diff --git a/tchannel/container/heap.py b/tchannel/container/heap.py
index 10ac9355..50a8e6ac 100644
--- a/tchannel/container/heap.py
+++ b/tchannel/container/heap.py
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 
 import math
 import six
+from collections import deque
+
+
+class NoMatchError(Exception):
+    pass
 
 
 class HeapOperation(object):
@@ -48,6 +53,15 @@ def pop(self):
         """Pop an item from the heap"""
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
+    def peek(self, i):
+        """Peek at the item at the given position without removing it from the
+        heap.
+
+        :param i:
+            0-indexed position of the iteam in the heap
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError()
+
     def swap(self, i, j):
         """swap items between position i and j of the heap"""
         raise NotImplementedError()
@@ -122,3 +136,42 @@ def down(h, parent, n):
 
         h.swap(parent, min_child)
         parent = min_child
+
+
+def smallest(h, p, current=0):
+    """Finds the index of the smallest item in the heap that matches the given
+    predicate.
+
+    :param p:
+        Function that accepts an item from the heap and returns true or false.
+    :returns:
+        Index of the first item for which ``p`` returned true.
+    :raises NoMatchError:
+        If no matching items were found.
+    """
+    n = h.size()
+
+    # items contains indexes of items yet to be checked.
+    items = deque([0])
+    while items:
+        current = items.popleft()
+        if current >= n:
+            continue
+
+        if p(h.peek(current)):
+            return current
+
+        child1 = 2 * current + 1
+        child2 = child1 + 1
+
+        if child1 < n and child2 < n and h.lt(child2, child1):
+            # make sure we check the smaller child first.
+            child1, child2 = child2, child1
+
+        if child1 < n:
+            items.append(child1)
+
+        if child2 < n:
+            items.append(child2)
+
+    raise NoMatchError()
diff --git a/tchannel/peer_heap.py b/tchannel/peer_heap.py
index 41db71eb..38b530ce 100644
--- a/tchannel/peer_heap.py
+++ b/tchannel/peer_heap.py
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ def lt(self, i, j):
 
         return self.peers[i].score < self.peers[j].score
 
+    def peek(self, i):
+        return self.peers[i]
+
     def push(self, x):
         x.index = len(self.peers)
         self.peers.append(x)
diff --git a/tests/container/test_heap.py b/tests/container/test_heap.py
index 44bb40ed..e56cb3ae 100644
--- a/tests/container/test_heap.py
+++ b/tests/container/test_heap.py
@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@
 import math
 import pytest
 import six
+from hypothesis import given
+from hypothesis import strategies as st
 
 from tchannel.container import heap
-from tchannel.container.heap import HeapOperation
+from tchannel.container.heap import HeapOperation, NoMatchError
 
 
 class IntHeap(HeapOperation):
@@ -36,6 +38,9 @@ def __init__(self):
     def size(self):
         return len(self.values)
 
+    def peek(self, i):
+        return self.values[i]
+
     def lt(self, i, j):
         return self.values[i] < self.values[j]
 
@@ -123,6 +128,40 @@ def test_remove(int_heap, values):
         verify(int_heap, 0)
 
 
+def test_smallest_basic(int_heap, values):
+    for value in values:
+        heap.push(int_heap, value)
+        verify(int_heap, 0)
+
+    assert heap.smallest(int_heap, (lambda _: True)) == 0
+
+    with pytest.raises(NoMatchError):
+        heap.smallest(int_heap, (lambda _: False))
+
+
+def test_smallest_empty(int_heap):
+    with pytest.raises(NoMatchError):
+        heap.smallest(int_heap, (lambda _: True))
+
+
+def test_smallest_unordered_children(int_heap):
+    int_heap.values = [1, 4, 2]
+    verify(int_heap, 0)
+
+    assert heap.smallest(int_heap, (lambda x: x % 2 == 0)) == 2
+
+
+@given(st.lists(st.integers(), min_size=1))
+def test_smallest_random(values):
+    int_heap = IntHeap()
+    for v in values:
+        heap.push(int_heap, v)
+
+    target = random.choice(int_heap.values)
+    valid = [i for (i, v) in enumerate(int_heap.values) if v == target]
+    assert heap.smallest(int_heap, (lambda x: x == target)) in valid
+
+
 @pytest.mark.heapfuzz
 @pytest.mark.skipif(True, reason='stress test for the value heap operations')
 def test_heap_fuzz(int_heap):