diff --git a/internal/bft/controller.go b/internal/bft/controller.go
index 1a3a5306..315e46e3 100644
--- a/internal/bft/controller.go
+++ b/internal/bft/controller.go
@@ -213,11 +213,25 @@ func (c *Controller) OnAutoRemoveTimeout(requestInfo types.RequestInfo) {
 
 // ProcessMessages dispatches the incoming message to the required component
 func (c *Controller) ProcessMessages(sender uint64, m *protos.Message) {
-	if IsViewMessage(m) {
+	switch m.GetContent().(type) {
+	case *protos.Message_PrePrepare, *protos.Message_Prepare, *protos.Message_Commit:
 		c.currView.HandleMessage(sender, m)
+		c.Logger.Debugf("Node %d handled message %v from %d with seq %d", c.ID, m, sender, proposalSequence(m))
+
+	case *protos.Message_ViewChange, *protos.Message_ViewData, *protos.Message_NewView:
+		// TODO view change
+		c.Logger.Debugf("View change not yet implemented, ignoring message: %v, from %d", m, sender)
+
+	case *protos.Message_HeartBeat:
+		//TODO heartbeat monitor
+		c.Logger.Debugf("Heartbeat monitor not yet implemented, ignoring message: %v, from %d", m, sender)
+
+	case *protos.Message_Error:
+		c.Logger.Debugf("Error message handling not yet implemented, ignoring message: %v, from %d", m, sender)
+
+	default:
+		c.Logger.Warnf("Unexpected message type, ignoring")
 	}
-	c.Logger.Debugf("Node %d handled message %v from %d with seq %d", c.ID, m, sender, proposalSequence(m))
-	// TODO the msg can be a view change message or a tx req coming from a node after a timeout
 }
 
 func (c *Controller) startView(proposalSequence uint64) {
diff --git a/internal/bft/heartbeatmonitor.go b/internal/bft/heartbeatmonitor.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..077ec884
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/bft/heartbeatmonitor.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+// Copyright IBM Corp. All Rights Reserved.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+package bft
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/SmartBFT-Go/consensus/pkg/api"
+	"github.com/SmartBFT-Go/consensus/smartbftprotos"
+)
+
+const (
+	DefaultHeartbeatTimeout = 60 * time.Second
+)
+
+//go:generate mockery -dir . -name HeartbeatTimeoutHandler -case underscore -output ./mocks/
+
+// HeartbeatTimeoutHandler defines who to call when a heartbeat timeout expires.
+type HeartbeatTimeoutHandler interface {
+	OnHeartbeatTimeout(view uint64, leaderID uint64)
+}
+
+type HeartbeatMonitor struct {
+	logger     api.Logger
+	hbTimeout  time.Duration
+	hbInterval time.Duration
+	comm       Comm
+	handler    HeartbeatTimeoutHandler
+	mutex      sync.Mutex
+	timer      *time.Timer
+	view       uint64
+	leaderID   uint64
+	follower   bool
+}
+
+func NewHeartbeatMonitor(
+	logger api.Logger,
+	heartbeatTimeout time.Duration,
+	comm Comm,
+) *HeartbeatMonitor {
+	if heartbeatTimeout/10 < time.Nanosecond {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	hm := &HeartbeatMonitor{
+		logger:     logger,
+		hbTimeout:  heartbeatTimeout,
+		hbInterval: heartbeatTimeout / 10,
+		comm:       comm,
+	}
+	return hm
+}
+
+func (hm *HeartbeatMonitor) SetTimeoutHandler(handler HeartbeatTimeoutHandler) {
+	// TODO
+}
+
+// StartFollower will start following the heartbeats of the leader of the view.
+func (hm *HeartbeatMonitor) StartFollower(view uint64, leaderID uint64) {
+	// TODO
+}
+
+// StartLeader will start sending heartbeats to all followers.
+func (hm *HeartbeatMonitor) StartLeader(view uint64, leaderID uint64) {
+	// TODO
+}
+
+// ProcessMsg handles an incoming heartbeat.
+func (hm *HeartbeatMonitor) ProcessMsg(sender uint64, msg *smartbftprotos.HeartBeat) {
+	// TODO
+}
+
+// Close stops following or sending heartbeats.
+func (hm *HeartbeatMonitor) Close() {
+	// TODO
+}
diff --git a/internal/bft/heartbeatmonitor_test.go b/internal/bft/heartbeatmonitor_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9f4362fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/bft/heartbeatmonitor_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Copyright IBM Corp. All Rights Reserved.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+package bft_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/SmartBFT-Go/consensus/internal/bft"
+	"github.com/SmartBFT-Go/consensus/internal/bft/mocks"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+func TestHeartbeatMonitor_New(t *testing.T) {
+	basicLog, err := zap.NewDevelopment()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	log := basicLog.Sugar()
+
+	comm := &mocks.CommMock{}
+	handler := &mocks.HeartbeatTimeoutHandler{}
+
+	hm := bft.NewHeartbeatMonitor(log, time.Hour, comm)
+	assert.NotNil(t, hm)
+	hm.SetTimeoutHandler(handler)
+	hm.Close()
+}
diff --git a/internal/bft/mocks/heartbeat_timeout_handler.go b/internal/bft/mocks/heartbeat_timeout_handler.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4de03f54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/bft/mocks/heartbeat_timeout_handler.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Code generated by mockery v1.0.0. DO NOT EDIT.
+
+package mocks
+
+import mock "github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
+
+// HeartbeatTimeoutHandler is an autogenerated mock type for the HeartbeatTimeoutHandler type
+type HeartbeatTimeoutHandler struct {
+	mock.Mock
+}
+
+// OnHeartbeatTimeout provides a mock function with given fields: view, leaderID
+func (_m *HeartbeatTimeoutHandler) OnHeartbeatTimeout(view uint64, leaderID uint64) {
+	_m.Called(view, leaderID)
+}
diff --git a/internal/bft/util.go b/internal/bft/util.go
index ad216069..d22612cf 100644
--- a/internal/bft/util.go
+++ b/internal/bft/util.go
@@ -13,10 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
 )
 
-func IsViewMessage(m *protos.Message) bool {
-	return m.GetCommit() != nil || m.GetPrepare() != nil || m.GetPrePrepare() != nil
-}
-
 func viewNumber(m *protos.Message) uint64 {
 	if pp := m.GetPrePrepare(); pp != nil {
 		return pp.GetView()
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
index 4aa66d26..00f87bcd 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -98,10 +98,7 @@ func (c *Consensus) Stop() {
 }
 
 func (c *Consensus) HandleMessage(sender uint64, m *protos.Message) {
-	if algorithm.IsViewMessage(m) {
-		c.controller.ProcessMessages(sender, m)
-	}
-
+	c.controller.ProcessMessages(sender, m)
 }
 
 func (c *Consensus) HandleRequest(sender uint64, req []byte) {