diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/SimpMessageType.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/SimpMessageType.java
index b61917714d..b8a340de7e 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/SimpMessageType.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/SimpMessageType.java
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ public enum SimpMessageType {
 
 	CONNECT_ACK,
 
+	HEARTBEAT,
+
 	MESSAGE,
 
 	SUBSCRIBE,
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompDecoder.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompDecoder.java
index e876df99ad..69d3930441 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompDecoder.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompDecoder.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
+import org.springframework.messaging.simp.SimpMessageType;
 import org.springframework.messaging.support.MessageBuilder;
 import org.springframework.util.LinkedMultiValueMap;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
@@ -50,27 +51,29 @@ public class StompDecoder {
 	 */
 	public Message<byte[]> decode(ByteBuffer buffer) {
 		skipLeadingEol(buffer);
+
+		Message<byte[]> decodedMessage;
+
 		String command = readCommand(buffer);
+
 		if (command.length() > 0) {
 			MultiValueMap<String, String> headers = readHeaders(buffer);
 			byte[] payload = readPayload(buffer, headers);
 
-			Message<byte[]> decodedMessage = MessageBuilder.withPayloadAndHeaders(payload,
+			decodedMessage = MessageBuilder.withPayloadAndHeaders(payload,
 					StompHeaderAccessor.create(StompCommand.valueOf(command), headers)).build();
-
-			if (logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
-				logger.trace("Decoded " + decodedMessage);
-			}
-
-			return decodedMessage;
 		}
 		else {
-			if (logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
-				logger.trace("Decoded heartbeat");
-			}
-			return MessageBuilder.withPayload(HEARTBEAT_PAYLOAD).build();
+			decodedMessage = MessageBuilder.withPayloadAndHeaders(HEARTBEAT_PAYLOAD,
+					StompHeaderAccessor.create(SimpMessageType.HEARTBEAT)).build();
 		}
 
+		if (logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
+			logger.trace("Decoded " + decodedMessage);
+		}
+
+		return decodedMessage;
+
 	}
 
 	private String readCommand(ByteBuffer buffer) {
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompEncoder.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompEncoder.java
index aa342c2e0f..603d298834 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompEncoder.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompEncoder.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
+import org.springframework.messaging.simp.SimpMessageType;
 
 /**
  * An encoder for STOMP frames
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ public final class StompEncoder  {
 	}
 
 	private boolean isHeartbeat(StompHeaderAccessor headers) {
-		return headers.getCommand() == null;
+		return headers.getMessageType() == SimpMessageType.HEARTBEAT;
 	}
 
 	private void writeCommand(StompHeaderAccessor headers, DataOutputStream output) throws IOException {
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests.java b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests.java
index d0ce9b2cd8..e12b43d945 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import org.springframework.messaging.MessageDeliveryException;
 import org.springframework.messaging.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.messaging.MessagingException;
 import org.springframework.messaging.simp.BrokerAvailabilityEvent;
+import org.springframework.messaging.simp.SimpMessageType;
 import org.springframework.messaging.support.MessageBuilder;
 import org.springframework.messaging.support.channel.ExecutorSubscribableChannel;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
@@ -301,7 +302,7 @@ public class StompBrokerRelayMessageHandlerIntegrationTests {
 
 		@Override
 		public void handleMessage(Message<?> message) throws MessagingException {
-			if (StompHeaderAccessor.wrap(message).getCommand() != null) {
+			if (StompHeaderAccessor.wrap(message).getMessageType() != SimpMessageType.HEARTBEAT) {
 				synchronized(this.monitor) {
 					for (MessageExchange exch : this.expected) {
 						if (exch.matchMessage(message)) {
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompCodecTests.java b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompCodecTests.java
index 887c0f9e3a..e1cbcfc931 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompCodecTests.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/stomp/StompCodecTests.java
@@ -22,18 +22,19 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
+import org.springframework.messaging.simp.SimpMessageType;
 import org.springframework.messaging.support.MessageBuilder;
 
 import reactor.function.Consumer;
 import reactor.function.Function;
 import reactor.io.Buffer;
-
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 
 /**
+ * Test fixture for {@link StompCodec}.
  *
- * @author awilkinson
+ * @author Andy Wilkinson
  */
 public class StompCodecTests {
 
@@ -151,6 +152,24 @@ public class StompCodecTests {
 		assertEquals(StompCommand.DISCONNECT, StompHeaderAccessor.wrap(messages.get(1)).getCommand());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void decodeHeartbeat() {
+		String frame = "\n";
+
+		Buffer buffer = Buffer.wrap(frame);
+
+		final List<Message<byte[]>> messages = new ArrayList<Message<byte[]>>();
+		new StompCodec().decoder(new Consumer<Message<byte[]>>() {
+			@Override
+			public void accept(Message<byte[]> message) {
+				messages.add(message);
+			}
+		}).apply(buffer);
+
+		assertEquals(1, messages.size());
+		assertEquals(SimpMessageType.HEARTBEAT, StompHeaderAccessor.wrap(messages.get(0)).getMessageType());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void encodeFrameWithNoHeadersAndNoBody() {
 		StompHeaderAccessor headers = StompHeaderAccessor.create(StompCommand.DISCONNECT);