diff --git a/slixmpp_omemo/__init__.py b/slixmpp_omemo/__init__.py
index 4825db3..dafd807 100644
--- a/slixmpp_omemo/__init__.py
+++ b/slixmpp_omemo/__init__.py
@@ -543,6 +543,26 @@ class XEP_0384(BasePlugin):
 
         return lengths
 
+    def _should_heartbeat(self, jid: JID, prekey: bool) -> bool:
+        """
+            Internal helper for :py:func:`XEP_0384.should_heartbeat`.
+
+            Returns whether we should send a heartbeat message for JID.
+
+            We check if the message is a prekey message, in which case we
+            assume it's a new session and we want to ACK relatively early.
+
+            Otherwise we look at the number of messages since we have last
+            replied and if above a certain threshold we notify them that we're
+            still active.
+        """
+
+        receiving_chain_lengths = self._chain_lengths(jid).get('receiving', [])
+        lengths = map(lambda d_l: d_l[1], receiving_chain_lengths)
+        inactive_session = max(lengths, default=0) > self.heartbeat_after
+
+        return prekey or inactive_session
+
     def should_heartbeat(self, jid: JID, msg: Union[Message, Encrypted]) -> bool:
         """
             Returns whether we should send a heartbeat message for JID.
@@ -554,10 +574,9 @@ class XEP_0384(BasePlugin):
             sessions hasn't been answered in a while.
         """
 
-        new_session: bool = False
-        inactive_session: bool = False
+        prekey: bool = False
 
-        # Is the message is a prekey message. If so assume it's a new session
+        # Get prekey information from message
         encrypted = msg
         if isinstance(msg, Message):
             encrypted = msg['omemo_encrypted']
@@ -565,17 +584,13 @@ class XEP_0384(BasePlugin):
         header = encrypted['header']
         key = header.xml.find("{%s}key[@rid='%s']" % (
             OMEMO_BASE_NS, self._device_id))
+        # Don't error out. If it's not encrypted to us we don't need to send a
+        # heartbeat.
         if key is not None:
             key = Key(key)
-            new_session = key['prekey'] in TRUE_VALUES
+            prekey = key['prekey'] in TRUE_VALUES
 
-        # Otherwise find how many message we haven't replied to in all of the
-        # sessions associated to this JID.
-        receiving_chain_lengths = self._chain_lengths(jid).get('receiving', [])
-        lengths = map(lambda d_l: d_l[1], receiving_chain_lengths)
-        inactive_session = max(lengths, default=0) > self.heartbeat_after
-
-        return new_session or inactive_session
+        return self._should_heartbeat(jid, prekey)
 
     async def make_heartbeat(self, jid: JID) -> Message:
         """
@@ -682,8 +697,9 @@ class XEP_0384(BasePlugin):
         finally:
             asyncio.ensure_future(self._publish_bundle())
 
-        if self.auto_heartbeat and self.should_heartbeat(sender, encrypted):
+        if self.auto_heartbeat and self._should_heartbeat(sender, isPrekeyMessage):
             async def send_heartbeat():
+                log.debug('Sending a heartbeat message')
                 msg = await self.make_heartbeat(JID(jid))
                 msg.send()
             asyncio.ensure_future(send_heartbeat())