diff --git a/api/icsneocpp/event.cpp b/api/icsneocpp/event.cpp
index 2cd95ed..ec95b20 100644
--- a/api/icsneocpp/event.cpp
+++ b/api/icsneocpp/event.cpp
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ static constexpr const char* NO_DEVICE_RESPONSE = "Expected a response from the
 static constexpr const char* MESSAGE_FORMATTING = "The message was not properly formed.";
 static constexpr const char* CANFD_NOT_SUPPORTED = "This device does not support CANFD.";
 static constexpr const char* RTR_NOT_SUPPORTED = "RTR is not supported with CANFD.";
+static constexpr const char* DEVICE_DISCONNECTED = "The device was disconnected.";
 
 // Transport Errors
 static constexpr const char* FAILED_TO_READ = "A read operation failed.";
@@ -184,6 +185,8 @@ const char* APIEvent::DescriptionForType(Type type) {
 			return CANFD_NOT_SUPPORTED;
 		case Type::RTRNotSupported:
 			return RTR_NOT_SUPPORTED;
+		case Type::DeviceDisconnected:
+			return DEVICE_DISCONNECTED;
 
 		// Transport Errors
 		case Type::FailedToRead:
diff --git a/device/device.cpp b/device/device.cpp
index 7361baf..0ca2ca0 100644
--- a/device/device.cpp
+++ b/device/device.cpp
@@ -205,6 +205,32 @@ bool Device::open() {
 		handleInternalMessage(message);
 	}));
 
+	std::atomic<bool> receivedMessage{false};
+	messageReceivedCallbackID = com->addMessageCallback(MessageCallback(filter, [&](std::shared_ptr<Message> message) {
+		receivedMessage = true;
+	}));
+
+	heartbeatThread = std::thread([&]() {
+		EventManager::GetInstance().downgradeErrorsOnCurrentThread();
+		while(true) {
+			// Wait for 110ms for a possible heartbeat
+			std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(110));
+			if(!receivedMessage) {
+				// No heartbeat received, request a status
+				com->sendCommand(Command::RequestStatusUpdate);
+				// The response should come back quickly if the com is quiet
+				std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(10));
+				// Check if we got a message, and if not, if settings are being applied
+				if(!receivedMessage && !settings->applyingSettings) {
+					if(!stopHeartbeatThread)
+						report(APIEvent::Type::DeviceDisconnected, APIEvent::Severity::Error);
+					return;
+				}
+			}
+			receivedMessage = false;
+		}
+	});
+
 	forEachExtension([](const std::shared_ptr<DeviceExtension>& ext) { ext->onDeviceOpen(); return true; });
 	return true;
 }
@@ -215,12 +241,17 @@ bool Device::close() {
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	stopHeartbeatThread = true;
+
 	if(isOnline())
 		goOffline();
 	
 	if(internalHandlerCallbackID)
 		com->removeMessageCallback(internalHandlerCallbackID);
 
+	if(messageReceivedCallbackID)
+		com->removeMessageCallback(messageReceivedCallbackID);
+
 	internalHandlerCallbackID = 0;
 
 	forEachExtension([](const std::shared_ptr<DeviceExtension>& ext) { ext->onDeviceClose(); return true; });
diff --git a/device/idevicesettings.cpp b/device/idevicesettings.cpp
index 7ab95be..bd78490 100644
--- a/device/idevicesettings.cpp
+++ b/device/idevicesettings.cpp
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ bool IDeviceSettings::apply(bool temporary) {
 	bytestream[6] = (uint8_t)(gs_checksum >> 8);
 	memcpy(bytestream.data() + 7, getMutableRawStructurePointer(), settings.size());
 
+	// Pause I/O with the device while the settings are applied
+	applyingSettings = true;
 	
 	std::shared_ptr<Message> msg = com->waitForMessageSync([this, &bytestream]() {
 		return com->sendCommand(Command::SetSettings, bytestream);
@@ -250,6 +252,8 @@ bool IDeviceSettings::apply(bool temporary) {
 		}, Main51MessageFilter(Command::SaveSettings), std::chrono::milliseconds(5000));
 	}
 	
+	applyingSettings = false;
+
 	refresh(); // Refresh our buffer with what the device has, whether we were successful or not
 
 	bool ret = (msg && msg->data[0] == 1); // Device sends 0x01 for success
@@ -270,6 +274,8 @@ bool IDeviceSettings::applyDefaults(bool temporary) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	applyingSettings = true;
+
 	std::shared_ptr<Message> msg = com->waitForMessageSync([this]() {
 		return com->sendCommand(Command::SetDefaultSettings);
 	}, Main51MessageFilter(Command::SetDefaultSettings), std::chrono::milliseconds(1000));
@@ -317,6 +323,8 @@ bool IDeviceSettings::applyDefaults(bool temporary) {
 			return com->sendCommand(Command::SaveSettings);
 		}, Main51MessageFilter(Command::SaveSettings), std::chrono::milliseconds(5000));
 	}
+
+	applyingSettings = false;
 	
 	refresh(); // Refresh our buffer with what the device has, whether we were successful or not
 
diff --git a/include/icsneo/api/event.h b/include/icsneo/api/event.h
index fdc5a6b..2b3751b 100644
--- a/include/icsneo/api/event.h
+++ b/include/icsneo/api/event.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ public:
 		MessageFormattingError = 0x2019,
 		CANFDNotSupported = 0x2020,
 		RTRNotSupported = 0x2021,
+		DeviceDisconnected = 0x2022,
 
 		// Transport Events
 		FailedToRead = 0x3000,
diff --git a/include/icsneo/device/device.h b/include/icsneo/device/device.h
index e66df10..417b099 100644
--- a/include/icsneo/device/device.h
+++ b/include/icsneo/device/device.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <utility>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <atomic>
 #include "icsneo/api/eventmanager.h"
 #include "icsneo/device/neodevice.h"
 #include "icsneo/device/idevicesettings.h"
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ public:
 		if(isMessagePollingEnabled())
 			disableMessagePolling();
 		close();
+		if(heartbeatThread.joinable())
+			heartbeatThread.join();
 	}
 
 	static std::string SerialNumToString(uint32_t serial);
@@ -100,6 +103,7 @@ protected:
 	bool online = false;
 	int messagePollingCallbackID = 0;
 	int internalHandlerCallbackID = 0;
+	int messageReceivedCallbackID = 0;
 	device_eventhandler_t report;
 
 	// START Initialization Functions
@@ -211,6 +215,9 @@ private:
 	size_t pollingMessageLimit = 20000;
 	moodycamel::BlockingConcurrentQueue<std::shared_ptr<Message>> pollingContainer;
 	void enforcePollingMessageLimit();
+
+	std::atomic<bool> stopHeartbeatThread{false};
+	std::thread heartbeatThread;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/include/icsneo/device/idevicesettings.h b/include/icsneo/device/idevicesettings.h
index d9bc026..5bc21a9 100644
--- a/include/icsneo/device/idevicesettings.h
+++ b/include/icsneo/device/idevicesettings.h
@@ -324,6 +324,7 @@ static_assert(sizeof(UART_SETTINGS) == UART_SETTINGS_SIZE, "UART_SETTINGS is the
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 #include "icsneo/communication/communication.h"
 #include <iostream>
+#include <atomic>
 
 namespace icsneo {
 
@@ -404,6 +405,8 @@ public:
 	
 	bool readonly = false;
 	bool disableGSChecksumming = false;
+
+	std::atomic<bool> applyingSettings{false};
 protected:
 	std::shared_ptr<Communication> com;
 	device_eventhandler_t report;