diff --git a/orte/mca/rmcast/rmcast_types.h b/orte/mca/rmcast/rmcast_types.h
index 61d8f5a6ff..7c9d359c4b 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmcast/rmcast_types.h
+++ b/orte/mca/rmcast/rmcast_types.h
@@ -48,8 +48,9 @@ typedef uint32_t orte_rmcast_channel_t;
 #define ORTE_RMCAST_APP_PUBLIC_CHANNEL      6
 #define ORTE_RMCAST_DATA_SERVER_CHANNEL     7
 #define ORTE_RMCAST_ERROR_CHANNEL           8
+#define ORTE_RMCAST_HEARTBEAT_CHANNEL       9
 
-#define ORTE_RMCAST_DYNAMIC_CHANNELS        9
+#define ORTE_RMCAST_DYNAMIC_CHANNELS       10
 
 
 /* define channel directions */
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmcast/tcp/rmcast_tcp.c b/orte/mca/rmcast/tcp/rmcast_tcp.c
index 59194e8b77..8af6e9eb2e 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmcast/tcp/rmcast_tcp.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmcast/tcp/rmcast_tcp.c
@@ -202,6 +202,18 @@ static int init(void)
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
             return rc;
         }
+        /* open the app public channel so we can hear app announcements and commands */
+        if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = open_channel(ORTE_RMCAST_APP_PUBLIC_CHANNEL, "app-announce",
+                                               NULL, -1, NULL, ORTE_RMCAST_BIDIR))) {
+            ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
+            return rc;
+        }
+        /* open the heartbeat channel */
+        if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = open_channel(ORTE_RMCAST_HEARTBEAT_CHANNEL, "heartbeat",
+                                               NULL, -1, NULL, ORTE_RMCAST_BIDIR))) {
+            ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
+            return rc;
+        }
     } else if (ORTE_PROC_IS_APP) {
         /* apps open the app public and data server channels */
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = open_channel(ORTE_RMCAST_APP_PUBLIC_CHANNEL, "app-announce",
diff --git a/orte/mca/rmcast/udp/rmcast_udp.c b/orte/mca/rmcast/udp/rmcast_udp.c
index a378f5d0a9..a952b9e978 100644
--- a/orte/mca/rmcast/udp/rmcast_udp.c
+++ b/orte/mca/rmcast/udp/rmcast_udp.c
@@ -206,12 +206,18 @@ static int init(void)
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
             return rc;
         }
-        /* apps open the app public channel so we can hear app announcements and commands */
+        /* open the app public channel so we can hear app announcements and commands */
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = open_channel(ORTE_RMCAST_APP_PUBLIC_CHANNEL, "app-announce",
                                                NULL, -1, NULL, ORTE_RMCAST_BIDIR))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
             return rc;
         }
+        /* open the heartbeat channel */
+        if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = open_channel(ORTE_RMCAST_HEARTBEAT_CHANNEL, "heartbeat",
+                                               NULL, -1, NULL, ORTE_RMCAST_BIDIR))) {
+            ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
+            return rc;
+        }
     } else if (ORTE_PROC_IS_APP) {
         /* apps open the app public and data server channels */
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = open_channel(ORTE_RMCAST_APP_PUBLIC_CHANNEL, "app-announce",
diff --git a/orte/mca/sensor/heartbeat/sensor_heartbeat.c b/orte/mca/sensor/heartbeat/sensor_heartbeat.c
index 7436174c5a..302d3500d2 100644
--- a/orte/mca/sensor/heartbeat/sensor_heartbeat.c
+++ b/orte/mca/sensor/heartbeat/sensor_heartbeat.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 #include "orte/util/proc_info.h"
 #include "orte/util/name_fns.h"
 #include "orte/mca/errmgr/errmgr.h"
-#include "orte/mca/rml/rml.h"
+#include "orte/mca/rmcast/rmcast.h"
 #include "orte/runtime/orte_wait.h"
 #include "orte/runtime/orte_globals.h"
 
@@ -57,16 +57,20 @@ orte_sensor_base_module_t orte_sensor_heartbeat_module = {
 /* declare the local functions */
 static void check_heartbeat(int fd, short event, void *arg);
 static void send_heartbeat(int fd, short event, void *arg);
-static void recv_rml_beats(int status, orte_process_name_t* sender,
-                           opal_buffer_t* buffer, orte_rml_tag_t tag,
-                           void* cbdata);
-static void rml_callback_fn(int status,
-                            struct orte_process_name_t* peer,
-                            struct opal_buffer_t* buffer,
-                            orte_rml_tag_t tag,
-                            void* cbdata)
+static void recv_beats(int status,
+                       orte_rmcast_channel_t channel,
+                       orte_rmcast_seq_t seq_num,
+                       orte_rmcast_tag_t tag,
+                       orte_process_name_t *sender,
+                       opal_buffer_t *buf, void* cbdata);
+static void cbfunc(int status,
+                   orte_rmcast_channel_t channel,
+                   orte_rmcast_seq_t seq_num,
+                   orte_rmcast_tag_t tag,
+                   orte_process_name_t *sender,
+                   opal_buffer_t *buf, void* cbdata)
 {
-    OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
+    OBJ_RELEASE(buf);
 }
 
 /* local globals */
@@ -96,11 +100,11 @@ static int init(void)
 
     /* setup to receive heartbeats */
     if (ORTE_PROC_IS_HNP || ORTE_PROC_IS_SCHEDULER) {
-        if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = orte_rml.recv_buffer_nb(ORTE_NAME_WILDCARD,
-                                                          ORTE_RML_TAG_HEARTBEAT,
-                                                          ORTE_RML_PERSISTENT,
-                                                          recv_rml_beats,
-                                                          NULL))) {
+        if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = orte_rmcast.recv_buffer_nb(ORTE_RMCAST_HEARTBEAT_CHANNEL,
+                                                             ORTE_RMCAST_TAG_HEARTBEAT,
+                                                             ORTE_RMCAST_PERSISTENT,
+                                                             recv_beats,
+                                                             NULL))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
         }
     }
@@ -121,7 +125,7 @@ static void finalize(void)
         check_ev = NULL;
     }
     
-    orte_rml.recv_cancel(ORTE_NAME_WILDCARD, ORTE_RML_TAG_HEARTBEAT);
+    orte_rmcast.cancel_recv(ORTE_RMCAST_HEARTBEAT_CHANNEL, ORTE_RMCAST_TAG_HEARTBEAT);
 
     OBJ_DESTRUCT(&ctl);
     return;
@@ -237,12 +241,11 @@ static void send_heartbeat(int fd, short event, void *arg)
     buf = OBJ_NEW(opal_buffer_t);
     
     /* send heartbeat */
-    if (0 > (rc = orte_rml.send_buffer_nb(ORTE_PROC_MY_HNP, buf,
-                                          ORTE_RML_TAG_HEARTBEAT, 0,
-                                          rml_callback_fn, NULL))) {
+    if (0 > (rc = orte_rmcast.send_buffer_nb(ORTE_RMCAST_HEARTBEAT_CHANNEL,
+                                             ORTE_RMCAST_TAG_HEARTBEAT, buf,
+                                             cbfunc, NULL))) {
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
         OBJ_RELEASE(buf);
-        goto reset;
     }
     
  reset:
@@ -318,9 +321,12 @@ static void check_heartbeat(int fd, short dummy, void *arg)
     opal_event_evtimer_add(tmp, &check_time);
 }
 
-static void recv_rml_beats(int status, orte_process_name_t* sender,
-                           opal_buffer_t* buffer, orte_rml_tag_t tag,
-                           void* cbdata)
+static void recv_beats(int status,
+                       orte_rmcast_channel_t channel,
+                       orte_rmcast_seq_t seq_num,
+                       orte_rmcast_tag_t tag,
+                       orte_process_name_t *sender,
+                       opal_buffer_t *buf, void* cbdata)
 {
     orte_proc_t *proc;