diff --git a/src/lib_gossipsub/gossipsub_intf.ml b/src/lib_gossipsub/gossipsub_intf.ml
index 2a492eaf7b38eeac3bedbaef759016f5cf7b05b7..6013b88ea66f2e1ce9564d7286a0292cfaaf9fc5 100644
--- a/src/lib_gossipsub/gossipsub_intf.ml
+++ b/src/lib_gossipsub/gossipsub_intf.ml
@@ -696,11 +696,9 @@ module type WORKER = sig
     (GS.Peer.t, GS.Message_id.t) parameters ->
     t
 
-  (** [start ~heartbeat_span topics state] runs the (not already started) worker
-      whose [state] is given. The worker is started with the given
-      [heartbeat_span] and the initial list of [topics] the caller is interested
-      in. *)
-  val start : heartbeat_span:GS.Span.t -> GS.Topic.t list -> t -> t
+  (** [start topics state] runs the (not already started) worker whose [state]
+      is given together with the initial list of [topics] the caller is interested in. *)
+  val start : GS.Topic.t list -> t -> t
 
   (** [shutdown state] allows stopping the worker whose [state] is given. *)
   val shutdown : t -> unit Monad.t
diff --git a/src/lib_gossipsub/gossipsub_worker.ml b/src/lib_gossipsub/gossipsub_worker.ml
index 91bc55f4099a19842bf684dbb6bdda58acd24fd8..4169ac83a7d73e8d3f44442475eddfbf728f9f3c 100644
--- a/src/lib_gossipsub/gossipsub_worker.ml
+++ b/src/lib_gossipsub/gossipsub_worker.ml
@@ -473,9 +473,12 @@ module Make (C : Gossipsub_intf.WORKER_CONFIGURATION) :
     in
     {schedule_cancellation}
 
-  let start ~heartbeat_span topics t =
+  let start topics t =
     match t.status with
     | Starting ->
+        let heartbeat_span =
+          View.((view t.gossip_state).limits.heartbeat_interval)
+        in
         let heartbeat_handle = heartbeat_events_producer ~heartbeat_span t in
         let event_loop_handle = event_loop t in
         let status = Running {heartbeat_handle; event_loop_handle} in
diff --git a/src/lib_gossipsub/test/test_gossipsub_shared.ml b/src/lib_gossipsub/test/test_gossipsub_shared.ml
index efb09bed3ccd5dec0f0045d8f3355cfcb3abbd2c..8f2adc4e051bb6e28e19fa31aa25817a297444d2 100644
--- a/src/lib_gossipsub/test/test_gossipsub_shared.ml
+++ b/src/lib_gossipsub/test/test_gossipsub_shared.ml
@@ -193,3 +193,46 @@ let pp_limits fmtr (l : (GS.Peer.t, GS.Message_id.t, GS.span) limits) =
     gossip_factor
     history_length
     history_gossip_length
+
+(** Instantiate the worker functor *)
+module Worker_config = struct
+  module GS = GS
+
+  module Monad = struct
+    type 'a t = 'a Lwt.t
+
+    let ( let* ) = Lwt.bind
+
+    let return = Lwt.return
+
+    let sleep i = Lwt_unix.sleep @@ float_of_int i
+  end
+
+  module Stream = struct
+    type 'a pending = {promise : 'a Lwt.t; resolver : 'a Lwt.u}
+
+    type 'a t = {elements : 'a Queue.t; mutable pending : 'a pending option}
+
+    let empty () = {elements = Queue.create (); pending = None}
+
+    let push e t =
+      match t.pending with
+      | None -> Queue.push e t.elements
+      | Some {resolver; _} ->
+          t.pending <- None ;
+          Lwt.wakeup resolver e
+
+    let pop t =
+      if not @@ Queue.is_empty t.elements then
+        Monad.return @@ Queue.pop t.elements
+      else
+        match t.pending with
+        | Some {promise; _} -> promise
+        | None ->
+            let promise, resolver = Lwt.task () in
+            t.pending <- Some {promise; resolver} ;
+            promise
+  end
+end
+
+module Worker = Tezos_gossipsub.Worker (Worker_config)
diff --git a/src/lib_gossipsub/tezos_gossipsub.ml b/src/lib_gossipsub/tezos_gossipsub.ml
index dc93da49d5df1d7ead582f4f41de6ef6d89b1ab8..d503d6bea9712432e2fdeae540434d1da21c69b4 100644
--- a/src/lib_gossipsub/tezos_gossipsub.ml
+++ b/src/lib_gossipsub/tezos_gossipsub.ml
@@ -1082,6 +1082,9 @@ module Make (C : AUTOMATON_CONFIG) :
       let open Monad.Syntax in
       let*! heartbeat_ticks in
       let*! heartbeat_interval in
+      (* FIXME: https://gitlab.com/tezos/tezos/-/issues/5455
+
+         Move the heartbeat interval/span outside the automaton to the worker. *)
       let*! backoff_cleanup_ticks in
       (* NOTE: Probably the cleanup can also be done lazily: at use, if a
          backoff time is expired, then remove it *)