diff --git a/aana/api/request_handler.py b/aana/api/request_handler.py
index b8068a09..1b3770ae 100644
--- a/aana/api/request_handler.py
+++ b/aana/api/request_handler.py
@@ -113,7 +113,6 @@ async def execute_task(self, task_id: str | UUID) -> Any:
             Any: The response from the endpoint.
         """
         try:
-            print(f"Executing task {task_id}, type: {type(task_id)}")
             self.running_tasks.add(task_id)
             with get_session() as session:
                 task_repo = TaskRepository(session)
diff --git a/aana/configs/settings.py b/aana/configs/settings.py
index ec161ac6..a2ef7a6b 100644
--- a/aana/configs/settings.py
+++ b/aana/configs/settings.py
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@ class TaskQueueSettings(BaseModel):
         execution_timeout (int): The maximum execution time for a task in seconds.
             After this time, if the task is still running,
             it will be considered as stuck and will be reassign to another worker.
+        heartbeat_timeout (int): The maximum time between heartbeats in seconds.
         max_retries (int): The maximum number of retries for a task.
     """
 
     enabled: bool = True
     num_workers: int = 4
     execution_timeout: int = 600
+    heartbeat_timeout: int = 60
     max_retries: int = 3
 
 
diff --git a/aana/deployments/task_queue_deployment.py b/aana/deployments/task_queue_deployment.py
index 392d889a..1d09ad42 100644
--- a/aana/deployments/task_queue_deployment.py
+++ b/aana/deployments/task_queue_deployment.py
@@ -137,10 +137,10 @@ async def loop(self):  # noqa: C901
                 )
 
                 # Check for expired tasks
-                execution_timeout = aana_settings.task_queue.execution_timeout
-                max_retries = aana_settings.task_queue.max_retries
                 expired_tasks = TaskRepository(session).update_expired_tasks(
-                    execution_timeout=execution_timeout, max_retries=max_retries
+                    execution_timeout=aana_settings.task_queue.execution_timeout,
+                    heartbeat_timeout=aana_settings.task_queue.heartbeat_timeout,
+                    max_retries=aana_settings.task_queue.max_retries,
                 )
                 for task in expired_tasks:
                     deployment_response = self.deployment_responses.get(task.id)
diff --git a/aana/sdk.py b/aana/sdk.py
index ea9554f1..f25a765f 100644
--- a/aana/sdk.py
+++ b/aana/sdk.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
     DeploymentException,
     EmptyMigrationsException,
     FailedDeployment,
-    InferenceException,
     InsufficientResources,
 )
 from aana.storage.op import run_alembic_migrations
diff --git a/aana/storage/repository/task.py b/aana/storage/repository/task.py
index 0705246f..670d00f6 100644
--- a/aana/storage/repository/task.py
+++ b/aana/storage/repository/task.py
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ def filter_incomplete_tasks(self, task_ids: list[str]) -> list[str]:
         return incomplete_task_ids
 
     def update_expired_tasks(
-        self, execution_timeout: float, max_retries: int
+        self, execution_timeout: float, heartbeat_timeout: float, max_retries: int
     ) -> list[TaskEntity]:
         """Fetches all tasks that are expired and updates their status.
 
@@ -243,18 +243,23 @@ def update_expired_tasks(
 
         Args:
             execution_timeout (float): The maximum execution time for a task in seconds
+            heartbeat_timeout (float): The maximum time since the last heartbeat in seconds
             max_retries (int): The maximum number of retries for a task
 
         Returns:
             list[TaskEntity]: the expired tasks.
         """
-        cutoff_time = datetime.now() - timedelta(seconds=execution_timeout)  # noqa: DTZ005
+        timeout_cutoff = datetime.now() - timedelta(seconds=execution_timeout)  # noqa: DTZ005
+        heartbeat_cutoff = datetime.now() - timedelta(seconds=heartbeat_timeout)  # noqa: DTZ005
         tasks = (
             self.session.query(TaskEntity)
             .filter(
                 and_(
                     TaskEntity.status.in_([TaskStatus.RUNNING, TaskStatus.ASSIGNED]),
-                    TaskEntity.updated_at <= cutoff_time,
+                    or_(
+                        TaskEntity.updated_at <= timeout_cutoff,
+                        TaskEntity.updated_at <= heartbeat_cutoff,
+                    ),
                 ),
             )
             .populate_existing()
@@ -263,17 +268,28 @@ def update_expired_tasks(
         )
         for task in tasks:
             if task.num_retries >= max_retries:
-                self.update_status(
-                    task_id=task.id,
-                    status=TaskStatus.FAILED,
-                    progress=0,
-                    result={
+                if task.updated_at <= timeout_cutoff:
+                    result = {
                         "error": "TimeoutError",
                         "message": (
                             f"Task execution timed out after {execution_timeout} seconds and "
                             f"exceeded the maximum number of retries ({max_retries})"
                         ),
-                    },
+                    }
+                else:
+                    result = {
+                        "error": "HeartbeatTimeoutError",
+                        "message": (
+                            f"The task has not received a heartbeat for {heartbeat_timeout} seconds and "
+                            f"exceeded the maximum number of retries ({max_retries})"
+                        ),
+                    }
+
+                self.update_status(
+                    task_id=task.id,
+                    status=TaskStatus.FAILED,
+                    progress=0,
+                    result=result,
                     commit=False,
                 )
             else:
@@ -292,7 +308,6 @@ def heartbeat(self, task_ids: list[str] | set[str]):
         Args:
             task_ids (list[str] | set[str]): List or set of task IDs to update
         """
-        print(f"Heartbeat: {task_ids}")
         task_ids = [
             UUID(task_id) if isinstance(task_id, str) else task_id
             for task_id in task_ids