diff --git a/xwords4/relay/crefmgr.cpp b/xwords4/relay/crefmgr.cpp
index 0547497f4..76363669b 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/crefmgr.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/crefmgr.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include "cref.h"
 #include "mlock.h"
 #include "permid.h"
+#include "configs.h"
+#include "timermgr.h"
 
 class SocketStuff {
  public:
@@ -314,6 +316,13 @@ CRefMgr::UnlockCref( CookieRef* cref )
     pthread_mutex_unlock( cref_mutex );
 }
 
+/* static */ void
+CRefMgr::heartbeatProc( void* closure )
+{
+    CRefMgr* self = (CRefMgr*)closure;
+    self->checkHeartbeats( now() );
+} /* heartbeatProc */
+
 CookieRef*
 CRefMgr::AddNew( const char* cookie, const char* connName, CookieID id )
 {
@@ -326,6 +335,14 @@ CRefMgr::AddNew( const char* cookie, const char* connName, CookieID id )
     m_cookieMap.insert( pair<CookieID, CookieRef*>(ref->GetCookieID(), ref ) );
     logf( XW_LOGINFO, "paired cookie %s/connName %s with id %d", 
           (cookie?cookie:"NULL"), connName, ref->GetCookieID() );
+
+    if ( m_cookieMap.size() == 1 ) {
+        RelayConfigs* cfg = RelayConfigs::GetConfigs();
+        short heartbeat = cfg->GetHeartbeatInterval();
+        TimerMgr::GetTimerMgr()->SetTimer( heartbeat, heartbeatProc, this,
+                                           heartbeat );
+    }
+
     return ref;
 } /* AddNew */
 
@@ -354,6 +371,12 @@ CRefMgr::Delete( CookieRef* cref )
     iter2 = m_crefMutexes.find(cref);
     m_crefMutexes.erase( iter2 );
 
+    delete cref;
+
+    if ( m_cookieMap.size() == 0 ) {
+        TimerMgr::GetTimerMgr()->ClearTimer( heartbeatProc, this );
+    }
+
     logf( XW_LOGINFO, "CRefMgr::Delete done" );
 }
 
@@ -392,7 +415,7 @@ CRefMgr::getCookieRef_impl( CookieID cookieID )
 }
 
 void
-CRefMgr::CheckHeartbeats( time_t now )
+CRefMgr::checkHeartbeats( time_t now )
 {
     vector<CookieRef*> crefs;
 
@@ -410,7 +433,7 @@ CRefMgr::CheckHeartbeats( time_t now )
         SafeCref scr( crefs[i] );
         scr.CheckHeartbeats( now );
     }
-} /* CheckHeartbeats */
+} /* checkHeartbeats */
 
 /* static */ CookieMapIterator
 CRefMgr::GetCookieIterator()
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/crefmgr.h b/xwords4/relay/crefmgr.h
index 84cf57533..b58da77a2 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/crefmgr.h
+++ b/xwords4/relay/crefmgr.h
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ class CRefMgr {
     CookieMapIterator GetCookieIterator();
 
     /* PENDING.  These need to go through SafeCref */
-    void CheckHeartbeats( time_t now );
     void Delete( CookieID id );
     void Delete( CookieRef* cref );
     void Delete( const char* connName );
@@ -91,6 +90,9 @@ class CRefMgr {
     CookieID cookieIDForConnName( const char* connName );
     CookieID nextCID( const char* connName );
 
+    static void heartbeatProc( void* closure );
+    void checkHeartbeats( time_t now );
+
     CookieID m_nextCID;
 
     int LockCref( CookieRef* cref );
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
index 1771a1a96..4466fc976 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
@@ -387,12 +387,6 @@ make_socket( unsigned long addr, unsigned short port )
     return sock;
 } /* make_socket */
 
-static void
-HeartbeatProc( void* closure )
-{
-    CRefMgr::Get()->CheckHeartbeats( now() );
-} /* HeartbeatProc */
-
 enum { FLAG_HELP
        ,FLAG_CONFFILE
        ,FLAG_PORT
@@ -534,10 +528,6 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv )
     XWThreadPool* tPool = XWThreadPool::GetTPool();
     tPool->Setup( nWorkerThreads, processMessage );
 
-    short heartbeat = cfg->GetHeartbeatInterval();
-    TimerMgr::GetTimerMgr()->SetTimer( heartbeat, HeartbeatProc, NULL, 
-                                       heartbeat );
-
     /* set up select call */
     fd_set rfds;
     for ( ; ; ) {