A method, system, and computer program product for a self-adjusting application heartbeat management process are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A first application receives from a second application, a response message in response to a heartbeat message. Information is identified in the response message usable for computing a delay in a future response message for a future heartbeat message, such that the information communicates to the first application a system condition existing in the second data processing system where the second application is executing. A response time is adjusted using the information to form a modified response time. The future response message is received after the response time.