diff --git a/consensus/reactor.go b/consensus/reactor.go
index ce25442fe..cd0ebbd3f 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor.go
@@ -311,6 +311,21 @@ func (conR *ConsensusReactor) registerEventCallbacks() {
 		edv := data.Unwrap().(types.EventDataVote)
 		conR.broadcastHasVoteMessage(edv.Vote)
 	})
+
+	types.AddListenerForEvent(conR.evsw, "conR", types.EventStringProposerHeartbeat(), func(data types.TMEventData) {
+		heartbeat := data.Unwrap().(types.EventDataProposerHeartbeat)
+		conR.broadcastProposerHeartbeatMessage(heartbeat)
+	})
+}
+
+func (conR *ConsensusReactor) broadcastProposerHeartbeatMessage(heartbeat types.EventDataProposerHeartbeat) {
+	msg := &ProposerHeartbeatMessage{
+		Height:   heartbeat.Height,
+		Round:    heartbeat.Round,
+		Proposer: heartbeat.Proposer,
+		Sequence: heartbeat.Sequence,
+	}
+	conR.Switch.Broadcast(StateChannel, struct{ ConsensusMessage }{msg})
 }
 
 func (conR *ConsensusReactor) broadcastNewRoundStep(rs *RoundState) {
@@ -1305,3 +1320,18 @@ type VoteSetBitsMessage struct {
 func (m *VoteSetBitsMessage) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("[VSB %v/%02d/%v %v %v]", m.Height, m.Round, m.Type, m.BlockID, m.Votes)
 }
+
+//-------------------------------------
+
+// ProposerHeartbeatMessage is sent to signal that the proposer is alive and waiting for transactions
+type ProposerHeartbeatMessage struct {
+	Height   int
+	Round    int
+	Proposer []byte
+	Sequence int
+}
+
+// String returns a string representation.
+func (m *ProposerHeartbeatMessage) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("[HEARTBEAT %v/%02d %X %d]", m.Height, m.Round, m.Proposer, m.Sequence)
+}
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index 4695a6304..222e2eb10 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -808,11 +808,17 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) needProofBlock(height int) bool {
 }
 
 func (cs *ConsensusState) proposalHeartbeat() {
+	counter := 0
+	addr := cs.privValidator.GetAddress()
 	for {
 		select {
 		default:
-			// TODO: broadcast heartbeat
-
+			if cs.evsw != nil {
+				rs := cs.RoundStateEvent()
+				heartbeat := types.EventDataProposerHeartbeat{rs, addr, counter}
+				types.FireEventProposerHeartbeat(cs.evsw, heartbeat)
+				counter += 1
+			}
 			time.Sleep(time.Second)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/types/events.go b/types/events.go
index 8c29c4445..625e0aa9d 100644
--- a/types/events.go
+++ b/types/events.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ func EventStringRelock() string           { return "Relock" }
 func EventStringTimeoutWait() string      { return "TimeoutWait" }
 func EventStringVote() string             { return "Vote" }
 
+func EventStringProposerHeartbeat() string { return "ProposerHeartbeat" }
+
 //----------------------------------------
 
 var (
@@ -39,6 +41,8 @@ var (
 	EventDataNameTx             = "tx"
 	EventDataNameRoundState     = "round_state"
 	EventDataNameVote           = "vote"
+
+	EventDataNameProposerHeartbeat = "proposer_heartbeat"
 )
 
 //----------------------------------------
@@ -84,6 +88,8 @@ const (
 
 	EventDataTypeRoundState = byte(0x11)
 	EventDataTypeVote       = byte(0x12)
+
+	EventDataTypeProposerHeartbeat = byte(0x20)
 )
 
 var tmEventDataMapper = data.NewMapper(TMEventData{}).
@@ -91,7 +97,8 @@ var tmEventDataMapper = data.NewMapper(TMEventData{}).
 	RegisterImplementation(EventDataNewBlockHeader{}, EventDataNameNewBlockHeader, EventDataTypeNewBlockHeader).
 	RegisterImplementation(EventDataTx{}, EventDataNameTx, EventDataTypeTx).
 	RegisterImplementation(EventDataRoundState{}, EventDataNameRoundState, EventDataTypeRoundState).
-	RegisterImplementation(EventDataVote{}, EventDataNameVote, EventDataTypeVote)
+	RegisterImplementation(EventDataVote{}, EventDataNameVote, EventDataTypeVote).
+	RegisterImplementation(EventDataProposerHeartbeat{}, EventDataNameProposerHeartbeat, EventDataTypeProposerHeartbeat)
 
 // Most event messages are basic types (a block, a transaction)
 // but some (an input to a call tx or a receive) are more exotic
@@ -115,6 +122,13 @@ type EventDataTx struct {
 	Error  string        `json:"error"` // this is redundant information for now
 }
 
+type EventDataProposerHeartbeat struct {
+	EventDataRoundState
+
+	Proposer []byte `json:"proposer"`
+	Sequence int    `json:"sequence"`
+}
+
 // NOTE: This goes into the replay WAL
 type EventDataRoundState struct {
 	Height int    `json:"height"`
@@ -135,6 +149,8 @@ func (_ EventDataTx) AssertIsTMEventData()             {}
 func (_ EventDataRoundState) AssertIsTMEventData()     {}
 func (_ EventDataVote) AssertIsTMEventData()           {}
 
+func (_ EventDataProposerHeartbeat) AssertIsTMEventData() {}
+
 //----------------------------------------
 // Wrappers for type safety
 
@@ -232,3 +248,7 @@ func FireEventRelock(fireable events.Fireable, rs EventDataRoundState) {
 func FireEventLock(fireable events.Fireable, rs EventDataRoundState) {
 	fireEvent(fireable, EventStringLock(), TMEventData{rs})
 }
+
+func FireEventProposerHeartbeat(fireable events.Fireable, rs EventDataProposerHeartbeat) {
+	fireEvent(fireable, EventStringProposerHeartbeat(), TMEventData{rs})
+}