diff --git a/scripts/base/init-bare.bro b/scripts/base/init-bare.bro
index 2b8f278934..4e0d2e73a4 100644
--- a/scripts/base/init-bare.bro
+++ b/scripts/base/init-bare.bro
@@ -1484,6 +1484,14 @@ export {
 	};
 } # end export
 
+module Threading;
+
+export {
+	## The heart beat interval used by the threading framework.
+	## Changing this should usually not be neccessary and will break several tests.
+	const heart_beat_interval = 1.0 secs &redef;
+}
+
 module GLOBAL;
 
 ## An NTP message.
diff --git a/src/const.bif b/src/const.bif
index bc960caeb6..f9e5f61644 100644
--- a/src/const.bif
+++ b/src/const.bif
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@ const NFS3::return_data: bool;
 const NFS3::return_data_max: count;
 const NFS3::return_data_first_only: bool;
 
+const Threading::heart_beat_interval: interval;
diff --git a/src/input/readers/Benchmark.cc b/src/input/readers/Benchmark.cc
index 118b57f616..f0cebd2dc1 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/Benchmark.cc
+++ b/src/input/readers/Benchmark.cc
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ double Benchmark::CurrTime() {
 
 // read the entire file and send appropriate thingies back to InputMgr
 bool Benchmark::DoUpdate() {
-	int linestosend = num_lines * threading::Manager::HEART_BEAT_INTERVAL;
+        int linestosend = num_lines * heart_beat_interval;
 	for ( int i = 0; i < linestosend; i++ ) {
 		Value** field = new Value*[num_fields];
 		for  (unsigned int j = 0; j < num_fields; j++ ) {
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ bool Benchmark::DoUpdate() {
 				diff = CurrTime() - heartbeatstarttime;
 				//printf("%d %f\n", i, diff);
 			//} while ( diff < i/threading::Manager::HEART_BEAT_INTERVAL*(num_lines + (num_lines * timedspread) ) );
-			} while ( diff/threading::Manager::HEART_BEAT_INTERVAL < i/(linestosend + (linestosend * timedspread) ) );
+                        } while ( diff/heart_beat_interval < i/(linestosend + (linestosend * timedspread) ) );
 			//} while ( diff < 0.8); 
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/input/readers/Benchmark.h b/src/input/readers/Benchmark.h
index ca248586da..3133224313 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/Benchmark.h
+++ b/src/input/readers/Benchmark.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ private:
 	int stopspreadat;
 	double heartbeatstarttime;
 	double timedspread;
+	double heart_beat_interval;
 
 	string RandomString(const int len);
 
diff --git a/src/threading/Manager.cc b/src/threading/Manager.cc
index 6a539861be..ec7ab34d14 100644
--- a/src/threading/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/threading/Manager.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 #include "Manager.h"
+#include "NetVar.h"
 
 using namespace threading;
 
@@ -11,6 +12,9 @@ Manager::Manager()
 	next_beat = 0;
 	terminating = false;
 	idle = true;
+
+	heart_beat_interval = double(BifConst::Threading::heart_beat_interval);
+	DBG_LOG(DBG_THREADING, "Heart beat interval set to %f", heart_beat_interval);
 	}
 
 Manager::~Manager()
@@ -74,7 +78,7 @@ void Manager::GetFds(int* read, int* write, int* except)
 double Manager::NextTimestamp(double* network_time)
 	{
 	if ( ::network_time && ! next_beat )
-		next_beat = ::network_time + HEART_BEAT_INTERVAL;
+		next_beat = ::network_time + heart_beat_interval;
 
 //	fprintf(stderr, "N %.6f %.6f did_process=%d next_next=%.6f\n", ::network_time, timer_mgr->Time(), (int)did_process, next_beat);
 
diff --git a/src/threading/Manager.h b/src/threading/Manager.h
index d5d78b288a..541b6d34dc 100644
--- a/src/threading/Manager.h
+++ b/src/threading/Manager.h
@@ -124,9 +124,8 @@ protected:
 	 */
 	virtual const char* Tag()	{ return "threading::Manager"; }
 	
-	static const int HEART_BEAT_INTERVAL = 10;
-
 private:
+	int heart_beat_interval;
 
 	typedef std::list<BasicThread*> all_thread_list;
 	all_thread_list all_threads;