diff --git a/kafka/coordinator/base.py b/kafka/coordinator/base.py
index 852157811..b128e5548 100644
--- a/kafka/coordinator/base.py
+++ b/kafka/coordinator/base.py
@@ -250,6 +250,11 @@ def coordinator(self):
         else:
             return self.coordinator_id
 
+    def connected(self):
+        """Return True iff the coordinator node is connected"""
+        with self._lock:
+            return self.coordinator_id is not None and self._client.connected(self.coordinator_id)
+
     def ensure_coordinator_ready(self, timeout_ms=None):
         """Block until the coordinator for this group is known.
 
@@ -1058,28 +1063,28 @@ def _run_once(self):
         self.coordinator._client._lock.acquire()
         self.coordinator._lock.acquire()
         try:
-            if self.enabled and self.coordinator.state is MemberState.STABLE:
-                # TODO: When consumer.wakeup() is implemented, we need to
-                # disable here to prevent propagating an exception to this
-                # heartbeat thread
-                # must get client._lock, or maybe deadlock at heartbeat 
-                # failure callback in consumer poll
-                self.coordinator._client.poll(timeout_ms=0)
-
             if not self.enabled:
                 heartbeat_log.debug('Heartbeat disabled. Waiting')
                 self.coordinator._client._lock.release()
                 self.coordinator._lock.wait()
-                heartbeat_log.debug('Heartbeat re-enabled.')
+                if self.enabled:
+                    heartbeat_log.debug('Heartbeat re-enabled.')
+                return
 
-            elif self.coordinator.state is not MemberState.STABLE:
+            if self.coordinator.state is not MemberState.STABLE:
                 # the group is not stable (perhaps because we left the
                 # group or because the coordinator kicked us out), so
                 # disable heartbeats and wait for the main thread to rejoin.
                 heartbeat_log.debug('Group state is not stable, disabling heartbeats')
                 self.disable()
+                return
+
+            # TODO: When consumer.wakeup() is implemented, we need to
+            # disable here to prevent propagating an exception to this
+            # heartbeat thread
+            self.coordinator._client.poll(timeout_ms=0)
 
-            elif self.coordinator.coordinator_unknown():
+            if self.coordinator.coordinator_unknown():
                 future = self.coordinator.lookup_coordinator()
                 if not future.is_done or future.failed():
                     # the immediate future check ensures that we backoff
@@ -1088,6 +1093,10 @@ def _run_once(self):
                     self.coordinator._client._lock.release()
                     self.coordinator._lock.wait(self.coordinator.config['retry_backoff_ms'] / 1000)
 
+            elif not self.coordinator.connected():
+                self.coordinator._client._lock.release()
+                self.coordinator._lock.wait(self.coordinator.config['retry_backoff_ms'] / 1000)
+
             elif self.coordinator.heartbeat.session_timeout_expired():
                 # the session timeout has expired without seeing a
                 # successful heartbeat, so we should probably make sure
@@ -1103,11 +1112,10 @@ def _run_once(self):
                 self.coordinator.maybe_leave_group()
 
             elif not self.coordinator.heartbeat.should_heartbeat():
-                # poll again after waiting for the retry backoff in case
-                # the heartbeat failed or the coordinator disconnected
-                heartbeat_log.log(0, 'Not ready to heartbeat, waiting')
+                next_hb = self.coordinator.heartbeat.time_to_next_heartbeat()
+                heartbeat_log.debug('Waiting %0.1f secs to send next heartbeat', next_hb)
                 self.coordinator._client._lock.release()
-                self.coordinator._lock.wait(self.coordinator.config['retry_backoff_ms'] / 1000)
+                self.coordinator._lock.wait(next_hb)
 
             else:
                 self.coordinator.heartbeat.sent_heartbeat()
diff --git a/test/test_coordinator.py b/test/test_coordinator.py
index 251de566a..4ffe1d28c 100644
--- a/test/test_coordinator.py
+++ b/test/test_coordinator.py
@@ -658,6 +658,7 @@ def test_heartbeat(mocker, patched_coord):
     heartbeat.enable()
     patched_coord.state = MemberState.STABLE
     mocker.spy(patched_coord, '_send_heartbeat_request')
+    mocker.patch.object(patched_coord, 'connected', return_value=True)
     mocker.patch.object(patched_coord.heartbeat, 'should_heartbeat', return_value=True)
     heartbeat._run_once()
     assert patched_coord._send_heartbeat_request.call_count == 1