diff --git a/src/kvstore/raftex/Host.cpp b/src/kvstore/raftex/Host.cpp
index 22bbad341c4..3a662c30436 100644
--- a/src/kvstore/raftex/Host.cpp
+++ b/src/kvstore/raftex/Host.cpp
@@ -426,11 +426,12 @@ folly::Future<cpp2::HeartbeatResponse> Host::sendHeartbeat(
         if (t.hasException()) {
           using TransportException = apache::thrift::transport::TTransportException;
           auto exWrapper = std::move(t).exception();
+          VLOG(2) << self->idStr_ << "Heartbeat: " << exWrapper.what();
           auto exception = exWrapper.get_exception<TransportException>();
-          VLOG(2) << self->idStr_ << "Heartbeat: " << exception->what();
-          // If we keeps receiving NOT_OPEN exception after some HB intervals,
+          // If we keeps receiving NOT_OPEN and TIMED_OUT exception after some HB intervals,
           // we can assume that the peer is down so we mark paused_ as true
-          if (exception && exception->getType() == TransportException::NOT_OPEN) {
+          if (exception && (exception->getType() == TransportException::NOT_OPEN ||
+                            exception->getType() == TransportException::TIMED_OUT)) {
             if (!self->paused_) {
               auto now = time::WallClock::fastNowInMilliSec();
               if (now - self->lastHeartbeatTime_ >=
diff --git a/src/kvstore/raftex/Host.h b/src/kvstore/raftex/Host.h
index 49bbf3d9ee8..ca95a1ab1ce 100644
--- a/src/kvstore/raftex/Host.h
+++ b/src/kvstore/raftex/Host.h
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ class Host final : public std::enable_shared_from_this<Host> {
     committedLogId_ = 0;
     sendingSnapshot_ = false;
     followerCommittedLogId_ = 0;
+    lastHeartbeatTime_ = 0;
   }
 
   /**