diff --git a/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc b/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
index 84c37d1bdc..be264a2d9c 100644
--- a/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
+++ b/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
@@ -106,17 +106,25 @@ bool WriterBackend::WriterInfo::FromBroker(broker::data d) {
     return true;
 }
 
-WriterBackend::WriterBackend(WriterFrontend* arg_frontend) : MsgThread() {
+// Remove in v9.1
+WriterBackend::WriterBackend(WriterFrontend* arg_frontend, bool arg_send_heartbeats) : MsgThread() {
     num_fields = 0;
     fields = nullptr;
     buffering = true;
     frontend = arg_frontend;
     info = new WriterInfo(frontend->Info());
     rotation_counter = 0;
+    send_heartbeats = arg_send_heartbeats;
 
     SetName(frontend->Name());
 }
 
+#pragma GCC diagnostic push
+#pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wdeprecated-declarations"
+WriterBackend::WriterBackend(NoThreadingHeartbeats, WriterFrontend* arg_frontend)
+    : WriterBackend(arg_frontend, false) {}
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
+
 WriterBackend::~WriterBackend() {
     if ( fields ) {
         for ( int i = 0; i < num_fields; ++i )
@@ -283,6 +291,13 @@ bool WriterBackend::Flush(double network_time) {
     return true;
 }
 
+void WriterBackend::Heartbeat() {
+    if ( ! send_heartbeats )
+        return;
+
+    MsgThread::Heartbeat();
+}
+
 bool WriterBackend::OnFinish(double network_time) {
     if ( Failed() )
         return true;
diff --git a/src/logging/WriterBackend.h b/src/logging/WriterBackend.h
index e67773ff64..65619c3555 100644
--- a/src/logging/WriterBackend.h
+++ b/src/logging/WriterBackend.h
@@ -38,9 +38,28 @@ public:
      * frontend, it's running in a different thread.
      *
      * @param name A descriptive name for writer's type (e.g., \c Ascii).
-     *
      */
-    explicit WriterBackend(WriterFrontend* frontend);
+    [[deprecated(
+        "Remove in v9.1: Use WriterBackend(NoThreadingHeartbeats{}, frontend). If you have a use for heartbeats in "
+        "your WriterBackend, trigger these via a dedicated timer instead.")]]
+    explicit WriterBackend(WriterFrontend* frontend, bool send_heartbeats = true);
+
+    /**
+     * Marker struct to disable threading heartbeats.
+     */
+    struct NoThreadingHeartbeats {};
+
+    /**
+     * Constructor that disables heartbeats.
+     *
+     * @param frontend The frontend writer that created this backend. The
+     * *only* purpose of this value is to be passed back via messages as
+     * a argument to callbacks. One must not otherwise access the
+     * frontend, it's running in a different thread.
+     *
+     * @param name A descriptive name for writer's type (e.g., \c Ascii).
+     */
+    WriterBackend(NoThreadingHeartbeats, WriterFrontend* frontend);
 
     /**
      * Destructor.
@@ -262,6 +281,11 @@ public:
 protected:
     friend class FinishMessage;
 
+    /**
+     * Overridden from MsgThread to skip sending heartbeats if disabled.
+     */
+    void Heartbeat() override;
+
     /**
      * Writer-specific initialization method.
      *
@@ -371,7 +395,7 @@ protected:
      * This method can be overridden. Default implementation does
      * nothing.
      */
-    virtual bool DoHeartbeat(double network_time, double current_time) = 0;
+    virtual bool DoHeartbeat(double network_time, double current_time) { return true; }
 
 private:
     /**
@@ -389,6 +413,8 @@ private:
     bool buffering;                        // True if buffering is enabled.
 
     int rotation_counter; // Tracks FinishedRotation() calls.
+
+    bool send_heartbeats;
 };
 
 } // namespace zeek::logging
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.cc b/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.cc
index f012871309..ea32b4045e 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.cc
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ static std::optional<LeftoverLog> parse_shadow_log(const std::string& fname) {
     return rval;
 }
 
-Ascii::Ascii(WriterFrontend* frontend) : WriterBackend(frontend) {
+Ascii::Ascii(WriterFrontend* frontend) : WriterBackend(NoThreadingHeartbeats{}, frontend) {
     fd = 0;
     ascii_done = false;
     output_to_stdout = false;
@@ -664,11 +664,6 @@ bool Ascii::DoSetBuf(bool enabled) {
     return true;
 }
 
-bool Ascii::DoHeartbeat(double network_time, double current_time) {
-    // Nothing to do.
-    return true;
-}
-
 static std::vector<LeftoverLog> find_leftover_logs() {
     std::vector<LeftoverLog> rval;
     std::vector<std::string> stale_shadow_files;
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.h b/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.h
index 0bbf185082..d286597c23 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.h
+++ b/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.h
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ protected:
     bool DoRotate(const char* rotated_path, double open, double close, bool terminating) override;
     bool DoFlush(double network_time) override;
     bool DoFinish(double network_time) override;
-    bool DoHeartbeat(double network_time, double current_time) override;
 
 private:
     friend class plugin::detail::Zeek_AsciiWriter::Plugin;
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/none/None.h b/src/logging/writers/none/None.h
index 25f1724348..027a921aa2 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/none/None.h
+++ b/src/logging/writers/none/None.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ namespace zeek::logging::writer::detail {
 
 class None : public WriterBackend {
 public:
-    explicit None(WriterFrontend* frontend) : WriterBackend(frontend) {}
+    explicit None(WriterFrontend* frontend) : WriterBackend(NoThreadingHeartbeats{}, frontend) {}
     ~None() override {};
 
     static WriterBackend* Instantiate(WriterFrontend* frontend) { return new None(frontend); }
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ protected:
     bool DoRotate(const char* rotated_path, double open, double close, bool terminating) override;
     bool DoFlush(double network_time) override { return true; }
     bool DoFinish(double network_time) override { return true; }
-    bool DoHeartbeat(double network_time, double current_time) override { return true; }
 };
 
 } // namespace zeek::logging::writer::detail
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/sqlite/SQLite.cc b/src/logging/writers/sqlite/SQLite.cc
index eb86370a64..229a0d574b 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/sqlite/SQLite.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/sqlite/SQLite.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ using zeek::threading::Value;
 
 namespace zeek::logging::writer::detail {
 
-SQLite::SQLite(WriterFrontend* frontend) : WriterBackend(frontend) {
+SQLite::SQLite(WriterFrontend* frontend) : WriterBackend(NoThreadingHeartbeats{}, frontend) {
     set_separator.assign((const char*)BifConst::LogSQLite::set_separator->Bytes(),
                          BifConst::LogSQLite::set_separator->Len());
 
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/sqlite/SQLite.h b/src/logging/writers/sqlite/SQLite.h
index 86181037a7..8461d3cbfb 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/sqlite/SQLite.h
+++ b/src/logging/writers/sqlite/SQLite.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ protected:
     bool DoRotate(const char* rotated_path, double open, double close, bool terminating) override;
     bool DoFlush(double network_time) override { return true; }
     bool DoFinish(double network_time) override { return true; }
-    bool DoHeartbeat(double network_time, double current_time) override { return true; }
 
 private:
     bool checkError(int code);