diff --git a/deploy/stage/common-values-iris-mpc.yaml b/deploy/stage/common-values-iris-mpc.yaml
index 772a86729..332f56f51 100644
--- a/deploy/stage/common-values-iris-mpc.yaml
+++ b/deploy/stage/common-values-iris-mpc.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-image: "ghcr.io/worldcoin/iris-mpc:v0.8.16"
+image: "ghcr.io/worldcoin/iris-mpc:v0.8.18"
 
 environment: stage
 replicaCount: 1
diff --git a/deploy/stage/mpc1-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml b/deploy/stage/mpc1-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
index ce4f63032..362bfd016 100644
--- a/deploy/stage/mpc1-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
+++ b/deploy/stage/mpc1-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ env:
 
   - name: SMPC__PROCESSING_TIMEOUT_SECS
     value: "60"
+  
+  - name: SMPC__HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_SECS
+    value: "5"
 
   - name: SMPC__PATH
     value: "/data/"
diff --git a/deploy/stage/mpc2-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml b/deploy/stage/mpc2-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
index a5af01f3e..8fc9ead17 100644
--- a/deploy/stage/mpc2-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
+++ b/deploy/stage/mpc2-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ env:
 
   - name: SMPC__PROCESSING_TIMEOUT_SECS
     value: "60"
+  
+  - name: SMPC__HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_SECS
+    value: "5"
 
   - name: SMPC__PATH
     value: "/data/"
diff --git a/deploy/stage/mpc3-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml b/deploy/stage/mpc3-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
index 799567e0c..94ce08d90 100644
--- a/deploy/stage/mpc3-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
+++ b/deploy/stage/mpc3-stage/values-iris-mpc.yaml
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ env:
   - name: SMPC__PROCESSING_TIMEOUT_SECS
     value: "60"
 
+  - name: SMPC__HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_SECS
+    value: "5"
+
   - name: SMPC__PATH
     value: "/data/"
 
diff --git a/iris-mpc-common/src/config/mod.rs b/iris-mpc-common/src/config/mod.rs
index 4fd4cd906..f4785eb6d 100644
--- a/iris-mpc-common/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/iris-mpc-common/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ pub struct Config {
 
     #[serde(default = "default_max_batch_size")]
     pub max_batch_size: usize,
+
+    #[serde(default = "default_heartbeat_interval_secs")]
+    pub heartbeat_interval_secs: u64,
 }
 
 fn default_processing_timeout_secs() -> u64 {
@@ -70,6 +73,10 @@ fn default_max_batch_size() -> usize {
     64
 }
 
+fn default_heartbeat_interval_secs() -> u64 {
+    30
+}
+
 impl Config {
     pub fn load_config(prefix: &str) -> eyre::Result<Config> {
         let settings = config::Config::builder();
diff --git a/iris-mpc-gpu/src/server/heartbeat_nccl.rs b/iris-mpc-gpu/src/server/heartbeat_nccl.rs
index 5a59ffc9e..df4f6d13e 100644
--- a/iris-mpc-gpu/src/server/heartbeat_nccl.rs
+++ b/iris-mpc-gpu/src/server/heartbeat_nccl.rs
@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@ use tokio::{
     task::{spawn_blocking, JoinHandle},
     time::timeout,
 };
-const HEARBEAT_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
 
 pub async fn start_heartbeat(
     party_id: usize,
     main_tx: oneshot::Sender<eyre::Result<()>>,
+    heartbeat_interval_secs: u64,
 ) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let (tx, mut rx) = mpsc::channel(1);
+    let heartbeat_interval = Duration::from_secs(heartbeat_interval_secs);
 
     let heartbeat_handle: JoinHandle<eyre::Result<()>> = spawn_blocking(move || {
         let device_manager = Arc::new(DeviceManager::init_with_streams());
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ pub async fn start_heartbeat(
                     Ok(())
                 }())?;
             }
-            std::thread::sleep(HEARBEAT_INTERVAL);
+            std::thread::sleep(heartbeat_interval);
             counter += 1;
         }
     });
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ pub async fn start_heartbeat(
         match timeout(timeout_interval, rx.recv()).await {
             // The first heartbeat might take a while due to retries. However, after the connection
             // is established, we switch to the normal heartbeat interval.
-            Ok(Some(Ok(_))) => timeout_interval = 2 * HEARBEAT_INTERVAL,
+            Ok(Some(Ok(_))) => timeout_interval = 2 * heartbeat_interval,
             Ok(None) => {
                 tracing::error!("Heartbeat: Channel closed.");
                 break;
diff --git a/iris-mpc/src/bin/server.rs b/iris-mpc/src/bin/server.rs
index f4b6fc27f..b04604117 100644
--- a/iris-mpc/src/bin/server.rs
+++ b/iris-mpc/src/bin/server.rs
@@ -589,7 +589,11 @@ async fn server_main(config: Config) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let mut background_tasks = TaskMonitor::new();
 
     let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel();
-    let _heartbeat = background_tasks.spawn(start_heartbeat(config.party_id, tx));
+    let _heartbeat = background_tasks.spawn(start_heartbeat(
+        config.party_id,
+        tx,
+        config.heartbeat_interval_secs,
+    ));
 
     background_tasks.check_tasks();
     tracing::info!("Heartbeat starting...");