diff --git a/lib/heart.js b/lib/heart.js
index 56dd327..340e6f7 100644
--- a/lib/heart.js
+++ b/lib/heart.js
@@ -25,9 +25,7 @@ function Heart(heartrate, name) {
 
     this.interval = setInterval(createInterval(this), heartrate);
 
-    if (this.interval.unref) {
-        this.interval.unref();
-    }
+    unreference(this);
 }
 
 Object.defineProperty(Heart.prototype, 'age', {
@@ -47,10 +45,12 @@ Object.defineProperty(Heart.prototype, 'name', {
 Heart.prototype.setHeartrate = function(heartrate) {
     if (heartrate) {
         this.heartrate = heartrate;
+
         clearInterval(this.interval);
         this.interval = setInterval(createInterval(this), heartrate);
-        if (this.interval.unref) {
-            this.interval.unref();
+
+        if (this.events.length === 0) {
+            unreference(this);
         }
     }
 
@@ -133,12 +133,12 @@ Heart.prototype.killEvent = function(name, beatevent) {
         idx = this.events.indexOf(beatevent);
     }
 
-    if(idx > -1){
+    if (idx > -1) {
         this.events.splice(idx, 1);
     }
 
-    if(this.events.length === 0 && this.interval.unref){
-        this.interval.unref();
+    if (this.events.length === 0) {
+        unreference(this);
     }
 };
 
@@ -146,14 +146,13 @@ Heart.prototype.killAllEvents = function() {
     this.events = [];
     this.eventList = {};
 
-    if (this.interval.unref) {
-        this.interval.unref();
-    }
+    unreference(this);
 };
 
 function createInterval(heart) {
     return function() {
         var events = heart.events;
+
         heart.heartbeat++;
 
         for (var i = 0; i < events.length; i++) {
@@ -167,6 +166,12 @@ function createInterval(heart) {
     };
 }
 
+function unreference(heart) {
+    if (heart.interval.unref) {
+        heart.interval.unref();
+    }
+}
+
 
 module.exports = {
     initialize: initialize