diff --git a/Configuration.ui b/Configuration.ui
index 7647139..13d8184 100644
--- a/Configuration.ui
+++ b/Configuration.ui
@@ -633,23 +633,26 @@ text message.</string>
                   <property name="toolTip">
                    <string>&lt;html&gt;&lt;head/&gt;&lt;body&gt;&lt;p&gt;Number of minutes between unattended heartbeat transmissions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;</string>
                   </property>
+                  <property name="specialValueText">
+                   <string>Disabled</string>
+                  </property>
                   <property name="suffix">
                    <string> minutes</string>
                   </property>
                   <property name="prefix">
-                   <string/>
+                   <string>every </string>
                   </property>
                   <property name="minimum">
-                   <number>5</number>
+                   <number>0</number>
                   </property>
                   <property name="maximum">
                    <number>1440</number>
                   </property>
                   <property name="singleStep">
-                   <number>1</number>
+                   <number>5</number>
                   </property>
                   <property name="value">
-                   <number>15</number>
+                   <number>30</number>
                   </property>
                  </widget>
                 </item>
@@ -676,7 +679,7 @@ text message.</string>
                    <string> minutes</string>
                   </property>
                   <property name="prefix">
-                   <string/>
+                   <string>after </string>
                   </property>
                   <property name="minimum">
                    <number>1</number>
diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index 6e3107e..419a842 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -4381,7 +4381,22 @@ void MainWindow::guiUpdate()
     ui->labUTC->setText(utc);
 
     auto delta = t.secsTo(m_nextHeartbeat);
-    auto ping = ui->heartbeatButton->isChecked() ? delta > 0 ? QString("%1 s").arg(delta) : "queued!" : m_nextHeartPaused ? "paused" : "disabled";
+    QString ping;
+    if(ui->heartbeatButton->isChecked()){
+        if(heartbeatTimer.isActive()){
+            if(delta > 0){
+                ping = QString("%1 s").arg(delta);
+            } else {
+                ping = "queued!";
+            }
+        } else {
+            ping = "on demand";
+        }
+    } else if (m_nextHeartPaused) {
+        ping = "paused";
+    } else {
+        ping = "disabled";
+    }
     ui->labHeartbeat->setText(QString("Next Heartbeat: %1").arg(ping));
 
     auto callLabel = m_config.my_callsign();
@@ -5498,6 +5513,12 @@ void MainWindow::scheduleHeartbeat(bool first){
     auto timestamp = DriftingDateTime::currentDateTimeUtc();
     auto orig = timestamp;
 
+    // if we have the heartbeat interval disabled, return early, unless this is a "heartbeat now"
+    if(!m_config.heartbeat() && !first){
+        heartbeatTimer.stop();
+        return;
+    }
+
     // remove milliseconds
     auto t = timestamp.time();
     t.setHMS(t.hour(), t.minute(), t.second());
@@ -8838,7 +8859,7 @@ void MainWindow::processCommandActivity() {
         }
 
         // PROCESS HEARTBEAT
-        else if (d.cmd == " HEARTBEAT" && ui->heartbeatButton->isChecked()){
+        else if (d.cmd == " HEARTBEAT" && ui->heartbeatButton->isChecked() && ui->autoReplyButton->isChecked()){
             reply = QString("%1 HEARTBEAT ACK %2").arg(d.from).arg(Varicode::formatSNR(d.snr));
 
             enqueueHeartbeat(reply);