diff --git a/examples/client/main.cpp b/examples/client/main.cpp
index f581ea8..92c3fe9 100644
--- a/examples/client/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/client/main.cpp
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ void test_call_with_timeout() {
 void test_connect() {
 	rpc_client client;
 	client.enable_auto_reconnect(); //automatic reconnect
+	client.enable_auto_heartbeat(); //automatic heartbeat
 	bool r = client.connect("127.0.0.1", 9000);
 	int count = 0;
 	while (true) {
@@ -323,20 +324,20 @@ void test_connect() {
 		std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::seconds(1));
 	}
 
-	{
-		rpc_client client;
-		bool r = client.connect("127.0.0.1", 9000);
-		int count = 0;
-		while (true) {
-			if (client.connect()) {
-				std::cout << "connected ok\n";
-				break;
-			}
-			else {
-				std::cout << "connected failed: " << count++ << "\n";
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	//{
+	//	rpc_client client;
+	//	bool r = client.connect("127.0.0.1", 9000);
+	//	int count = 0;
+	//	while (true) {
+	//		if (client.connect()) {
+	//			std::cout << "connected ok\n";
+	//			break;
+	//		}
+	//		else {
+	//			std::cout << "connected failed: " << count++ << "\n";
+	//		}
+	//	}
+	//}
 
 	std::string str;
 	std::cin >> str;
diff --git a/include/router.h b/include/router.h
index 111dc9e..ea4b516 100644
--- a/include/router.h
+++ b/include/router.h
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ namespace rest_rpc {
 			template<typename F, typename Self, size_t... Indexes, typename Arg, typename... Args>
 			static typename std::result_of<F(Self, std::weak_ptr<connection>, Args...)>::type call_member_helper(
 				const F & f, Self * self, const std::index_sequence<Indexes...>&,
-				std::tuple<Arg, Args...> tup, std::weak_ptr<connection> ptr = nullptr) {
+				std::tuple<Arg, Args...> tup, std::weak_ptr<connection> ptr = std::shared_ptr<connection>{ nullptr }) {
 				return (*self.*f)(ptr, std::move(std::get<Indexes + 1>(tup))...);
 			}
 
diff --git a/include/rpc_client.hpp b/include/rpc_client.hpp
index ec0af89..369edbc 100644
--- a/include/rpc_client.hpp
+++ b/include/rpc_client.hpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ namespace rest_rpc {
 			deadline_(ios_), body_(INIT_BUF_SIZE) {
 			thd_ = std::make_shared<std::thread>([this] {
 				ios_.run();
-			});
+			});			
 		}
 
 		rpc_client(const std::string& host, unsigned short port) : socket_(ios_), work_(ios_), 
@@ -118,8 +118,17 @@ namespace rest_rpc {
 			return has_connected_;
 		}
 
-		void enable_auto_reconnect() {
-			enable_reconnect_ = true;
+		void enable_auto_reconnect(bool enable = true) {
+			enable_reconnect_ = enable;
+		}
+
+		void enable_auto_heartbeat(bool enable = true) {
+			if (enable) {
+				reset_deadline_timer(5);
+			}
+			else {
+				deadline_.cancel();
+			}				
 		}
 
 		void update_addr(const std::string& host, unsigned short port) {
@@ -294,10 +303,14 @@ namespace rest_rpc {
 		using message_type = std::pair<string_view, std::uint64_t>;
 		void reset_deadline_timer(size_t timeout) {
 			deadline_.expires_from_now(std::chrono::seconds(timeout));
-			deadline_.async_wait([this](const boost::system::error_code& ec) {
+			deadline_.async_wait([this, timeout](const boost::system::error_code& ec) {
 				if (!ec) {
-					socket_.close();
+					if (has_connected_) {
+						write(0, buffer_type(0));
+					}
 				}
+
+				reset_deadline_timer(timeout);
 			});
 		}