diff --git a/src/server/test.rs b/src/server/test.rs
index cc7c04b8cc..832b820dd9 100644
--- a/src/server/test.rs
+++ b/src/server/test.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,10 @@ async fn get_test_state(settings: &Settings) -> ServerState {
         metrics: Box::new(metrics),
         port: settings.port,
         quota_enabled: settings.enable_quota,
-        deadman: Arc::new(RwLock::new(Deadman::default())),
+        deadman: Arc::new(RwLock::new(Deadman {
+            max_size: settings.database_pool_max_size,
+            ..Default::default()
+        })),
     }
 }
 
@@ -695,3 +698,60 @@ async fn overquota() {
     let resp = app.call(req).await.unwrap();
     assert!(resp.response().status().is_success());
 }
+
+#[actix_rt::test]
+async fn lbheartbeat_check() {
+    use actix_web::web::Buf;
+
+    let mut settings = get_test_settings();
+    settings.database_pool_max_size = Some(10);
+
+    let mut app = init_app!(settings).await;
+
+    // Test all is well.
+    let lb_req = create_request(http::Method::GET, "/__lbheartbeat__", None, None).to_request();
+    let sresp = app.call(lb_req).await.unwrap();
+    let status = sresp.status();
+    // dbg!(status, test::read_body(sresp).await);
+    assert!(status.is_success());
+
+    // Exhaust the connections.
+    let mut headers: HashMap<&str, String> = HashMap::new();
+    headers.insert("TEST_CONNECTIONS", "10".to_owned());
+    headers.insert("TEST_IDLES", "0".to_owned());
+    let req = create_request(
+        http::Method::GET,
+        "/__lbheartbeat__",
+        Some(headers.clone()),
+        None,
+    )
+    .to_request();
+    let sresp = app.call(req).await.unwrap();
+    let status = sresp.status();
+    // dbg!(status, test::read_body(sresp).await);
+    assert!(status == StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
+
+    // check duration for exhausted connections
+    std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1));
+    let req =
+        create_request(http::Method::GET, "/__lbheartbeat__", Some(headers), None).to_request();
+    let sresp = app.call(req).await.unwrap();
+    let status = sresp.status();
+    let body = test::read_body(sresp).await;
+    let resp: HashMap<String, serde_json::value::Value> =
+        serde_json::de::from_str(std::str::from_utf8(body.bytes()).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    // dbg!(status, body, &resp);
+    assert!(status == StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
+    assert!(resp.get("duration_ms").unwrap().as_u64().unwrap() > 1000);
+
+    // check recovery
+    let mut headers: HashMap<&str, String> = HashMap::new();
+    headers.insert("TEST_CONNECTIONS", "5".to_owned());
+    headers.insert("TEST_IDLES", "5".to_owned());
+    let req =
+        create_request(http::Method::GET, "/__lbheartbeat__", Some(headers), None).to_request();
+    let sresp = app.call(req).await.unwrap();
+    let status = sresp.status();
+    // dbg!(status, test::read_body(sresp).await);
+    assert!(status == StatusCode::OK);
+}
diff --git a/src/web/handlers.rs b/src/web/handlers.rs
index e73a8ba48d..345da2ae96 100644
--- a/src/web/handlers.rs
+++ b/src/web/handlers.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 //! API Handlers
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
-use actix_web::{http::StatusCode, web::Data, Error, HttpRequest, HttpResponse};
+use actix_web::{
+    dev::HttpResponseBuilder, http::StatusCode, web::Data, Error, HttpRequest, HttpResponse,
+};
 use serde::Serialize;
 use serde_json::{json, Value};
 
@@ -553,15 +555,44 @@ pub async fn lbheartbeat(req: HttpRequest) -> Result<HttpResponse, Error> {
 
     let deadarc = state.deadman.clone();
     let mut deadman = *deadarc.read().await;
-    let db_state = state.db_pool.clone().state();
+    let db_state = if cfg!(test) {
+        use crate::db::results::PoolState;
+        use actix_web::http::header::HeaderValue;
+        use std::str::FromStr;
+
+        let test_pool = PoolState {
+            connections: u32::from_str(
+                req.headers()
+                    .get("TEST_CONNECTIONS")
+                    .unwrap_or(&HeaderValue::from_static("0"))
+                    .to_str()
+                    .unwrap_or("0"),
+            )
+            .unwrap_or_default(),
+            idle_connections: u32::from_str(
+                req.headers()
+                    .get("TEST_IDLES")
+                    .unwrap_or(&HeaderValue::from_static("0"))
+                    .to_str()
+                    .unwrap_or("0"),
+            )
+            .unwrap_or_default(),
+        };
+        // dbg!(&test_pool, deadman.max_size);
+        test_pool
+    } else {
+        state.db_pool.clone().state()
+    };
 
     let active = db_state.connections - db_state.idle_connections;
+    let mut status_code = StatusCode::OK;
 
     if let Some(max_size) = deadman.max_size {
         if active >= max_size && db_state.idle_connections == 0 {
-            if deadman.previous_count > 0 {
+            if deadman.clock_start.is_none() {
                 deadman.clock_start = Some(time::Instant::now());
             }
+            status_code = StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
         } else if deadman.clock_start.is_some() {
             deadman.clock_start = None
         }
@@ -583,7 +614,7 @@ pub async fn lbheartbeat(req: HttpRequest) -> Result<HttpResponse, Error> {
         };
     }
 
-    Ok(HttpResponse::Ok().json(json!(resp)))
+    Ok(HttpResponseBuilder::new(status_code).json(json!(resp)))
 }
 
 // try returning an API error