diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Agent.cpp b/arangod/Agency/Agent.cpp
index 9a72923d9f..6a2ebc850f 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Agent.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Agent.cpp
@@ -537,10 +537,7 @@ void Agent::sendAppendEntriesRPC() {
       // message if a timeout occurs.
 
       _lastSent[followerId]    = system_clock::now();
-      // _constituent.notifyHeartbeatSent(followerId);
-      // Do not notify constituent, because the AppendEntriesRPC here could
-      // take a very long time, so this must not disturb the empty ones
-      // being sent out.
+      _constituent.notifyHeartbeatSent(followerId);
 
       LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::AGENCY)
         << "Appending (" << (uint64_t) (TRI_microtime() * 1000000000.0) << ") "
@@ -594,13 +591,8 @@ void Agent::sendEmptyAppendEntriesRPC(std::string followerId) {
     3 * _config.minPing() * _config.timeoutMult(), true);
   _constituent.notifyHeartbeatSent(followerId);
 
-  double now = TRI_microtime();
   LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::AGENCY)
     << "Sending empty appendEntriesRPC to follower " << followerId;
-  double diff = TRI_microtime() - now;
-  if (diff > 0.01) {
-    LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::AGENCY) << "Logging of a line took more than 1/100 of a second, this is bad:" << diff;
-  }
 }
 
 void Agent::advanceCommitIndex() {
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Constituent.cpp b/arangod/Agency/Constituent.cpp
index 264e9f0c25..469064162f 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Constituent.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Constituent.cpp
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ void Constituent::candidate() {
 
   if (_leaderID != NO_LEADER) {
     _leaderID = NO_LEADER;
-    LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::AGENCY) << "Set _leaderID to NO_LEADER in Constituent::candidate";
+    LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::AGENCY) << "Set _leaderID to NO_LEADER";
   }
 
   if (_role != CANDIDATE) {
@@ -739,12 +739,17 @@ void Constituent::run() {
       } else if (role == CANDIDATE) {
         callElection();  // Run for office
       } else {
-        double interval = 0.25 * _agent->config().minPing()
-                               * _agent->config().timeoutMult();
+        // This is 1/4th of the minPing timeout (_cv.wait() below is in
+        // microseconds):
+        uint64_t timeout =
+          static_cast<uint64_t>(250000.0 * _agent->config().minPing() *
+                                _agent->config().timeoutMult());
+        {
+          CONDITION_LOCKER(guardv, _cv);
+          _cv.wait(timeout);
+        }
 
         double now = TRI_microtime();
-        double nextWakeup = interval;  // might be lowered below
-
         std::string const myid = _agent->id();
         for (auto const& followerId : _agent->config().active()) {
           if (followerId != myid) {
@@ -752,21 +757,10 @@ void Constituent::run() {
             {
               MUTEX_LOCKER(guard, _heartBeatMutex);
               auto it = _lastHeartbeatSent.find(followerId);
-              if (it == _lastHeartbeatSent.end()) {
+              if (it == _lastHeartbeatSent.end() ||
+                  now - it->second > _agent->config().minPing()
+                                     * _agent->config().timeoutMult() / 4.0) {
                 needed = true;
-              } else {
-                double diff = now - it->second;
-                if (diff >= interval) {
-                  needed = true;
-                } else {
-                  // diff < interval, so only needed again in interval-diff s
-                  double waitOnly = interval - diff;
-                  if (nextWakeup > waitOnly) {
-                    nextWakeup = waitOnly;
-                  }
-                  LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::AGENCY)
-                    << "No need for empty AppendEntriesRPC: " << diff;
-                }
               }
             }
             if (needed) {
@@ -774,14 +768,6 @@ void Constituent::run() {
             }
           }
         }
-
-        // This is the smallest time until any of the followers need a
-        // new empty heartbeat:
-        uint64_t timeout = static_cast<uint64_t>(1000000.0 * nextWakeup);
-        {
-          CONDITION_LOCKER(guardv, _cv);
-          _cv.wait(timeout);
-        }
       }
     }
   }