diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.cpp
index 4f8e517be1..e38674b52e 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.cpp
@@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ AgencyEndpoint* AgencyComm::createAgencyEndpoint (std::string const& endpointSpe
 /// @brief sends the current server state to the agency
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-AgencyCommResult AgencyComm::sendServerState () {
+AgencyCommResult AgencyComm::sendServerState (double ttl) {
   // construct JSON value { "status": "...", "time": "..." }
   TRI_json_t* json = TRI_CreateArrayJson(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE);
 
@@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ AgencyCommResult AgencyComm::sendServerState () {
   TRI_Insert3ArrayJson(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE, json, "status", TRI_CreateString2CopyJson(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE, status.c_str(), status.size()));
   TRI_Insert3ArrayJson(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE, json, "time", TRI_CreateString2CopyJson(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE, stamp.c_str(), stamp.size()));
 
-  AgencyCommResult result(setValue("Sync/ServerStates/" + ServerState::instance()->getId(), json, 0.0));
+  AgencyCommResult result(setValue("Sync/ServerStates/" + ServerState::instance()->getId(), json, ttl));
   TRI_FreeJson(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE, json);
 
   return result;
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.h b/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.h
index 0208dc5d03..6b48f873b3 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.h
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.h
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ namespace triagens {
 /// @brief sends the current server state to the agency
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-        AgencyCommResult sendServerState ();
+        AgencyCommResult sendServerState (double ttl);
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief gets the backend version
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ApplicationCluster.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/ApplicationCluster.cpp
index 661f35f97f..e3cfbd8a8d 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ApplicationCluster.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ApplicationCluster.cpp
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ bool ApplicationCluster::start () {
 
   // the agency about our state 
   AgencyComm comm;
-  comm.sendServerState();
+  comm.sendServerState(0.0);
 
   const std::string version = comm.getVersion();
 
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ void ApplicationCluster::close () {
   ServerState::instance()->setState(ServerState::STATE_SHUTDOWN);
 
   AgencyComm comm;
-  comm.sendServerState();
+  comm.sendServerState(0.0);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ void ApplicationCluster::stop () {
   ServerState::instance()->setState(ServerState::STATE_SHUTDOWN);
 
   AgencyComm comm;
-  comm.sendServerState();
+  comm.sendServerState(0.0);
 
   if (_heartbeat != 0) {
     _heartbeat->stop();
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/HeartbeatThread.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/HeartbeatThread.cpp
index 0b327682b7..c570fc53d0 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/HeartbeatThread.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/HeartbeatThread.cpp
@@ -461,7 +461,8 @@ bool HeartbeatThread::handleStateChange (AgencyCommResult& result,
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 bool HeartbeatThread::sendState () {
-  const AgencyCommResult result = _agency.sendServerState();
+  const AgencyCommResult result = _agency.sendServerState(
+                 3.0 * static_cast<double>(_interval) / 1000.0 / 1000.0);
 
   if (result.successful()) {
     _numFails = 0;