diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index c38426a4..e8ae6401 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ cinder_db_connection_recycle_time: "{{ openstack_db_connection_recycle_time | de
 
 ## Oslo Messaging
 
+# RabbitMQ
+cinder_oslomsg_heartbeat_in_pthread: "{{ oslomsg_heartbeat_in_pthread | default(_cinder_oslomsg_heartbeat_in_pthread) }}"
+
 # RPC
 cinder_oslomsg_rpc_host_group: "{{ oslomsg_rpc_host_group | default('rabbitmq_all') }}"
 cinder_oslomsg_rpc_setup_host: "{{ (cinder_oslomsg_rpc_host_group in groups) | ternary(groups[cinder_oslomsg_rpc_host_group][0], 'localhost') }}"
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/heartbeat-in-pthread-d0c9958361c224f0.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/heartbeat-in-pthread-d0c9958361c224f0.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3782fda0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/heartbeat-in-pthread-d0c9958361c224f0.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixes a file descriptor leak which may impact services which use the
+    oslo.messaging RabbitMQ heartbeat mechanism.
diff --git a/templates/cinder.conf.j2 b/templates/cinder.conf.j2
index 2581eba2..a7c550c8 100644
--- a/templates/cinder.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/cinder.conf.j2
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ max_pool_size = {{ cinder_db_max_pool_size }}
 pool_timeout = {{ cinder_db_pool_timeout }}
 connection_recycle_time = {{ cinder_db_connection_recycle_time }}
 
+[oslo_messaging_rabbit]
+heartbeat_in_pthread = {{ cinder_oslomsg_heartbeat_in_pthread }}
+
 [oslo_messaging_notifications]
 driver = {{ (cinder_ceilometer_enabled | bool) | ternary('messagingv2', 'noop') }}
 transport_url = {{ cinder_oslomsg_notify_transport }}://{% for host in cinder_oslomsg_notify_servers.split(',') %}{{ cinder_oslomsg_notify_userid }}:{{ cinder_oslomsg_notify_password }}@{{ host }}:{{ cinder_oslomsg_notify_port }}{% if not loop.last %},{% else %}/{{ cinder_oslomsg_notify_vhost }}{% if cinder_oslomsg_notify_use_ssl | bool %}?ssl=1&ssl_version={{ cinder_oslomsg_notify_ssl_version }}&ssl_ca_file={{ cinder_oslomsg_notify_ssl_ca_file }}{% else %}?ssl=0{% endif %}{% endif %}{% endfor %}
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 9338fc8a..becd5e7b 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -119,3 +119,5 @@ cinder_service_catalog:
     type: "{{ cinder_service_v3_type }}"
     description: "{{ cinder_service_v3_description }}"
     state: present
+
+_cinder_oslomsg_heartbeat_in_pthread: "{{ (cinder_services['cinder-volume']['group'] in group_names) | ternary(False, True) }}"