diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_heartbeat_debug.result b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_heartbeat_debug.result
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b9dec686e4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/r/rpl_heartbeat_debug.result
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+include/master-slave.inc
+[connection master]
+include/stop_slave.inc
+set @restore_slave_net_timeout= @@global.slave_net_timeout;
+set @@global.slave_net_timeout= 10;
+show status like 'Slave_heartbeat_period';;
+Variable_name	Slave_heartbeat_period
+Value	60.000
+SET @save_dbug= @@GLOBAL.debug_dbug;
+SET GLOBAL debug_dbug="+d,simulate_slave_heartbeat_network_error";
+CALL mtr.add_suppression('SET @master_heartbeat_period to master failed with error');
+CALL mtr.add_suppression('Master command COM_REGISTER_SLAVE failed: failed registering on master, reconnecting to try again');
+include/start_slave.inc
+drop table if exists t1;
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT PRIMARY KEY);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+a
+1
+drop table t1;
+include/stop_slave.inc
+SET GLOBAL debug_dbug=@save_dbug;
+set @@global.slave_net_timeout= @restore_slave_net_timeout;
+include/start_slave.inc
+include/rpl_end.inc
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_heartbeat_debug.test b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_heartbeat_debug.test
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7cdf67d6532
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/rpl/t/rpl_heartbeat_debug.test
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Testing master to slave heartbeat protocol, test cases that need debug build.
+
+--source include/master-slave.inc
+--source include/have_debug.inc
+
+connection slave;
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
+set @restore_slave_net_timeout= @@global.slave_net_timeout;
+--disable_warnings
+set @@global.slave_net_timeout= 10;
+--enable_warnings
+
+###
+### Checking the range
+###
+
+#
+# default period slave_net_timeout/2
+#
+--query_vertical show status like 'Slave_heartbeat_period';
+SET @save_dbug= @@GLOBAL.debug_dbug;
+SET GLOBAL debug_dbug="+d,simulate_slave_heartbeat_network_error";
+CALL mtr.add_suppression('SET @master_heartbeat_period to master failed with error');
+CALL mtr.add_suppression('Master command COM_REGISTER_SLAVE failed: failed registering on master, reconnecting to try again');
+--source include/start_slave.inc
+
+
+connection master;
+--disable_warnings
+drop table if exists t1;
+--enable_warnings
+
+CREATE TABLE t1 (a INT PRIMARY KEY);
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
+
+sync_slave_with_master;
+
+--connection slave
+SELECT * FROM t1;
+
+connection master;
+drop table t1;
+
+connection slave;
+--source include/stop_slave.inc
+--disable_warnings
+SET GLOBAL debug_dbug=@save_dbug;
+set @@global.slave_net_timeout= @restore_slave_net_timeout;
+--enable_warnings
+--source include/start_slave.inc
+
+--source include/rpl_end.inc
diff --git a/sql/slave.cc b/sql/slave.cc
index 702b6d38cbe..78f152fd2fd 100644
--- a/sql/slave.cc
+++ b/sql/slave.cc
@@ -1630,15 +1630,35 @@ when it try to get the value of TIME_ZONE global variable from master.";
     llstr((ulonglong) (mi->heartbeat_period*1000000000UL), llbuf);
     sprintf(query, query_format, llbuf);
 
-    if (mysql_real_query(mysql, query, strlen(query))
-        && !check_io_slave_killed(mi->io_thd, mi, NULL))
+    DBUG_EXECUTE_IF("simulate_slave_heartbeat_network_error",
+                    { static ulong dbug_count= 0;
+                      if (++dbug_count < 3)
+                        goto heartbeat_network_error;
+                    });
+    if (mysql_real_query(mysql, query, strlen(query)))
     {
-      errmsg= "The slave I/O thread stops because SET @master_heartbeat_period "
-        "on master failed.";
-      err_code= ER_SLAVE_FATAL_ERROR;
-      sprintf(err_buff, "%s Error: %s", errmsg, mysql_error(mysql));
-      mysql_free_result(mysql_store_result(mysql));
-      goto err;
+      if (check_io_slave_killed(mi->io_thd, mi, NULL))
+        goto slave_killed_err;
+
+      if (is_network_error(mysql_errno(mysql)))
+      {
+      IF_DBUG(heartbeat_network_error: , )
+        mi->report(WARNING_LEVEL, mysql_errno(mysql),
+                   "SET @master_heartbeat_period to master failed with error: %s",
+                   mysql_error(mysql));
+        mysql_free_result(mysql_store_result(mysql));
+        goto network_err;
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        /* Fatal error */
+        errmsg= "The slave I/O thread stops because a fatal error is encountered "
+          "when it tries to SET @master_heartbeat_period on master.";
+        err_code= ER_SLAVE_FATAL_ERROR;
+        sprintf(err_buff, "%s Error: %s", errmsg, mysql_error(mysql));
+        mysql_free_result(mysql_store_result(mysql));
+        goto err;
+      }
     }
     mysql_free_result(mysql_store_result(mysql));
   }