diff --git a/cms/envs/aws.py b/cms/envs/aws.py
index 5b4522beb7..0bb017546d 100644
--- a/cms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/cms/envs/aws.py
@@ -269,6 +269,11 @@ STUDIO_SHORT_NAME = ENV_TOKENS.get('STUDIO_SHORT_NAME', STUDIO_SHORT_NAME)
 if "TRACKING_IGNORE_URL_PATTERNS" in ENV_TOKENS:
     TRACKING_IGNORE_URL_PATTERNS = ENV_TOKENS.get("TRACKING_IGNORE_URL_PATTERNS")
 
+# Heartbeat
+HEARTBEAT_CHECKS = ENV_TOKENS.get('HEARTBEAT_CHECKS', HEARTBEAT_CHECKS)
+HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS = ENV_TOKENS.get('HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS', HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS)
+HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT = ENV_TOKENS.get('HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT', HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT)
+
 # Django CAS external authentication settings
 CAS_EXTRA_LOGIN_PARAMS = ENV_TOKENS.get("CAS_EXTRA_LOGIN_PARAMS", None)
 if FEATURES.get('AUTH_USE_CAS'):
diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index 0a4522be3f..0536b3581c 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -76,6 +76,11 @@ from lms.envs.common import (
 
     STATICI18N_OUTPUT_DIR,
 
+    # Heartbeat
+    HEARTBEAT_CHECKS,
+    HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS,
+    HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT,
+
     # Theme to use when no site or site theme is defined,
     DEFAULT_SITE_THEME,
 
diff --git a/lms/envs/aws.py b/lms/envs/aws.py
index cf885520b7..372a20546c 100644
--- a/lms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/lms/envs/aws.py
@@ -638,6 +638,11 @@ TRACKING_SEGMENTIO_DISALLOWED_SUBSTRING_NAMES = ENV_TOKENS.get(
 )
 TRACKING_SEGMENTIO_SOURCE_MAP = ENV_TOKENS.get("TRACKING_SEGMENTIO_SOURCE_MAP", TRACKING_SEGMENTIO_SOURCE_MAP)
 
+# Heartbeat
+HEARTBEAT_CHECKS = ENV_TOKENS.get('HEARTBEAT_CHECKS', HEARTBEAT_CHECKS)
+HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS = ENV_TOKENS.get('HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS', HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS)
+HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT = ENV_TOKENS.get('HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT', HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT)
+
 # Student identity verification settings
 VERIFY_STUDENT = AUTH_TOKENS.get("VERIFY_STUDENT", VERIFY_STUDENT)
 DISABLE_ACCOUNT_ACTIVATION_REQUIREMENT_SWITCH = ENV_TOKENS.get(
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 14548102ee..596c4ae902 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -732,6 +732,21 @@ USERNAME_REGEX_PARTIAL = r'[\w .@_+-]+'
 USERNAME_PATTERN = r'(?P<username>{regex})'.format(regex=USERNAME_REGEX_PARTIAL)
 
 
+############################## HEARTBEAT ######################################
+
+# Checks run in normal mode by the heartbeat djangoapp
+HEARTBEAT_CHECKS = [
+    'openedx.core.djangoapps.heartbeat.default_checks.check_modulestore',
+    'openedx.core.djangoapps.heartbeat.default_checks.check_database',
+]
+
+# Other checks to run by default in "extended"/heavy mode
+HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS = (
+    'openedx.core.djangoapps.heartbeat.default_checks.check_celery',
+)
+
+HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT = 5
+
 ############################## EVENT TRACKING #################################
 LMS_SEGMENT_KEY = None
 
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/default_checks.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/default_checks.py
index 41f78d1cf7..925afe3a9b 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/default_checks.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/default_checks.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ from django.db.utils import DatabaseError
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 from xmodule.exceptions import HeartbeatFailure
 
-from .defaults import HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT
 from .tasks import sample_task
 
 
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ def check_celery():
     """
     now = time()
     datetimenow = datetime.now()
-    expires = datetimenow + timedelta(seconds=getattr(settings, 'HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT', HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT))
+    expires = datetimenow + timedelta(seconds=settings.HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT)
 
     try:
         task = sample_task.apply_async(expires=expires)
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/defaults.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/defaults.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f892d1671..0000000000
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/defaults.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Configuration defaults for the heartbeat djangoapp
-
-Configures what checks to run by default in normal and "extended"/heavy mode,
-as well as providing settings for the default checks themselves
-"""
-
-HEARTBEAT_DEFAULT_CHECKS = [
-    '.default_checks.check_modulestore',
-    '.default_checks.check_database',
-]
-
-HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_DEFAULT_CHECKS = (
-    '.default_checks.check_celery',
-)
-
-HEARTBEAT_CELERY_TIMEOUT = 5
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/runchecks.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/runchecks.py
index bba1876455..c6972fc4de 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/runchecks.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/heartbeat/runchecks.py
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ from importlib import import_module
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 
-from .defaults import HEARTBEAT_DEFAULT_CHECKS, HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_DEFAULT_CHECKS
-
 
 def runchecks(include_extended=False):
     """
@@ -13,11 +11,9 @@ def runchecks(include_extended=False):
     """
     response_dict = {}
 
-    #Taken straight from Django
-    #If there is a better way, I don't know it
-    list_of_checks = getattr(settings, 'HEARTBEAT_CHECKS', HEARTBEAT_DEFAULT_CHECKS)
+    list_of_checks = list(settings.HEARTBEAT_CHECKS)
     if include_extended:
-        list_of_checks += getattr(settings, 'HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS', HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_DEFAULT_CHECKS)
+        list_of_checks += settings.HEARTBEAT_EXTENDED_CHECKS
 
     for path in list_of_checks:
         module, _, attr = path.rpartition('.')