/switch.conf.xml
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
     <!-- Minimum idle CPU before refusing calls -->
     <!-- <param name="min-idle-cpu" value="25"/> -->
 
+    <!-- Interval between heartbeat events -->
+    <!-- <param name="event-heartbeat-interval" value="20"/> -->
+
     <!--
 	Max number of sessions to allow at any given time.
 	
diff --git a/src/include/private/switch_core_pvt.h b/src/include/private/switch_core_pvt.h
index 83f93390bb..2807d927e5 100644
--- a/src/include/private/switch_core_pvt.h
+++ b/src/include/private/switch_core_pvt.h
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ struct switch_runtime {
 	int multiple_registrations;
 	uint32_t max_db_handles;
 	uint32_t db_handle_timeout;
+	uint32_t event_heartbeat_interval;
 	int cpu_count;
 	uint32_t time_sync;
 	char *core_db_pre_trans_execute;
diff --git a/src/switch_core.c b/src/switch_core.c
index 185a2f11a5..0b8c51f1f7 100644
--- a/src/switch_core.c
+++ b/src/switch_core.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ SWITCH_STANDARD_SCHED_FUNC(heartbeat_callback)
 	send_heartbeat();
 
 	/* reschedule this task */
-	task->runtime = switch_epoch_time_now(NULL) + 20;
+	task->runtime = switch_epoch_time_now(NULL) + runtime.event_heartbeat_interval;
 }
 
 
@@ -1826,6 +1826,7 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_core_init(switch_core_flag_t flags, switc
 
 	runtime.max_db_handles = 50;
 	runtime.db_handle_timeout = 5000000;
+	runtime.event_heartbeat_interval = 20;
 
 	runtime.runlevel++;
 	runtime.dummy_cng_frame.data = runtime.dummy_data;
@@ -2140,6 +2141,15 @@ static void switch_load_core_config(const char *file)
 						switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "db-handle-timeout must be between 1 and 5000\n");
 					}
 
+				} else if (!strcasecmp(var, "event-heartbeat-interval")) {
+					long tmp = atol(val);
+
+					if (tmp > 0) {
+						runtime.event_heartbeat_interval = (uint32_t) tmp;
+					} else {
+						switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "heartbeat-interval must be a greater than 0\n");
+					}
+
 				} else if (!strcasecmp(var, "multiple-registrations")) {
 					runtime.multiple_registrations = switch_true(val);
 				} else if (!strcasecmp(var, "auto-create-schemas")) {