diff --git a/cc3200/main.c b/cc3200/main.c
index 24a42c52473e40291ef4d6c6f1d0b0087c51d9ff..d65fc240fcb0719038b878feddb787a9f882803b 100644
--- a/cc3200/main.c
+++ b/cc3200/main.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "simplelink.h"
 #include "pybwdt.h"
 #include "debug.h"
+#include "mperror.h"
 
 /******************************************************************************
  DECLARE PRIVATE CONSTANTS
diff --git a/cc3200/misc/FreeRTOSHooks.c b/cc3200/misc/FreeRTOSHooks.c
index 9383000b0e2830d74ac070908b83b9d72d20a387..260cd84e076d4ad1b49f57d391befbc7706309dd 100644
--- a/cc3200/misc/FreeRTOSHooks.c
+++ b/cc3200/misc/FreeRTOSHooks.c
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ void vApplicationIdleHook (void)
 {
     // kick the watchdog
     pybwdt_kick();
-    // gate the processor clock to save power
+    // signal that we are alive and kicking
+    mperror_heartbeat_signal();
+    // gate the processor's clock to save power
     __WFI();
 }
 
diff --git a/cc3200/misc/mperror.c b/cc3200/misc/mperror.c
index bfb17a2b41c80eb756efa4b8bf68d541999f2b6c..bff58127941274d8a376d047b372cbecffeff6c5 100644
--- a/cc3200/misc/mperror.c
+++ b/cc3200/misc/mperror.c
@@ -45,14 +45,27 @@
 #include "prcm.h"
 #include "pybuart.h"
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "mperror.h"
 
 
+/******************************************************************************
+ DEFINE CONSTANTS
+ ******************************************************************************/
 #define MPERROR_TOOGLE_MS                           (200)
 #define MPERROR_SIGNAL_ERROR_MS                     (2000)
+#define MPERROR_HEARTBEAT_ON_MS                     (80)
+#define MPERROR_HEARTBEAT_OFF_MS                    (2920)
 
 #define MPERROR_SAFE_BOOT_REG_IDX                   (0)
 
+/******************************************************************************
+ DECLARE PRIVATE DATA
+ ******************************************************************************/
+static bool mperror_heartbeat_enabled;
 
+/******************************************************************************
+ DEFINE PUBLIC FUNCTIONS
+ ******************************************************************************/
 void mperror_init0 (void) {
     // Enable SYS GPIOs peripheral clocks
     MAP_PRCMPeripheralClkEnable(MICROPY_SYS_LED_PRCM, PRCM_RUN_MODE_CLK | PRCM_SLP_MODE_CLK);
@@ -102,6 +115,40 @@ bool mperror_safe_boot_requested (void) {
     return ret;
 }
 
+void mperror_enable_heartbeat (void) {
+    mperror_heartbeat_enabled = true;
+}
+
+void mperror_disable_heartbeat (void) {
+    mperror_heartbeat_enabled = false;
+    mperror_heartbeat_off();
+}
+
+void mperror_heartbeat_signal (void) {
+    static uint off_start = 0;
+    static uint on_start = 0;
+    static bool beat = false;
+
+    if (mperror_heartbeat_enabled) {
+        if (!beat) {
+            if ((on_start = HAL_GetTick()) - off_start > MPERROR_HEARTBEAT_OFF_MS) {
+                MAP_GPIOPinWrite(MICROPY_SYS_LED_PORT, MICROPY_SYS_LED_PORT_PIN, MICROPY_SYS_LED_PORT_PIN);
+                beat = true;
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            if ((off_start = HAL_GetTick()) - on_start > MPERROR_HEARTBEAT_ON_MS) {
+                mperror_heartbeat_off();
+                beat = false;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void mperror_heartbeat_off (void) {
+    MAP_GPIOPinWrite(MICROPY_SYS_LED_PORT, MICROPY_SYS_LED_PORT_PIN, 0);
+}
+
 void NORETURN __fatal_error(const char *msg) {
 #ifdef DEBUG
     if (msg != NULL) {
diff --git a/cc3200/misc/mperror.h b/cc3200/misc/mperror.h
index 827d00a9f070735aa4678a996e2adf4086a531bf..17a6d88333f97e373f10ca8fb52f0eac3b86eeab 100644
--- a/cc3200/misc/mperror.h
+++ b/cc3200/misc/mperror.h
@@ -36,5 +36,9 @@ void mperror_signal_error (void);
 void mperror_request_safe_boot (void);
 void mperror_clear_safe_boot (void);
 bool mperror_safe_boot_requested (void);
+void mperror_enable_heartbeat (void);
+void mperror_disable_heartbeat (void);
+void mperror_heartbeat_signal (void);
+void mperror_heartbeat_off (void);
 
 #endif // MPERROR_H_
diff --git a/cc3200/mods/modpyb.c b/cc3200/mods/modpyb.c
index 5c1a4c0e2246f05f072c6b8ef6e51801f153d0dd..bca114a38fe8c16332d0fffe67338deaad5505e2 100644
--- a/cc3200/mods/modpyb.c
+++ b/cc3200/mods/modpyb.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 #include "pybwdt.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "gccollect.h"
+#include "mperror.h"
 
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -294,6 +295,22 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t pyb_kick_wdt(void) {
 }
 STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_0(pyb_kick_wdt_obj, pyb_kick_wdt);
 
+/// \function enable_heartbeat()
+/// Enables the heartbeat signal
+STATIC mp_obj_t pyb_enable_heartbeat(void) {
+    mperror_enable_heartbeat ();
+    return mp_const_none;
+}
+STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_0(pyb_enable_heartbeat_obj, pyb_enable_heartbeat);
+
+/// \function disable_heartbeat()
+/// Disables the heartbeat signal
+STATIC mp_obj_t pyb_disable_heartbeat(void) {
+    mperror_disable_heartbeat ();
+    return mp_const_none;
+}
+STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_0(pyb_disable_heartbeat_obj, pyb_disable_heartbeat);
+
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ(pyb_main_obj); // defined in main.c
 
 STATIC const mp_map_elem_t pyb_module_globals_table[] = {
@@ -327,6 +344,8 @@ STATIC const mp_map_elem_t pyb_module_globals_table[] = {
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_mkdisk),              (mp_obj_t)&pyb_mkdisk_obj },
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_enable_wdt),          (mp_obj_t)&pyb_enable_wdt_obj },
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_kick_wdt),            (mp_obj_t)&pyb_kick_wdt_obj },
+    { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_enable_heartbeat),    (mp_obj_t)&pyb_enable_heartbeat_obj },
+    { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_disable_heartbeat),   (mp_obj_t)&pyb_disable_heartbeat_obj },
 
 #if MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_RNG
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_rng),                 (mp_obj_t)&pyb_rng_get_obj },
diff --git a/cc3200/mptask.c b/cc3200/mptask.c
index f97c07b50f85b1da5bb4f993b4239af50840938d..f760b641d8deba6d12bea8acf0de266a555bda86 100644
--- a/cc3200/mptask.c
+++ b/cc3200/mptask.c
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ void TASK_Micropython (void *pvParameters) {
 #endif
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
-    mperror_init0();
     safeboot = false;
 #else
     safeboot = mperror_safe_boot_requested();
@@ -140,6 +139,7 @@ soft_reset:
     mp_obj_list_init(mp_sys_argv, 0);
     mp_obj_list_append(mp_sys_path, MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_)); // current dir (or base dir of the script)
 
+    mperror_init0();
     mpexception_init0();
     uart_init0();
     pin_init0();
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ soft_reset:
     rng_init0();
 #endif
 
+    mperror_enable_heartbeat();
+
     main_enter_ap_mode();
 
     // enable telnet and ftp servers
diff --git a/cc3200/qstrdefsport.h b/cc3200/qstrdefsport.h
index 3ab9fdb379729b436143d4031a6581b5741c938a..2eec328bb0a0af65a871eb2f192ce54550f9776e 100644
--- a/cc3200/qstrdefsport.h
+++ b/cc3200/qstrdefsport.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ Q(FileIO)
 Q(mkdisk)
 Q(enable_wdt)
 Q(kick_wdt)
+Q(enable_heartbeat)
+Q(disable_heartbeat)
 // Entries for sys.path
 Q(/SFLASH)
 Q(/SFLASH/LIB)