diff --git a/src/brpc/builtin/connections_service.cpp b/src/brpc/builtin/connections_service.cpp
index fdef0e6831..02adc56b38 100644
--- a/src/brpc/builtin/connections_service.cpp
+++ b/src/brpc/builtin/connections_service.cpp
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ void ConnectionsService::PrintConnections(
             if (ret < 0) {
                 continue;
             } else if (ret > 0) {
-                if (ptr->_health_check_interval_s <= 0) {
+                if (!ptr->HCEnabled()) {
                     // Sockets without HC will soon be destroyed
                     continue;
                 }
diff --git a/src/brpc/socket.cpp b/src/brpc/socket.cpp
index a634dd376c..200905acb2 100644
--- a/src/brpc/socket.cpp
+++ b/src/brpc/socket.cpp
@@ -958,7 +958,7 @@ int Socket::SetFailed(int error_code, const char* error_fmt, ...) {
             // Do health-checking even if we're not connected before, needed
             // by Channel to revive never-connected socket when server side
             // comes online.
-            if (_health_check_interval_s > 0) {
+            if (HCEnabled()) {
                 bool expect = false;
                 if (_hc_started.compare_exchange_strong(expect,
                                                         true,
diff --git a/src/brpc/socket.h b/src/brpc/socket.h
index 74f7360ea2..e4fc5896f5 100644
--- a/src/brpc/socket.h
+++ b/src/brpc/socket.h
@@ -319,10 +319,14 @@ friend class policy::H2GlobalStreamCreator;
     // ip/port of the other end of the connection.
     butil::EndPoint remote_side() const { return _remote_side; }
 
-    // Positive value enables health checking.
     // Initialized by SocketOptions.health_check_interval_s.
     int health_check_interval() const { return _health_check_interval_s; }
 
+    // True if health checking is enabled.
+    bool HCEnabled() const {
+        return _health_check_interval_s > 0 && _is_hc_related_ref_held;
+    }
+
     // When someone holds a health-checking-related reference,
     // this function need to be called to make health checking run normally.
     void SetHCRelatedRefHeld() { _is_hc_related_ref_held = true; }
diff --git a/src/brpc/socket_map.cpp b/src/brpc/socket_map.cpp
index d169afd8a9..a451c1a68c 100644
--- a/src/brpc/socket_map.cpp
+++ b/src/brpc/socket_map.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ SocketMap::~SocketMap() {
         for (Map::iterator it = _map.begin(); it != _map.end(); ++it) {
             SingleConnection* sc = &it->second;
             if ((!sc->socket->Failed() ||
-                 sc->socket->health_check_interval() > 0/*HC enabled*/) &&
+                 sc->socket->HCEnabled()) &&
                 sc->ref_count != 0) {
                 ++nleft;
                 if (nleft == 0) {
@@ -216,9 +216,7 @@ int SocketMap::Insert(const SocketMapKey& key, SocketId* id,
     std::unique_lock<butil::Mutex> mu(_mutex);
     SingleConnection* sc = _map.seek(key);
     if (sc) {
-        if (!sc->socket->Failed() ||
-            (sc->socket->health_check_interval() > 0 &&
-             sc->socket->IsHCRelatedRefHeld())/*HC enabled*/) {
+        if (!sc->socket->Failed() || sc->socket->HCEnabled()) {
             ++sc->ref_count;
             *id = sc->socket->id();
             return 0;