diff --git a/src/box/applier.cc b/src/box/applier.cc
index 91769ae00c55e59a8e636a2dc1907f235031efef..6bfe5a99a1ced9bbd4f6b0532f53315a02163188 100644
--- a/src/box/applier.cc
+++ b/src/box/applier.cc
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ applier_log_error(struct applier *applier, struct error *e)
 
 /*
  * Fiber function to write vclock to replication master.
+ * To track connection status, replica answers master
+ * with encoded vclock. In addition to DML requests,
+ * master also sends heartbeat messages every
+ * replication_timeout seconds (introduced in 1.7.7).
+ * On such requests replica also responds with vclock.
  */
 static int
 applier_writer_f(va_list ap)
@@ -106,10 +111,18 @@ applier_writer_f(va_list ap)
 	struct ev_io io;
 	coio_create(&io, applier->io.fd);
 
-	/* Re-connect loop */
 	while (!fiber_is_cancelled()) {
-		fiber_cond_wait_timeout(&applier->writer_cond,
-					replication_timeout);
+		/*
+		 * Tarantool >= 1.7.7 sends periodic heartbeat
+		 * messages so we don't need to send ACKs every
+		 * replication_timeout seconds any more.
+		 */
+		if (applier->version_id >= version_id(1, 7, 7))
+			fiber_cond_wait_timeout(&applier->writer_cond,
+						TIMEOUT_INFINITY);
+		else
+			fiber_cond_wait_timeout(&applier->writer_cond,
+						replication_timeout);
 		/* Send ACKs only when in FOLLOW mode ,*/
 		if (applier->state != APPLIER_SYNC &&
 		    applier->state != APPLIER_FOLLOW)
diff --git a/test/replication/errinj.result b/test/replication/errinj.result
index 2f4b2a84a2d9c8a46a4bd94a7dd2a20b22767f49..c31e7866a55bb4efe43f00486b169dc1676e3fd6 100644
--- a/test/replication/errinj.result
+++ b/test/replication/errinj.result
@@ -472,6 +472,45 @@ errinj.set("ERRINJ_RELAY_REPORT_INTERVAL", 0)
 ---
 - ok
 ...
+-- Check replica's ACKs don't prevent the master from sending
+-- heartbeat messages (gh-3160).
+test_run:cmd("start server replica_timeout with args='0.009'")
+---
+- true
+...
+test_run:cmd("switch replica_timeout")
+---
+- true
+...
+fiber = require('fiber')
+---
+...
+while box.info.replication[1].upstream.status ~= 'follow' do fiber.sleep(0.0001) end
+---
+...
+box.info.replication[1].upstream.status -- follow
+---
+- follow
+...
+for i = 0, 15 do fiber.sleep(0.01) if box.info.replication[1].upstream.status ~= 'follow' then break end end
+---
+...
+box.info.replication[1].upstream.status -- follow
+---
+- follow
+...
+test_run:cmd("switch default")
+---
+- true
+...
+test_run:cmd("stop server replica_timeout")
+---
+- true
+...
+test_run:cmd("cleanup server replica_timeout")
+---
+- true
+...
 box.snapshot()
 ---
 - ok
diff --git a/test/replication/errinj.test.lua b/test/replication/errinj.test.lua
index 84a811610904f53b938a847bc628228fc1ef7831..017d9a07df1579a767742275ee4e4804ab38a886 100644
--- a/test/replication/errinj.test.lua
+++ b/test/replication/errinj.test.lua
@@ -196,6 +196,22 @@ test_run:cmd("stop server replica_timeout")
 test_run:cmd("cleanup server replica_timeout")
 errinj.set("ERRINJ_RELAY_REPORT_INTERVAL", 0)
 
+-- Check replica's ACKs don't prevent the master from sending
+-- heartbeat messages (gh-3160).
+
+test_run:cmd("start server replica_timeout with args='0.009'")
+test_run:cmd("switch replica_timeout")
+
+fiber = require('fiber')
+while box.info.replication[1].upstream.status ~= 'follow' do fiber.sleep(0.0001) end
+box.info.replication[1].upstream.status -- follow
+for i = 0, 15 do fiber.sleep(0.01) if box.info.replication[1].upstream.status ~= 'follow' then break end end
+box.info.replication[1].upstream.status -- follow
+
+test_run:cmd("switch default")
+test_run:cmd("stop server replica_timeout")
+test_run:cmd("cleanup server replica_timeout")
+
 box.snapshot()
 for i = 0, 9999 do box.space.test:replace({i, 4, 5, 'test'}) end