diff --git a/app/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner.rb b/app/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner.rb
index 363536bacb7..5a0f45d8a20 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner.rb
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ def deliver_queue_message(msg)
     begin
       $_miq_worker_current_msg = msg
       Thread.current[:tracking_label] = msg.tracking_label || msg.task_id
+      heartbeat_message_timeout(msg)
       status, message, result = msg.deliver
 
       if status == MiqQueue::STATUS_TIMEOUT
@@ -155,4 +156,14 @@ def do_work
       deliver_message(msg)
     end
   end
+
+  private
+
+  # Only for file based heartbeating
+  def heartbeat_message_timeout(message)
+    if ENV["WORKER_HEARTBEAT_METHOD"] == "file" && message.msg_timeout
+      timeout = worker_settings[:poll] + message.msg_timeout
+      heartbeat_to_file(timeout)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/miq_server/worker_management/monitor/settings.rb b/app/models/miq_server/worker_management/monitor/settings.rb
index 5b0e347c564..eea8e57ebaa 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_server/worker_management/monitor/settings.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_server/worker_management/monitor/settings.rb
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ def get_worker_poll(worker)
   def get_time_threshold(worker)
     settings = @child_worker_settings[worker.class.settings_name]
 
-    heartbeat_timeout  = settings[:heartbeat_timeout] || 2.minutes
-    starting_timeout   = settings[:starting_timeout] || 10.minutes
+    heartbeat_timeout  = settings[:heartbeat_timeout] || Workers::MiqDefaults.heartbeat_timeout
+    starting_timeout   = settings[:starting_timeout] || Workers::MiqDefaults.starting_timeout
 
     return starting_timeout if MiqWorker::STATUSES_STARTING.include?(worker.status)
 
diff --git a/app/models/miq_worker.rb b/app/models/miq_worker.rb
index f5638acfc69..844819edafb 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_worker.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_worker.rb
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def worker_settings(options = {})
   end
 
   def heartbeat_file
-    @heartbeat_file ||= ENV["WORKER_HEARTBEAT_FILE"] || Rails.root.join("tmp", "#{guid}.hb")
+    @heartbeat_file ||= Workers::MiqDefaults.heartbeat_file(guid)
   end
 
   def self.worker_settings(options = {})
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ def stopping_for_too_long?
     # Note, a 'stopping' worker heartbeats in DRb but NOT to
     # the database, so we can see how long it's been
     # 'stopping' by checking the last_heartbeat.
-    stopping_timeout = self.class.worker_settings[:stopping_timeout] || 10.minutes
+    stopping_timeout = self.class.worker_settings[:stopping_timeout] || Workers::MiqDefaults.stopping_timeout
     status == MiqWorker::STATUS_STOPPING && last_heartbeat < stopping_timeout.seconds.ago
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/miq_worker/runner.rb b/app/models/miq_worker/runner.rb
index dfae1a128d0..36971c80754 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_worker/runner.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_worker/runner.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 require 'miq-process'
 require 'thread'
-require 'fileutils'
 
 class MiqWorker::Runner
   class TemporaryFailure < RuntimeError
@@ -385,8 +384,9 @@ def heartbeat_to_drb
     do_exit("Error heartbeating to MiqServer because #{err.class.name}: #{err.message}", 1)
   end
 
-  def heartbeat_to_file
-    FileUtils.touch(@worker.heartbeat_file)
+  def heartbeat_to_file(timeout = nil)
+    timeout ||= worker_settings[:heartbeat_timeout] || Workers::MiqDefaults.heartbeat_timeout
+    File.write(@worker.heartbeat_file, (Time.now.utc + timeout).to_s)
   end
 
   def do_gc
diff --git a/lib/workers/bin/heartbeat_check.rb b/lib/workers/bin/heartbeat_check.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6659be46123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/workers/bin/heartbeat_check.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+require "optparse"
+
+options = {}
+opt_parser = OptionParser.new do |opts|
+  opts.banner = "usage: #{File.basename($PROGRAM_NAME, '.rb')} [HEARTBEAT_FILE]"
+
+  opts.on("-b=HBFILE", "--heartbeat-file=HBFILE", "Heartbeat file to read (overrides arg val)") do |val|
+    options[:heartbeat_file] = val
+  end
+
+  opts.on("-g=GUID", "--guid=GUID", "Use this guid for finding the heartbeat file") do |val|
+    options[:guid] = val
+  end
+
+  opts.on("-v", "--[no-]verbose", "Verbose output") do |val|
+    options[:verbose] = val
+  end
+
+  opts.on("-h", "--help", "Displays this help") do
+    puts opts
+    exit
+  end
+end
+opt_parser.parse!
+
+require "English"
+require File.expand_path("../../heartbeat.rb", __FILE__)
+heartbeat_file   = options[:heartbeat_file] || ARGV[0]
+heartbeat_file ||= Workers::MiqDefaults.heartbeat_file(options[:guid])
+
+exit_status = Workers::Heartbeat.file_check(heartbeat_file)
+
+at_exit { puts $ERROR_INFO.status if options[:verbose] }
+exit exit_status
diff --git a/lib/workers/heartbeat.rb b/lib/workers/heartbeat.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..df299c02175
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/workers/heartbeat.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+require_relative "miq_defaults"
+
+module Workers
+  class Heartbeat
+    def self.file_check(heartbeat_file = Workers::MiqDefaults.heartbeat_file)
+      if File.exist?(heartbeat_file)
+        current_time = Time.now.utc
+        contents     = File.read(heartbeat_file)
+        mtime        = File.mtime(heartbeat_file).utc
+        timeout      = if contents.empty?
+                         (mtime + Workers::MiqDefaults.heartbeat_timeout).utc
+                       else
+                         Time.parse(contents).utc
+                       end
+
+        current_time < timeout
+      else
+        false
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/workers/miq_defaults.rb b/lib/workers/miq_defaults.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0084589d8d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/workers/miq_defaults.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+require "active_support/core_ext/numeric/time"
+
+module Workers
+  class MiqDefaults
+    HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT = 2.minutes.freeze
+    STARTING_TIMEOUT  = 10.minutes.freeze
+    STOPPING_TIMEOUT  = 10.minutes.freeze
+
+    def self.heartbeat_timeout
+      HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT
+    end
+
+    def self.starting_timeout
+      STARTING_TIMEOUT
+    end
+
+    def self.stopping_timeout
+      STOPPING_TIMEOUT
+    end
+
+    def self.heartbeat_file(guid = nil)
+      guid ||= "miq_worker"
+      ENV["WORKER_HEARTBEAT_FILE"] || File.expand_path("../../../tmp/#{guid}.hb", __FILE__)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/lib/workers/heartbeat_spec.rb b/spec/lib/workers/heartbeat_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0417220a351
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/lib/workers/heartbeat_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+require "workers/heartbeat"
+
+shared_examples_for "heartbeat file checker" do |heartbeat_file = nil|
+  # This is used instead of just passing in the `heartbeat_file` value directly
+  # into the method because we can splat it in the argument list and force a "no
+  # args" method call in each of the tests
+  let(:file_check_args)    { [heartbeat_file].compact }
+  let(:calculated_hb_file) { Pathname.new(heartbeat_file || ENV["WORKER_HEARTBEAT_FILE"]) }
+  around do |example|
+    FileUtils.mkdir_p(calculated_hb_file.parent)
+    File.write(calculated_hb_file, "")
+
+    example.run
+
+    FileUtils.rm_f(calculated_hb_file.to_s)
+  end
+
+  it "returns false when the heartbeat file does not exist" do
+    FileUtils.rm_f calculated_hb_file.to_s # Early delete
+    expect(Workers::Heartbeat.file_check(*file_check_args)).to eq(false)
+  end
+
+  it "returns true with a newly created heartbeat file with no content" do
+    expect(Workers::Heartbeat.file_check(*file_check_args)).to eq(true)
+  end
+
+  it "returns false with a stale heartbeat file with no content" do
+    to_the_future = (2.minutes + 2.seconds).from_now
+    Timecop.travel(to_the_future) do
+      expect(Workers::Heartbeat.file_check(*file_check_args)).to eq(false)
+    end
+  end
+
+  it "returns true with a heartbeat file with content within the timeout" do
+    # Set timeout in heartbeat file
+    File.write(calculated_hb_file, 3.minutes.from_now)
+
+    to_the_future = (2.minutes + 2.seconds).from_now
+    Timecop.travel(to_the_future) do
+      expect(Workers::Heartbeat.file_check(*file_check_args)).to eq(true)
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+describe Workers::Heartbeat do
+  describe ".file_check" do
+    context "using the default heartbeat_file" do
+      let(:test_heartbeat_file) { ManageIQ.root.join("tmp", "spec", "test.hb") }
+
+      around do |example|
+        # This is given the highest priority when calling
+        # Workers::MiqDefaults.heartbeat_file.
+        #
+        # Trying to avoid using mocks...
+        old_env = ENV["WORKER_HEARTBEAT_FILE"]
+        ENV["WORKER_HEARTBEAT_FILE"] = test_heartbeat_file.to_s
+
+        example.run
+
+        ENV["WORKER_HEARTBEAT_FILE"] = old_env
+      end
+
+      it_should_behave_like "heartbeat file checker"
+    end
+
+    context "when passing in a filepath as an argument" do
+      other_heartbeat_file = ManageIQ.root.join("tmp", "spec", "other.hb").to_s
+
+      it_should_behave_like "heartbeat file checker", other_heartbeat_file
+    end
+  end
+end