diff --git a/server/core/dcb.c b/server/core/dcb.c
index 3d619ff93..a732ed0ff 100644
--- a/server/core/dcb.c
+++ b/server/core/dcb.c
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 #include <skygw_utils.h>
 #include <log_manager.h>
 #include <hashtable.h>
+#include <hk_heartbeat.h>
 
 /** Defined in log_manager.cc */
 extern int            lm_enabled_logfiles_bitmask;
@@ -816,6 +817,9 @@ int dcb_read(
                         n = 0;
                         goto return_n;
                 }
+
+		dcb->last_read = hkheartbeat;
+
                 bufsize = MIN(b, MAX_BUFFER_SIZE);
                 
                 if ((buffer = gwbuf_alloc(bufsize)) == NULL)
diff --git a/server/core/test/testservice.c b/server/core/test/testservice.c
index c316f59c9..7474925d4 100644
--- a/server/core/test/testservice.c
+++ b/server/core/test/testservice.c
@@ -98,22 +98,31 @@ hkinit();
         skygw_log_sync_all();
         ss_info_dassert(0 != result, "Start all should succeed");
 
-	ss_dfprintf(stderr, "\t..done\nTiming out a session.");
-	service->conn_timeout = 1;
-	dcb = dcb_alloc(DCB_ROLE_REQUEST_HANDLER);
-	ss_info_dassert(dcb != NULL, "DCB allocation failed");
+        ss_dfprintf(stderr, "\t..done\nTiming out a session.");
 
-	session = session_alloc(service,dcb);
-	ss_info_dassert(session != NULL, "Session allocation failed");
-	session->client->state = DCB_STATE_POLLING;
-	session->client->func.hangup = hup;
-	sleep(30);
+        service->conn_timeout = 1;
+        result = serviceStart(service);
+        skygw_log_sync_all();
+        ss_info_dassert(0 != result, "Start should succeed");
+        result = serviceStop(service);
+        skygw_log_sync_all();
+        ss_info_dassert(0 != result, "Stop should succeed");
 
-	ss_info_dassert(success, "Session allocation failed");
+        dcb = dcb_alloc(DCB_ROLE_REQUEST_HANDLER);
+        ss_info_dassert(dcb != NULL, "DCB allocation failed");
+        
+        session = session_alloc(service,dcb);
+        ss_info_dassert(session != NULL, "Session allocation failed");
+        session->client->state = DCB_STATE_POLLING;
+        session->client->func.hangup = hup;
+        sleep(15);
+        
+        ss_info_dassert(success, "Session timeout failed");
 
         ss_dfprintf(stderr, "\t..done\nStopping Service.");
         ss_info_dassert(0 != serviceStop(service), "Stop should succeed");
-	ss_dfprintf(stderr, "\t..done\n");
+        ss_dfprintf(stderr, "\t..done\n");
+
 	/** This is never used in MaxScale and will always fail due to service's
 	 * stats.n_current value never being decremented */
 /* 
diff --git a/server/include/hk_heartbeat.h b/server/include/hk_heartbeat.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f1ea1e0bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/include/hk_heartbeat.h
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#ifndef _HK_HEARTBEAT_H
+#define _HK_HEARTBEAT_H
+
+/**
+ * The global housekeeper heartbeat value. This value is increamente
+ * every 100ms and may be used for crude timing etc.
+ */
+
+extern unsigned long	hkheartbeat;
+
+#endif
diff --git a/server/include/housekeeper.h b/server/include/housekeeper.h
index 0379ff23a..0cd2d8a71 100644
--- a/server/include/housekeeper.h
+++ b/server/include/housekeeper.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  */
 #include <time.h>
 #include <dcb.h>
-
+#include <hk_heartbeat.h>
 /**
  * @file housekeeper.h A mechanism to have task run periodically
  *
@@ -52,12 +52,6 @@ typedef struct hktask {
 		*next;			/*< Next task in the list */
 } HKTASK;
 
-/**
- * The global housekeeper heartbeat value. This value is increamente
- * every 100ms and may be used for crude timing etc.
- */
-extern unsigned long	hkheartbeat;
-
 extern void hkinit();
 extern int  hktask_add(char *name, void (*task)(void *), void *data, int frequency);
 extern int  hktask_oneshot(char *name, void (*task)(void *), void *data, int when);
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/maxscaled.c b/server/modules/protocol/maxscaled.c
index 962bdafd8..67d51f9bd 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/maxscaled.c
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/maxscaled.c
@@ -144,9 +144,7 @@ char		*password;
 
 	if ((n = dcb_read(dcb, &head)) != -1)
 	{
-	    
-	dcb->last_read = hkheartbeat;
-	
+
 		if (head)
 		{
 			unsigned char *ptr = GWBUF_DATA(head);
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/mysql_backend.c b/server/modules/protocol/mysql_backend.c
index 7741fdcc4..4ebd3df05 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/mysql_backend.c
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/mysql_backend.c
@@ -447,9 +447,7 @@ static int gw_read_backend_event(DCB *dcb) {
 
                 /* read available backend data */
                 rc = dcb_read(dcb, &read_buffer);
-                
-		dcb->last_read = hkheartbeat;
-	
+
                 if (rc < 0) 
                 {
                         GWBUF* errbuf;
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c b/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
index 14279c4f0..a9097b0ad 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/mysql_client.c
@@ -576,7 +576,6 @@ int gw_read_client_event(
         CHK_PROTOCOL(protocol);
         rc = dcb_read(dcb, &read_buffer);
         
-	dcb->last_read = hkheartbeat;
 	
         if (rc < 0)
         {
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/telnetd.c b/server/modules/protocol/telnetd.c
index 29bc6dd4f..ab5c95b47 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/telnetd.c
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/telnetd.c
@@ -156,9 +156,7 @@ char		*password, *t;
 
 	if ((n = dcb_read(dcb, &head)) != -1)
 	{
-	    
-	dcb->last_read = hkheartbeat;
-	
+
 		if (head)
 		{
 			unsigned char *ptr = GWBUF_DATA(head);