diff --git a/peer.go b/peer.go
index abc636f..ce6d6a3 100644
--- a/peer.go
+++ b/peer.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package raft
 
 import (
+	"math"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ type Peer struct {
 	mutex             sync.RWMutex
 	stopChan          chan bool
 	heartbeatInterval time.Duration
+	heartbeatTicker   <-chan time.Time
+	failedHeartbeats  float64
 }
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -90,6 +93,24 @@ func (p *Peer) stopHeartbeat(flush bool) {
 	p.stopChan <- flush
 }
 
+// Resets the ticker to the default heartbeat interval.
+func (p *Peer) resetHeartbeatInterval() {
+	p.failedHeartbeats = 0
+	p.heartbeatTicker = time.Tick(p.heartbeatInterval)
+	debugln("peer.heartbeat.reset: ", p.Name, p.heartbeatInterval)
+}
+
+// Increases failed heartbeat count and updates ticker with updated backoff interval
+func (p *Peer) backoffHeartbeat() {
+	p.failedHeartbeats++
+	debugln("peer.heartbeat.backoff: ", p.Name, p.failedHeartbeats, p.heartbeatDuration())
+	p.heartbeatTicker = time.Tick(p.heartbeatDuration())
+}
+
+func (p *Peer) heartbeatDuration() time.Duration {
+	return time.Duration(p.heartbeatInterval * time.Duration(math.Pow(float64(2), p.failedHeartbeats)))
+}
+
 //--------------------------------------
 // Copying
 //--------------------------------------
@@ -116,7 +137,7 @@ func (p *Peer) heartbeat(c chan bool) {
 
 	c <- true
 
-	ticker := time.Tick(p.heartbeatInterval)
+	p.heartbeatTicker = time.Tick(p.heartbeatInterval)
 
 	debugln("peer.heartbeat: ", p.Name, p.heartbeatInterval)
 
@@ -134,7 +155,7 @@ func (p *Peer) heartbeat(c chan bool) {
 				return
 			}
 
-		case <-ticker:
+		case <-p.heartbeatTicker:
 			start := time.Now()
 			p.flush()
 			duration := time.Now().Sub(start)
@@ -168,10 +189,16 @@ func (p *Peer) sendAppendEntriesRequest(req *AppendEntriesRequest) {
 
 	resp := p.server.Transporter().SendAppendEntriesRequest(p.server, p, req)
 	if resp == nil {
+		p.backoffHeartbeat()
 		p.server.DispatchEvent(newEvent(HeartbeatIntervalEventType, p, nil))
 		debugln("peer.append.timeout: ", p.server.Name(), "->", p.Name)
 		return
 	}
+
+	// Reset the failedHeartbeats if it isn't already 0.
+	if p.failedHeartbeats != 0 {
+		p.resetHeartbeatInterval()
+	}
 	traceln("peer.append.resp: ", p.server.Name(), "<-", p.Name)
 
 	// If successful then update the previous log index.
diff --git a/peer_test.go b/peer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4950ea1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/peer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package raft
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestHeartbeatDuration(t *testing.T) {
+	heartbeatInterval := time.Duration(20)
+	p := newPeer(nil, "testpeer", "testpeer", heartbeatInterval)
+	if p.failedHeartbeats != 0 {
+		t.Error("Failed heartbeat counter's default is not 0.")
+	}
+
+	if p.heartbeatDuration() != heartbeatInterval {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected heartbeat duration. Expected %d, got %d", heartbeatInterval, p.heartbeatDuration())
+	}
+
+	p.backoffHeartbeat()
+
+	if p.failedHeartbeats != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("Failed heartbeat counter did not increment. Expected %d, got %d", 1, p.failedHeartbeats)
+	}
+
+	firstBackoff := time.Duration(heartbeatInterval * 2)
+	if p.heartbeatDuration() != firstBackoff {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected heartbeat duration. Expected %d, got %d", firstBackoff, p.heartbeatDuration())
+	}
+
+	p.backoffHeartbeat()
+	secondBackoff := time.Duration(heartbeatInterval * 4)
+	if p.heartbeatDuration() != secondBackoff {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected heartbeat duration. Expected %d, got %d", secondBackoff, p.heartbeatDuration())
+	}
+
+	p.resetHeartbeatInterval()
+	if p.heartbeatDuration() != heartbeatInterval {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected heartbeat interval. Expected %d, got %d", heartbeatInterval, p.heartbeatDuration())
+	}
+}