diff --git a/docs/django.rst b/docs/django.rst
index 292310d..efc4b04 100644
--- a/docs/django.rst
+++ b/docs/django.rst
@@ -339,6 +339,9 @@ spec:
    :statuscode 200: no error
    :statuscode 500: there was a warning or error
 
+   .. note:: Failed status code can be configured with the ``DOCKERFLOW_HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE``
+             setting (eg. 503 instead of 500)
+
 .. http:get:: /__lbheartbeat__
 
    The view that simply returns a successful HTTP response so that a load
diff --git a/docs/fastapi.rst b/docs/fastapi.rst
index 9f15112..b0740e8 100644
--- a/docs/fastapi.rst
+++ b/docs/fastapi.rst
@@ -244,6 +244,9 @@ spec:
    :statuscode 200: no error
    :statuscode 500: there was an error
 
+   .. note:: Failed status code can be configured with the ``app.state.DOCKERFLOW_HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE``
+             attribute (eg. 503 instead of 500)
+
 .. http:get:: /__lbheartbeat__
 
    The view that simply returns a successful HTTP response so that a load
diff --git a/docs/flask.rst b/docs/flask.rst
index db11ea2..3ba66e8 100644
--- a/docs/flask.rst
+++ b/docs/flask.rst
@@ -392,6 +392,9 @@ spec:
    :statuscode 200: no error
    :statuscode 500: there was a warning or error
 
+   .. note:: Failed status code can be configured with the ``DOCKERFLOW_HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE``
+             setting (eg. 503 instead of 500)
+
 .. http:get:: /__lbheartbeat__
 
    The view that simply returns a successful HTTP response so that a load
diff --git a/docs/sanic.rst b/docs/sanic.rst
index 646bae6..a61af37 100644
--- a/docs/sanic.rst
+++ b/docs/sanic.rst
@@ -372,6 +372,9 @@ spec:
    :statuscode 200: no error
    :statuscode 500: there was a warning or error
 
+   .. note:: Failed status code can be configured with the ``DOCKERFLOW_HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE``
+             setting (eg. 503 instead of 500)
+
 .. http:get:: /__lbheartbeat__
 
    The view that simply returns a successful HTTP response so that a load
diff --git a/src/dockerflow/django/views.py b/src/dockerflow/django/views.py
index cc5d772..0760c68 100644
--- a/src/dockerflow/django/views.py
+++ b/src/dockerflow/django/views.py
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
 
 from .signals import heartbeat_failed, heartbeat_passed
 
+HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE = int(
+    getattr(settings, "DOCKERFLOW_HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE", "500")
+)
+
+
 version_callback = getattr(
     settings, "DOCKERFLOW_VERSION_CALLBACK", "dockerflow.version.get_version"
 )
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ def heartbeat(request):
         status_code = 200
         heartbeat_passed.send(sender=heartbeat, level=check_results.level)
     else:
-        status_code = 500
+        status_code = HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE
         heartbeat_failed.send(sender=heartbeat, level=check_results.level)
 
     payload = {"status": checks.level_to_text(check_results.level)}
diff --git a/src/dockerflow/fastapi/views.py b/src/dockerflow/fastapi/views.py
index 8aa1d59..f2dc1cd 100644
--- a/src/dockerflow/fastapi/views.py
+++ b/src/dockerflow/fastapi/views.py
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ def lbheartbeat():
     return {"status": "ok"}
 
 
-def heartbeat(response: Response):
+def heartbeat(request: Request, response: Response):
+    FAILED_STATUS_CODE = int(
+        getattr(request.app.state, "DOCKERFLOW_HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE", "500")
+    )
+
     check_results = checks.run_checks(
         checks.get_checks().items(),
     )
@@ -25,7 +29,7 @@ def heartbeat(response: Response):
     if check_results.level < checks.ERROR:
         response.status_code = 200
     else:
-        response.status_code = 500
+        response.status_code = FAILED_STATUS_CODE
 
     return payload
 
diff --git a/src/dockerflow/flask/app.py b/src/dockerflow/flask/app.py
index dd16a83..8ae9c02 100644
--- a/src/dockerflow/flask/app.py
+++ b/src/dockerflow/flask/app.py
@@ -304,6 +304,11 @@ def _heartbeat_view(self):
         Any check that returns a warning or worse (error, critical) will
         return a 500 response.
         """
+        FAILED_STATUS_CODE = int(
+            flask.current_app.config.get(
+                "DOCKERFLOW_HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE", "500"
+            )
+        )
 
         check_results = checks.run_checks(
             checks.get_checks().items(),
@@ -324,7 +329,7 @@ def render(status_code):
             heartbeat_passed.send(self, level=check_results.level)
             return render(status_code)
         else:
-            status_code = 500
+            status_code = FAILED_STATUS_CODE
             heartbeat_failed.send(self, level=check_results.level)
             raise HeartbeatFailure(response=render(status_code))
 
diff --git a/src/dockerflow/sanic/app.py b/src/dockerflow/sanic/app.py
index cffc19e..12ab78e 100644
--- a/src/dockerflow/sanic/app.py
+++ b/src/dockerflow/sanic/app.py
@@ -205,6 +205,9 @@ async def _heartbeat_view(self, request):
         Any check that returns a warning or worse (error, critical) will
         return a 500 response.
         """
+        FAILED_STATUS_CODE = int(
+            request.app.config.get("DOCKERFLOW_HEARTBEAT_FAILED_STATUS_CODE", "500")
+        )
 
         check_results = await checks.run_checks_async(
             checks.get_checks().items(),
@@ -220,7 +223,7 @@ async def _heartbeat_view(self, request):
         if check_results.level < checks.ERROR:
             status_code = 200
         else:
-            status_code = 500
+            status_code = FAILED_STATUS_CODE
 
         return response.json(payload, status_code)