diff --git a/src/sonic-eventd/tests/eventd_ut.cpp b/src/sonic-eventd/tests/eventd_ut.cpp
index 13f8e9104696..db7543f552b5 100644
--- a/src/sonic-eventd/tests/eventd_ut.cpp
+++ b/src/sonic-eventd/tests/eventd_ut.cpp
@@ -703,24 +703,15 @@ TEST(eventd, service)
     printf("Service TEST completed\n");
 }
 
-
-TEST(eventd, heartbeat)
+void
+wait_for_heartbeat(stats_collector &stats_instance, int cnt) 
 {
-    printf("heartbeat TEST started\n");
-
-    int rc, cnt;
-    stats_collector stats_instance;
-
-    debug_on();
-
-    rc = stats_instance.start();
-    EXPECT_EQ(rc, 0);
-
     auto st = duration_cast<milliseconds>(system_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count();
-    while (stats_instance.heartbeats_cnt() != 0) {
+    while (stats_instance.heartbeats_cnt() != cnt) {
         auto en = duration_cast<milliseconds>(system_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count();
         if ((en -st) > 3000) {
             EXPECT_LE((en -st), 3000);
+            EXPECT_EQ(cnt, stats_instance.heartbeats_cnt());
             break;
         }
         else {
@@ -729,10 +720,27 @@ TEST(eventd, heartbeat)
             printf("DROP:Waiting for heartbeat. duration:%s ms", ss.str().c_str());
         }
     }
+}
 
+TEST(eventd, heartbeat)
+{
+    printf("heartbeat TEST started\n");
+
+    int rc, cnt;
+    stats_collector stats_instance;
+
+    debug_on();
+
+    rc = stats_instance.start();
+    EXPECT_EQ(rc, 0);
+
+    /* Wait for any non-zero heartbeat */
+    wait_for_heartbeat(stats_instance, 0);
+
+    /* Pause heartbeat */
     stats_instance.heartbeat_ctrl(true);
     
-    /* Sleep to ensure the other thread noticed the update. */
+    /* Sleep to ensure the other thread noticed the pause request. */
     this_thread::sleep_for(chrono::milliseconds(200));
 
     /* Get current count */
@@ -746,20 +754,9 @@ TEST(eventd, heartbeat)
     /* Turn on heartbeat
     stats_instance.heartbeat_ctrl();
 
-    st = duration_cast<milliseconds>(system_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count();
-    /* Wait for a heartbeat */
-    while (stats_instance.heartbeats_cnt() == cnt) {
-        auto en = duration_cast<milliseconds>(system_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count();
-        if ((en -st) > 3000) {
-            EXPECT_LE((en -st), 3000);
-            break;
-        }
-        else {
-            stringstream ss;
-            ss << (en -st);
-            printf("DROP:Waiting for NO heartbeat for 3secs. duration:%s ms", ss.str().c_str());
-        }
-    }
+    /* Wait for heartbeat count to change from last count */
+    wait_for_heartbeat(stats_instance, cnt);
+
     stats_instance.stop();
     printf("heartbeat TEST completed\n");
 }
diff --git a/src/sonic-eventd/tests/main.cpp b/src/sonic-eventd/tests/main.cpp
index 86a08c335b8f..0095f819d869 100644
--- a/src/sonic-eventd/tests/main.cpp
+++ b/src/sonic-eventd/tests/main.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ string global_existing_file = "./tests/redis_multi_db_ut_config/database_global.
 #define TEST_NAMESPACE  "asic0"
 #define INVALID_NAMESPACE  "invalid"
 
+SwsscommonEnvironment* const env = NULL;
+
 class SwsscommonEnvironment : public ::testing::Environment {
 public:
     // Override this to define how to set up the environment.
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
     // Registers a global test environment, and verifies that the
     // registration function returns its argument.
-    SwsscommonEnvironment* const env = new SwsscommonEnvironment;
+    env = new SwsscommonEnvironment;
     testing::AddGlobalTestEnvironment(env);
     return RUN_ALL_TESTS();
 }