diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index be7c81b..688d213 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ set(XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCES
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/xdealer_channel.cpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/xiopub_client.hpp
     ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/xiopub_client.cpp
+    ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/xheartbeat_client.hpp
+    ${XEUS_ZMQ_SOURCE_DIR}/xheartbeat_client.cpp
 )
 
 # Targets and link
diff --git a/include/xeus-zmq/xclient_zmq.hpp b/include/xeus-zmq/xclient_zmq.hpp
index 9eed125..2194938 100644
--- a/include/xeus-zmq/xclient_zmq.hpp
+++ b/include/xeus-zmq/xclient_zmq.hpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ namespace xeus
     public:
 
         using listener = std::function<void(xmessage)>;
+        using kernel_status_listener = std::function<void(bool)>;
 
         explicit xclient_zmq(std::unique_ptr<xclient_zmq_impl> impl);
         ~xclient_zmq();
@@ -42,10 +43,12 @@ namespace xeus
         void register_shell_listener(const listener& l);
         void register_control_listener(const listener& l);
         void register_iopub_listener(const listener& l);
+        void register_kernel_status_listener(const kernel_status_listener& l);
 
         void notify_shell_listener(xmessage msg);
         void notify_control_listener(xmessage msg);
         void notify_iopub_listener(xmessage msg);
+        void notify_kernel_dead(bool status);
 
         std::size_t iopub_queue_size() const;
         std::optional<xmessage> pop_iopub_message();
diff --git a/src/xclient_zmq.cpp b/src/xclient_zmq.cpp
index ad9dc54..61fa71d 100644
--- a/src/xclient_zmq.cpp
+++ b/src/xclient_zmq.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ namespace xeus
         p_client_impl->register_iopub_listener(l);
     }
 
+    void xclient_zmq::register_kernel_status_listener(const kernel_status_listener& l)
+    {
+        p_client_impl->register_kernel_status_listener(l);
+    }
+
     void xclient_zmq::notify_shell_listener(xmessage msg)
     {
         p_client_impl->notify_shell_listener(std::move(msg));
@@ -73,6 +78,11 @@ namespace xeus
         p_client_impl->notify_iopub_listener(std::move(msg));
     }
 
+    void xclient_zmq::notify_kernel_dead(bool status)
+    {
+        p_client_impl->notify_kernel_dead(status);
+    }
+
     std::size_t xclient_zmq::iopub_queue_size() const
     {
         return p_client_impl->iopub_queue_size();
diff --git a/src/xclient_zmq_impl.cpp b/src/xclient_zmq_impl.cpp
index 699ade0..269c0ac 100644
--- a/src/xclient_zmq_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/xclient_zmq_impl.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ namespace xeus
         , m_shell_client(context, config.m_transport, config.m_ip, config.m_shell_port)
         , m_control_client(context, config.m_transport, config.m_ip, config.m_control_port)
         , m_iopub_client(context, config)
+        , m_heartbeat_client(context, config, m_max_retry, m_heartbeat_timeout)
         , p_messenger(context)
         , m_error_handler(eh)
     {
@@ -93,6 +94,11 @@ namespace xeus
         m_iopub_listener = l;
     }
 
+    void xclient_zmq_impl::register_kernel_status_listener(const kernel_status_listener& l)
+    {
+        m_heartbeat_client.register_kernel_status_listener(l);
+    }
+
     void xclient_zmq_impl::connect()
     {
         p_messenger.connect();
@@ -118,6 +124,11 @@ namespace xeus
         m_iopub_listener(std::move(msg));
     }
 
+    void xclient_zmq_impl::notify_kernel_dead(bool status)
+    {
+        m_heartbeat_client.notify_kernel_dead(status);
+    }
+
     void xclient_zmq_impl::poll(long timeout)
     {
         zmq::multipart_t wire_msg;
@@ -166,7 +177,7 @@ namespace xeus
     void xclient_zmq_impl::start()
     {
         start_iopub_thread();
-        // TODO : Introduce a client, xheartbeat_client that runs on its own thread, m_heartbeat_thread.
+        start_heartbeat_thread();
     }
 
     void xclient_zmq_impl::start_iopub_thread()
@@ -174,6 +185,11 @@ namespace xeus
         m_iopub_thread = std::move(xthread(&xiopub_client::run, p_iopub_client.get()));
     }
 
+    void xclient_zmq_impl::start_heartbeat_thread()
+    {
+        m_heartbeat_thread = std::move(xthread(&xheartbeat_client::run, p_heartbeat_client.get()));
+    }
+
     xmessage xclient_zmq_impl::deserialize(zmq::multipart_t& wire_msg) const
     {
         return xzmq_serializer::deserialize(wire_msg, *p_auth);
diff --git a/src/xclient_zmq_impl.hpp b/src/xclient_zmq_impl.hpp
index 30cfdcb..9854de5 100644
--- a/src/xclient_zmq_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/xclient_zmq_impl.hpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "xdealer_channel.hpp"
 #include "xiopub_client.hpp"
+#include "xheartbeat_client.hpp"
 #include "xclient_messenger.hpp"
 
 namespace xeus
@@ -31,7 +32,9 @@ namespace xeus
     {
     public:
         using iopub_client_ptr = std::unique_ptr<xiopub_client>;
+        using heartbeat_client_ptr = std::unique_ptr<xheartbeat_client>;
         using listener = std::function<void(xmessage)>;
+        using kernel_status_listener = std::function<void(bool)>;
 
         xclient_zmq_impl(zmq::context_t& context,
                     const xconfiguration& config,
@@ -60,8 +63,8 @@ namespace xeus
         std::optional<xmessage> pop_iopub_message();
         void register_iopub_listener(const listener& l);
 
-        // hearbeat channel
-        // TODO
+        // heartbeat channel
+        void register_kernel_status_listener(const kernel_status_listener& l);
 
         // client messenger
         void connect();
@@ -70,6 +73,7 @@ namespace xeus
         void notify_shell_listener(xmessage msg);
         void notify_control_listener(xmessage msg);
         void notify_iopub_listener(xmessage msg);
+        void notify_kernel_dead(bool status);
 
         void wait_for_message();
         void start();
@@ -78,6 +82,7 @@ namespace xeus
 
     private:
         void start_iopub_thread();
+        void start_heartbeat_thread();
         void poll(long timeout);
 
         using authentication_ptr = std::unique_ptr<xauthentication>;
@@ -86,6 +91,10 @@ namespace xeus
         xdealer_channel m_shell_client;
         xdealer_channel m_control_client;
         xiopub_client m_iopub_client;
+        xheartbeat_client m_heartbeat_client;
+
+        const std::size_t m_max_retry = 3;
+        const long m_heartbeat_timeout = std::chrono::milliseconds(90).count();
 
         xclient_messenger p_messenger;
 
@@ -96,8 +105,10 @@ namespace xeus
         listener m_iopub_listener;
 
         iopub_client_ptr p_iopub_client;
+        heartbeat_client_ptr p_heartbeat_client;
 
         xthread m_iopub_thread;
+        xthread m_heartbeat_thread;
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/xdealer_channel.hpp b/src/xdealer_channel.hpp
index 4893dc2..bcb591a 100644
--- a/src/xdealer_channel.hpp
+++ b/src/xdealer_channel.hpp
@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@
 #include "zmq.hpp"
 #include "zmq_addon.hpp"
 
-#include "nlohmann/json.hpp"
-#include "xeus/xkernel_configuration.hpp"
-
 namespace xeus
 {
 
diff --git a/src/xheartbeat_client.cpp b/src/xheartbeat_client.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e8c4da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/xheartbeat_client.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/***************************************************************************
+* Copyright (c) 2016, Johan Mabille, Sylvain Corlay, Martin Renou          *
+* Copyright (c) 2016, QuantStack                                           *
+*                                                                          *
+* Distributed under the terms of the BSD 3-Clause License.                 *
+*                                                                          *
+* The full license is in the file LICENSE, distributed with this software. *
+****************************************************************************/
+
+#include "xheartbeat_client.hpp"
+#include "xclient_zmq_impl.hpp"
+
+#include "xeus-zmq/xmiddleware.hpp"
+
+namespace xeus
+{
+
+    xheartbeat_client::xheartbeat_client(zmq::context_t& context,
+                                 const xeus::xconfiguration& config,
+                                 const std::size_t max_retry,
+                                 const long timeout)
+        : m_heartbeat(context, zmq::socket_type::req)
+        , m_controller(context, zmq::socket_type::rep)
+        , m_max_retry(max_retry)
+        , m_heartbeat_timeout(timeout)
+    {
+        m_heartbeat.connect(get_end_point(config.m_transport, config.m_ip, config.m_hb_port));
+        init_socket(m_controller, get_controller_end_point("heartbeat"));
+    }
+
+    xheartbeat_client::~xheartbeat_client()
+    {
+    }
+
+    void xheartbeat_client::send_heartbeat_message()
+    {
+        zmq::message_t ping_msg("ping", 4);
+        m_heartbeat.send(ping_msg, zmq::send_flags::none);
+    }
+
+    bool xheartbeat_client::wait_for_answer(long timeout)
+    {
+        m_heartbeat.set(zmq::sockopt::linger, static_cast<int>(timeout));
+        zmq::message_t response;
+        return m_heartbeat.recv(response).has_value();
+    }
+
+    void xheartbeat_client::register_kernel_status_listener(const kernel_status_listener& l)
+    {
+        m_kernel_status_listener = l;
+    }
+
+    void xheartbeat_client::notify_kernel_dead(bool status)
+    {
+        m_kernel_status_listener(status);
+    }
+
+    void xheartbeat_client::run()
+    {
+        bool stop = false;
+        std::size_t retry_count = 0;
+
+        while(!stop)
+        {
+            send_heartbeat_message();
+            if(!wait_for_answer(m_heartbeat_timeout))
+            {
+                if (retry_count < m_max_retry)
+                {
+                    ++retry_count;
+                } else {
+                    notify_kernel_dead(true);
+                    stop = true;
+                }
+            } else {
+                retry_count = 0;
+            }
+            std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(100));
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/xheartbeat_client.hpp b/src/xheartbeat_client.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bfd876
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/xheartbeat_client.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/***************************************************************************
+* Copyright (c) 2016, Johan Mabille, Sylvain Corlay, Martin Renou          *
+* Copyright (c) 2016, QuantStack                                           *
+*                                                                          *
+* Distributed under the terms of the BSD 3-Clause License.                 *
+*                                                                          *
+* The full license is in the file LICENSE, distributed with this software. *
+****************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef XEUS_HEARTBEAT_CLIENT_HPP
+#define XEUS_HEARTBEAT_CLIENT_HPP
+
+#include <functional>
+
+#include "zmq.hpp"
+
+#include "xeus/xkernel_configuration.hpp"
+
+namespace xeus
+{
+    class xheartbeat_client
+    {
+    public:
+
+        using kernel_status_listener = std::function<void(bool)>;
+
+        xheartbeat_client(zmq::context_t& context,
+                        const xeus::xconfiguration& config,
+                        const std::size_t max_retry,
+                        const long timeout);
+
+        ~xheartbeat_client();
+
+        void run();
+
+        void register_kernel_status_listener(const kernel_status_listener& l);
+        void notify_kernel_dead(bool status);
+
+    private:
+        void send_heartbeat_message();
+        bool wait_for_answer(long timeout);
+
+        zmq::socket_t m_heartbeat;
+        zmq::socket_t m_controller;
+
+        kernel_status_listener m_kernel_status_listener;
+        const std::size_t m_max_retry;
+        const long m_heartbeat_timeout;
+    };
+}
+
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/xiopub_client.hpp b/src/xiopub_client.hpp
index f374e76..79689fb 100644
--- a/src/xiopub_client.hpp
+++ b/src/xiopub_client.hpp
@@ -14,15 +14,10 @@
 #include <mutex>
 
 #include "zmq.hpp"
-#include "nlohmann/json.hpp"
 
 #include "xeus/xmessage.hpp"
-#include "xeus/xeus_context.hpp"
 #include "xeus/xkernel_configuration.hpp"
 
-#include "xeus-zmq/xthread.hpp"
-#include "xeus-zmq/xmiddleware.hpp"
-
 namespace xeus
 {
     class xclient_zmq_impl;