diff --git a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/heartbeat/HoodieHeartbeatClient.java b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/heartbeat/HoodieHeartbeatClient.java
index 44f323b2e05f..0ada2a384fbd 100644
--- a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/heartbeat/HoodieHeartbeatClient.java
+++ b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/heartbeat/HoodieHeartbeatClient.java
@@ -184,13 +184,14 @@ public void start(String instantTime) {
    * @param instantTime The instant time for the heartbeat.
    * @throws HoodieException
    */
-  public void stop(String instantTime) throws HoodieException {
-    Heartbeat heartbeat = instantToHeartbeatMap.get(instantTime);
+  public Heartbeat stop(String instantTime) throws HoodieException {
+    Heartbeat heartbeat = instantToHeartbeatMap.remove(instantTime);
     if (isHeartbeatStarted(heartbeat)) {
       stopHeartbeatTimer(heartbeat);
       HeartbeatUtils.deleteHeartbeatFile(storage, basePath, instantTime);
       LOG.info("Deleted heartbeat file for instant " + instantTime);
     }
+    return heartbeat;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hudi/client/heartbeat/TestHoodieHeartbeatClient.java b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hudi/client/heartbeat/TestHoodieHeartbeatClient.java
index 7778fa1c677e..c7ea5fa87bbd 100644
--- a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hudi/client/heartbeat/TestHoodieHeartbeatClient.java
+++ b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hudi/client/heartbeat/TestHoodieHeartbeatClient.java
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@
 
 import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS;
 import static org.awaitility.Awaitility.await;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 public class TestHoodieHeartbeatClient extends HoodieCommonTestHarness {
@@ -64,10 +66,10 @@ public void testStopHeartbeat() {
         new HoodieHeartbeatClient(metaClient.getStorage(), metaClient.getBasePath().toString(),
             heartBeatInterval, numTolerableMisses);
     hoodieHeartbeatClient.start(instantTime1);
-    hoodieHeartbeatClient.stop(instantTime1);
-    await().atMost(5, SECONDS).until(() -> hoodieHeartbeatClient.getHeartbeat(instantTime1).getNumHeartbeats() > 0);
-    Integer numHeartBeats = hoodieHeartbeatClient.getHeartbeat(instantTime1).getNumHeartbeats();
-    assertTrue(numHeartBeats == 1);
+    HoodieHeartbeatClient.Heartbeat heartbeat = hoodieHeartbeatClient.stop(instantTime1);
+    await().atMost(5, SECONDS).until(() -> heartbeat.getNumHeartbeats() > 0);
+    assertEquals(1, (int) heartbeat.getNumHeartbeats());
+    assertNull(hoodieHeartbeatClient.getHeartbeat(instantTime1), "Heartbeat should be removed from client cache after explicit stop");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@ public void testIsHeartbeatExpired() throws IOException {
             heartBeatInterval, numTolerableMisses);
     hoodieHeartbeatClient.start(instantTime1);
     hoodieHeartbeatClient.stop(instantTime1);
-    assertFalse(hoodieHeartbeatClient.isHeartbeatExpired(instantTime1));
+    assertTrue(hoodieHeartbeatClient.isHeartbeatExpired(instantTime1), "The explicit stopped instant is deemed expiry for heartbeats");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@ public void testNumHeartbeatsGenerated() {
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void testDeleteWrongHeartbeat() throws IOException {
+  public void testDeleteWrongHeartbeat() {
     HoodieHeartbeatClient hoodieHeartbeatClient =
         new HoodieHeartbeatClient(metaClient.getStorage(), metaClient.getBasePath().toString(),
             heartBeatInterval, numTolerableMisses);