diff --git a/discord/client.py b/discord/client.py
index 25fd5bb78..a310c3deb 100644
--- a/discord/client.py
+++ b/discord/client.py
@@ -95,6 +95,11 @@ class Client:
         A game to start your presence with upon logging on to Discord.
     status: Optional[:class:`Status`]
         A status to start your presence with upon logging on to Discord.
+    heartbeat_timeout: float
+        The maximum numbers of seconds before timing out and restarting the
+        WebSocket in the case of not receiving a HEARTBEAT_ACK. Useful if
+        processing the initial packets take too long to the point of disconnecting
+        you. The default timeout is 60 seconds.
 
     Attributes
     -----------
diff --git a/discord/gateway.py b/discord/gateway.py
index d5ddb9eb8..50104034f 100644
--- a/discord/gateway.py
+++ b/discord/gateway.py
@@ -64,10 +64,11 @@ class KeepAliveHandler(threading.Thread):
         self._stop_ev = threading.Event()
         self._last_ack = time.time()
         self._last_send = time.time()
+        self.heartbeat_timeout = ws._max_heartbeat_timeout
 
     def run(self):
         while not self._stop_ev.wait(self.interval):
-            if self._last_ack + 2 * self.interval < time.time():
+            if self._last_ack + self.heartbeat_timeout < time.time():
                 log.warn("Shard ID %s has stopped responding to the gateway. Closing and restarting." % self.shard_id)
                 coro = self.ws.close(1006)
                 f = compat.run_coroutine_threadsafe(coro, loop=self.ws.loop)
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ class DiscordWebSocket(websockets.client.WebSocketClientProtocol):
         ws.shard_count = client._connection.shard_count
         ws.session_id = session
         ws.sequence = sequence
+        ws._max_heartbeat_timeout = client._connection.heartbeat_timeout
 
         client._connection._update_references(ws)
 
@@ -590,6 +592,7 @@ class DiscordVoiceWebSocket(websockets.client.WebSocketClientProtocol):
         ws = yield from websockets.connect(gateway, loop=client.loop, klass=cls)
         ws.gateway = gateway
         ws._connection = client
+        ws._max_heartbeat_timeout = 60.0
 
         if resume:
             yield from ws.resume()
diff --git a/discord/shard.py b/discord/shard.py
index 75fd661e0..70b99ee6b 100644
--- a/discord/shard.py
+++ b/discord/shard.py
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ class AutoShardedClient(Client):
         ws.gateway = gateway
         ws.shard_id = shard_id
         ws.shard_count = self.shard_count
+        ws._max_heartbeat_timeout = self._connection.heartbeat_timeout
 
         try:
             # OP HELLO
diff --git a/discord/state.py b/discord/state.py
index a8d4ffe75..0511b7545 100644
--- a/discord/state.py
+++ b/discord/state.py
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ class ConnectionState:
         self.shard_count = None
         self._ready_task = None
         self._fetch_offline = options.get('fetch_offline_members', True)
+        self.heartbeat_timeout = options.get('heartbeat_timeout', 60.0)
         self._listeners = []
 
         game = options.get('game', None)
@@ -907,7 +908,6 @@ class AutoShardedConnectionState(ConnectionState):
             launch.set()
             yield from asyncio.sleep(2.0 * self.shard_count, loop=self.loop)
 
-
         if self._fetch_offline:
             guilds = sorted(self._ready_state.guilds, key=lambda g: g.shard_id)