diff --git a/html_orig/js/app.js b/html_orig/js/app.js
index d9adf7a..8b344cb 100644
--- a/html_orig/js/app.js
+++ b/html_orig/js/app.js
@@ -1910,6 +1910,7 @@ var Screen = (function () {
 /** Handle connections */
 var Conn = (function() {
 	var ws;
+	var heartbeatTout;
 
 	function onOpen(evt) {
 		console.log("CONNECTED");
@@ -1926,9 +1927,13 @@ var Conn = (function() {
 
 	function onMessage(evt) {
 		try {
-			//console.log("RX: ", evt.data);
-			// Assume all our messages are screen updates
-			Screen.load(evt.data);
+			// . = heartbeat
+			if (evt.data != '.') {
+				//console.log("RX: ", evt.data);
+				// Assume all our messages are screen updates
+				Screen.load(evt.data);
+			}
+			heartbeat();
 		} catch(e) {
 			console.error(e);
 		}
@@ -1949,6 +1954,8 @@ var Conn = (function() {
 	}
 
 	function init() {
+		heartbeat();
+
 		ws = new WebSocket("ws://"+_root+"/term/update.ws");
 		ws.onopen = onOpen;
 		ws.onclose = onClose;
@@ -1961,11 +1968,22 @@ var Conn = (function() {
 			if (status !== 200) location.reload(true);
 			console.log("Data received!");
 			Screen.load(resp);
+			heartbeat();
 
 			showPage();
 		});
 	}
 
+	function heartbeat() {
+		clearTimeout(heartbeatTout);
+		heartbeatTout = setTimeout(heartbeatFail, 3000);
+	}
+
+	function heartbeatFail() {
+		console.error("Heartbeat lost, reloading...");
+		location.reload();
+	}
+
 	return {
 		ws: null,
 		init: init,
diff --git a/html_orig/jssrc/term.js b/html_orig/jssrc/term.js
index 02428fd..711010f 100644
--- a/html_orig/jssrc/term.js
+++ b/html_orig/jssrc/term.js
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@ var Screen = (function () {
 /** Handle connections */
 var Conn = (function() {
 	var ws;
+	var heartbeatTout;
 
 	function onOpen(evt) {
 		console.log("CONNECTED");
@@ -369,9 +370,13 @@ var Conn = (function() {
 
 	function onMessage(evt) {
 		try {
-			//console.log("RX: ", evt.data);
-			// Assume all our messages are screen updates
-			Screen.load(evt.data);
+			// . = heartbeat
+			if (evt.data != '.') {
+				//console.log("RX: ", evt.data);
+				// Assume all our messages are screen updates
+				Screen.load(evt.data);
+			}
+			heartbeat();
 		} catch(e) {
 			console.error(e);
 		}
@@ -392,6 +397,8 @@ var Conn = (function() {
 	}
 
 	function init() {
+		heartbeat();
+
 		ws = new WebSocket("ws://"+_root+"/term/update.ws");
 		ws.onopen = onOpen;
 		ws.onclose = onClose;
@@ -404,11 +411,22 @@ var Conn = (function() {
 			if (status !== 200) location.reload(true);
 			console.log("Data received!");
 			Screen.load(resp);
+			heartbeat();
 
 			showPage();
 		});
 	}
 
+	function heartbeat() {
+		clearTimeout(heartbeatTout);
+		heartbeatTout = setTimeout(heartbeatFail, 3000);
+	}
+
+	function heartbeatFail() {
+		console.error("Heartbeat lost, reloading...");
+		location.reload();
+	}
+
 	return {
 		ws: null,
 		init: init,
diff --git a/user/cgi_sockets.c b/user/cgi_sockets.c
index 889379c..c3a164a 100644
--- a/user/cgi_sockets.c
+++ b/user/cgi_sockets.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ volatile bool notify_cooldown = false;
 static ETSTimer notifyContentTim;
 static ETSTimer notifyLabelsTim;
 static ETSTimer notifyCooldownTim;
+static ETSTimer heartbeatTim;
 
 // we're trying to do a kind of mutex here, without the actual primitives
 // this might glitch, very rarely.
@@ -183,9 +184,18 @@ void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR updateSockRx(Websock *ws, char *data, int len, int flags)
 	}
 }
 
+void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR heartbeatTimCb(void *unused)
+{
+	if (notify_available) {
+		cgiWebsockBroadcast(URL_WS_UPDATE, ".", 1, 0);
+	}
+}
+
 /** Socket connected for updates */
 void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR updateSockConnect(Websock *ws)
 {
 	ws_info("Socket connected to "URL_WS_UPDATE);
 	ws->recvCb = updateSockRx;
+
+	TIMER_START(&heartbeatTim, heartbeatTimCb, 1000, 1);
 }