diff --git a/apiserver/api/internal.js b/apiserver/api/internal.js
index 6c968e9..2e3ffcb 100644
--- a/apiserver/api/internal.js
+++ b/apiserver/api/internal.js
@@ -139,5 +139,14 @@ module.exports = {
 
       cb();
     } 
+  },
+
+  // Increment an app's heartbeat by 1
+  incrementHeartbeat: {
+    routePath : '/internal/incrementHeartbeat',
+    payloadSource: 'body',
+    method: 'POST',
+    okayCode: 200,
+    errorCode: 404
   }
 };
diff --git a/postgres/openruko_api/functions/increment_heartbeat.pgsql b/postgres/openruko_api/functions/increment_heartbeat.pgsql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba2da38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/postgres/openruko_api/functions/increment_heartbeat.pgsql
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION increment_heartbeat(p_instance_id text)
+RETURNS SETOF integer AS
+$BODY$
+DECLARE
+  v_heartbeats integer;
+  v_app_id integer;
+BEGIN
+
+  SELECT app_id FROM instance WHERE id = p_instance_id
+    LIMIT 1
+      INTO v_app_id;
+
+  SELECT heartbeats FROM app WHERE id = v_app_id
+    LIMIT 1
+      INTO v_heartbeats;
+
+  IF v_heartbeats IS NOT null THEN
+    UPDATE app
+      SET heartbeats = heartbeats + 1
+    WHERE id = v_app_id;
+  ELSE
+    UPDATE app
+      SET heartbeats = 1
+    WHERE id = v_app_id;
+  END IF;
+
+  RETURN QUERY SELECT app.heartbeats FROM app WHERE id = v_app_id;
+
+END;
+$BODY$
+LANGUAGE plpgsql VOLATILE
+-- vim: set filetype=pgsql :
+
diff --git a/postgres/openruko_data/tables/0.1.1.do.app.pgsql b/postgres/openruko_data/tables/0.1.1.do.app.pgsql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae04395
--- /dev/null
+++ b/postgres/openruko_data/tables/0.1.1.do.app.pgsql
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ALTER TABLE app ADD COLUMN heartbeats integer;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/internal-provisionJob.js b/test/internal-provisionJob.js
index ffdb4cc..2d98135 100644
--- a/test/internal-provisionJob.js
+++ b/test/internal-provisionJob.js
@@ -226,6 +226,20 @@ describe('internal provisionJob', function(){
       }, 30);
     });
 
+    it('it should handle heartbeats and increment an app\'s total heartbeats', function(done){
+      var instance_id;
+      preReceiveMock('myApp', function(){
+        dynohostMock.getJobs(function(err, data){
+          if(err) return done(err);
+          instance_id = data[0].instance_id;
+          dynohostMock.incrementHeartbeat(instance_id, function(err, body){
+            expect(body.rows[0].increment_heartbeat).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+            done();
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    })
+
     describe('when updating the repo', function(){
       beforeEach(function(done){
         preReceiveMock('myApp', done);
diff --git a/test/mock/dynohost.js b/test/mock/dynohost.js
index a8cd9b6..95f552f 100644
--- a/test/mock/dynohost.js
+++ b/test/mock/dynohost.js
@@ -15,6 +15,17 @@ exports.updateState = function(appId, dynoId, instanceId, state, cb){
   }, cb);
 };
 
+exports.incrementHeartbeat = function(instanceId, cb){
+  request.post({
+    url: base + '/internal/incrementHeartbeat',
+    json: {
+      instanceId: instanceId
+    }
+  }, function(err, resp, body){
+    cb(err, body);
+  });
+};
+
 exports.getJobs = function(cb){
   request({
     url: base + '/internal/getjobs',