diff --git a/go/libraries/doltcore/sqle/cluster/commithook.go b/go/libraries/doltcore/sqle/cluster/commithook.go
index 1b540f028d..37ae58896e 100644
--- a/go/libraries/doltcore/sqle/cluster/commithook.go
+++ b/go/libraries/doltcore/sqle/cluster/commithook.go
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ func (h *commithook) replicate(ctx context.Context) {
 	defer h.logger().Tracef("cluster/commithook: background thread: replicate: shutdown.")
 	h.mu.Lock()
 	defer h.mu.Unlock()
+	shouldHeartbeat := false
 	for {
 		lgr := h.logger()
 		// Shutdown for context canceled.
@@ -138,11 +139,17 @@ func (h *commithook) replicate(ctx context.Context) {
 			h.nextHeadIncomingTime = time.Now()
 		} else if h.shouldReplicate() {
 			h.attemptReplicate(ctx)
+			shouldHeartbeat = false
 		} else {
 			lgr.Tracef("cluster/commithook: background thread: waiting for signal.")
 			if h.waitNotify != nil {
 				h.waitNotify()
 			}
+			if shouldHeartbeat {
+				h.attemptHeartbeat(ctx)
+			} else {
+				shouldHeartbeat = true
+			}
 			h.cond.Wait()
 			lgr.Tracef("cluster/commithook: background thread: woken up.")
 		}
@@ -175,6 +182,37 @@ func (h *commithook) primaryNeedsInit() bool {
 	return h.role == RolePrimary && h.nextHead == (hash.Hash{})
 }
 
+// Called by the replicate thread to periodically heartbeat liveness to a
+// standby if we are a primary. These heartbeats are best effort and currently
+// do not affect the data plane much.
+//
+// preconditions: h.mu is locked and shouldReplicate() returned false.
+func (h *commithook) attemptHeartbeat(ctx context.Context) {
+	if h.role != RolePrimary {
+		return
+	}
+	head := h.lastPushedHead
+	if head.IsEmpty() {
+		return
+	}
+	destDB := h.destDB
+	if destDB == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	ctx, h.cancelReplicate = context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
+	defer func() {
+		if h.cancelReplicate != nil {
+			h.cancelReplicate()
+		}
+		h.cancelReplicate = nil
+	}()
+	h.mu.Unlock()
+	datasDB := doltdb.HackDatasDatabaseFromDoltDB(destDB)
+	cs := datas.ChunkStoreFromDatabase(datasDB)
+	cs.Commit(ctx, head, head)
+	h.mu.Lock()
+}
+
 // Called by the replicate thread to push the nextHead to the destDB and set
 // its root to the new value.
 //
diff --git a/integration-tests/go-sql-server-driver/tests/sql-server-cluster.yaml b/integration-tests/go-sql-server-driver/tests/sql-server-cluster.yaml
index 1bd5b6ec00..04c1959a4d 100644
--- a/integration-tests/go-sql-server-driver/tests/sql-server-cluster.yaml
+++ b/integration-tests/go-sql-server-driver/tests/sql-server-cluster.yaml
@@ -925,6 +925,74 @@ tests:
       result:
         columns: ["count(*)"]
         rows: [["15"]]
+- name: last_updated heartbeats
+  multi_repos:
+  - name: server1
+    with_files:
+    - name: server.yaml
+      contents: |
+        log_level: trace
+        listener:
+          host: 0.0.0.0
+          port: 3309
+        cluster:
+          standby_remotes:
+          - name: standby
+            remote_url_template: http://localhost:3852/{database}
+          bootstrap_role: primary
+          bootstrap_epoch: 1
+          remotesapi:
+            port: 3851
+    server:
+      args: ["--config", "server.yaml"]
+      port: 3309
+  - name: server2
+    with_files:
+    - name: server.yaml
+      contents: |
+        log_level: trace
+        listener:
+          host: 0.0.0.0
+          port: 3310
+        cluster:
+          standby_remotes:
+          - name: standby
+            remote_url_template: http://localhost:3851/{database}
+          bootstrap_role: standby
+          bootstrap_epoch: 1
+          remotesapi:
+            port: 3852
+    server:
+      args: ["--config", "server.yaml"]
+      port: 3310
+  connections:
+  - on: server1
+    queries:
+    - exec: 'create database repo1'
+    - query: "call dolt_assume_cluster_role('standby', 2)"
+      result:
+        columns: ["status"]
+        rows: [["0"]]
+  - on: server1
+    queries:
+    - query: "call dolt_assume_cluster_role('primary', 3)"
+      result:
+        columns: ["status"]
+        rows: [["0"]]
+  - on: server2
+    queries:
+    - query: "SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, CONVERT_TZ(last_update, 'GMT', @@GLOBAL.time_zone), NOW()) < 5 AS within_threshold FROM dolt_cluster.dolt_cluster_status;"
+      result:
+        columns: ["within_threshold"]
+        rows: [["1"]]
+    - query: "SELECT SLEEP(5)"
+      result:
+        columns: ["SLEEP(5)"]
+        rows: [["0"]]
+    - query: "SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, CONVERT_TZ(last_update, 'GMT', @@GLOBAL.time_zone), NOW()) < 5 AS within_threshold FROM dolt_cluster.dolt_cluster_status;"
+      result:
+        columns: ["within_threshold"]
+        rows: [["1"]]
 - name: create new database, clone a database, primary replicates to standby, standby has both databases
   multi_repos:
   - name: server1