diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index b74ec0b..8be77b8 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -59,6 +59,16 @@
 #   check the heartbeat.
 #   Defaults to $::os_service_default
 #
+# [*rabbit_heartbeat_in_pthread*]
+#   (Optional) EXPERIMENTAL: Run the health check heartbeat thread
+#   through a native python thread. By default if this
+#   option isn't provided the  health check heartbeat will
+#   inherit the execution model from the parent process. By
+#   example if the parent process have monkey patched the
+#   stdlib by using eventlet/greenlet then the heartbeat
+#   will be run through a green thread.
+#   Defaults to $::os_service_default
+#
 # [*rabbit_ha_queues*]
 #   (optional) Use HA queues in RabbitMQ (x-ha-policy: all). If you change this
 #   option, you must wipe the RabbitMQ database.
@@ -312,6 +322,7 @@ class watcher (
   $rabbit_interval_max                  = $::os_service_default,
   $rabbit_use_ssl                       = $::os_service_default,
   $rabbit_heartbeat_rate                = $::os_service_default,
+  $rabbit_heartbeat_in_pthread          = $::os_service_default,
   $rabbit_ha_queues                     = $::os_service_default,
   $rabbit_transient_queues_ttl          = $::os_service_default,
   $rabbit_heartbeat_timeout_threshold   = $::os_service_default,
@@ -409,6 +420,7 @@ class watcher (
     rabbit_transient_queues_ttl          => $rabbit_transient_queues_ttl,
     heartbeat_timeout_threshold          => $rabbit_heartbeat_timeout_threshold,
     heartbeat_rate                       => $rabbit_heartbeat_rate,
+    heartbeat_in_pthread                 => $rabbit_heartbeat_in_pthread,
   }
 
   oslo::messaging::amqp { 'watcher_config':
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/rabbitmq-heartbeat-over-pthread-a074c263f0b7469d.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/rabbitmq-heartbeat-over-pthread-a074c263f0b7469d.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..496d227
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/rabbitmq-heartbeat-over-pthread-a074c263f0b7469d.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Allow users to run the RabbitMQ heartbeat over a native python thread in the
+    oslo.messaging RabbitMQ driver, by using the `rabbit_heartbeat_in_pthread`
+    option in configuration.
diff --git a/spec/classes/watcher_init_spec.rb b/spec/classes/watcher_init_spec.rb
index 5ac4be0..f8ac562 100644
--- a/spec/classes/watcher_init_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/watcher_init_spec.rb
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ describe 'watcher' do
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/rabbit_transient_queues_ttl').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/heartbeat_timeout_threshold').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/heartbeat_rate').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
+        is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/heartbeat_in_pthread').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/kombu_compression').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('DEFAULT/transport_url').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('DEFAULT/rpc_response_timeout').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ describe 'watcher' do
           :rabbit_ha_queues                   => 'undef',
           :rabbit_heartbeat_timeout_threshold => '60',
           :rabbit_heartbeat_rate              => '10',
+          :rabbit_heartbeat_in_pthread        => true,
           :kombu_compression                  => 'gzip',
           :notification_transport_url         => 'rabbit://rabbit_user:password@localhost:5673',
           :notification_topics                => 'notifications',
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ describe 'watcher' do
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('DEFAULT/transport_url').with_value('rabbit://rabbit_user:password@localhost:5673')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/heartbeat_timeout_threshold').with_value('60')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/heartbeat_rate').with_value('10')
+        is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/heartbeat_in_pthread').with_value(true)
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/rabbit_login_method').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/rabbit_retry_interval').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')
         is_expected.to contain_watcher_config('oslo_messaging_rabbit/rabbit_retry_backoff').with_value('<SERVICE DEFAULT>')