diff --git a/sshd-core/src/main/java/org/apache/sshd/client/session/ClientConnectionService.java b/sshd-core/src/main/java/org/apache/sshd/client/session/ClientConnectionService.java
index 25e79baa4..6017d3feb 100644
--- a/sshd-core/src/main/java/org/apache/sshd/client/session/ClientConnectionService.java
+++ b/sshd-core/src/main/java/org/apache/sshd/client/session/ClientConnectionService.java
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.time.Duration;
-import java.time.Instant;
-import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
@@ -30,7 +28,6 @@
 import org.apache.sshd.common.FactoryManager;
 import org.apache.sshd.common.SshConstants;
 import org.apache.sshd.common.SshException;
-import org.apache.sshd.common.future.GlobalRequestFuture;
 import org.apache.sshd.common.io.IoWriteFuture;
 import org.apache.sshd.common.session.Session;
 import org.apache.sshd.common.session.helpers.AbstractConnectionService;
@@ -128,33 +125,11 @@ protected boolean sendHeartBeat() {
             buf.putBoolean(withReply);
 
             if (withReply) {
-                Instant start = Instant.now();
-                CountDownLatch replyReceived = new CountDownLatch(1);
-                GlobalRequestFuture writeFuture = session.request(buf, heartbeatRequest, (cmd, reply) -> {
-                    replyReceived.countDown();
+                Buffer reply = session.request(heartbeatRequest, buf, heartbeatReplyMaxWait);
+                if (reply != null) {
                     if (log.isTraceEnabled()) {
-                        log.trace("sendHeartBeat({}) received reply={} size={} for request={}", session,
-                                SshConstants.getCommandMessageName(cmd), reply.available(), heartbeatRequest);
-                    }
-                });
-                writeFuture.await(heartbeatReplyMaxWait);
-                Throwable t = writeFuture.getException();
-                if (t != null) {
-                    // We couldn't even send the request.
-                    throw new IOException(t.getMessage(), t);
-                }
-                Duration elapsed = Duration.between(start, Instant.now());
-                if (elapsed.compareTo(heartbeatReplyMaxWait) < 0) {
-                    long toWait = heartbeatReplyMaxWait.minus(elapsed).toMillis();
-                    if (toWait > 0) {
-                        try {
-                            replyReceived.await(toWait, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
-                        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-                            if (log.isTraceEnabled()) {
-                                log.trace("sendHeartBeat({}) interrupted waiting for reply to request={}", session,
-                                        heartbeatRequest);
-                            }
-                        }
+                        log.trace("sendHeartBeat({}) received reply size={} for request={}",
+                                session, reply.available(), heartbeatRequest);
                     }
                 }
             } else {
diff --git a/sshd-core/src/test/java/org/apache/sshd/KeepAliveTest.java b/sshd-core/src/test/java/org/apache/sshd/KeepAliveTest.java
index 3d5e16fe2..42bdeb015 100644
--- a/sshd-core/src/test/java/org/apache/sshd/KeepAliveTest.java
+++ b/sshd-core/src/test/java/org/apache/sshd/KeepAliveTest.java
@@ -217,6 +217,37 @@ public Result process(
         }
     }
 
+    @Test // see GH-268
+    public void testTimeoutOnMissingHeartbeatResponse() throws Exception {
+        CoreModuleProperties.IDLE_TIMEOUT.set(sshd, Duration.ofSeconds(30));
+        List<RequestHandler<ConnectionService>> globalHandlers = sshd.getGlobalRequestHandlers();
+        sshd.setGlobalRequestHandlers(Collections.singletonList(new AbstractConnectionServiceRequestHandler() {
+            @Override
+            public Result process(ConnectionService connectionService, String request, boolean wantReply, Buffer buffer)
+                    throws Exception {
+                // Never reply;
+                return Result.Replied;
+            }
+        }));
+        CoreModuleProperties.HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL.set(client, HEARTBEAT);
+        CoreModuleProperties.HEARTBEAT_REPLY_WAIT.set(client, Duration.ofSeconds(1));
+        try (ClientSession session = client.connect(getCurrentTestName(), TEST_LOCALHOST, port).verify(CONNECT_TIMEOUT)
+                .getSession()) {
+            session.addPasswordIdentity(getCurrentTestName());
+            session.auth().verify(AUTH_TIMEOUT);
+
+            try (ClientChannel channel = session.createChannel(Channel.CHANNEL_SHELL)) {
+                long waitStart = System.currentTimeMillis();
+                Collection<ClientChannelEvent> result = channel.waitFor(EnumSet.of(ClientChannelEvent.CLOSED), TIMEOUT);
+                long waitEnd = System.currentTimeMillis();
+                assertTrue("Wrong channel state after wait of " + (waitEnd - waitStart) + " ms: " + result,
+                        result.contains(ClientChannelEvent.CLOSED));
+            }
+        } finally {
+            sshd.setGlobalRequestHandlers(globalHandlers); // restore original
+        }
+    }
+
     public static class TestEchoShellFactory extends EchoShellFactory {
         public TestEchoShellFactory() {
             super();