diff --git a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/RobotAPIComponentPlugins/HeartbeatComponentPlugin.cpp b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/RobotAPIComponentPlugins/HeartbeatComponentPlugin.cpp
index fc83132850cfb652359c0ef7cca81d89e3ff3aac..41b48bdff28d2cdbd2e601ab7e9d6dadcdbc0e2b 100644
--- a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/RobotAPIComponentPlugins/HeartbeatComponentPlugin.cpp
+++ b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/RobotAPIComponentPlugins/HeartbeatComponentPlugin.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ namespace armarx::plugins
         channelHeartbeatConfig.emplace(channel, args);
     }
 
+    void HeartbeatComponentPlugin::configureHeartbeatChannel(const std::string& channel, const std::string& message)
+    {
+        auto args = heartbeatArgs;
+        args.message = message;
+        configureHeartbeatChannel(channel, args);
+    }
+
     void HeartbeatComponentPlugin::heartbeat()
     {
 
diff --git a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/RobotAPIComponentPlugins/HeartbeatComponentPlugin.h b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/RobotAPIComponentPlugins/HeartbeatComponentPlugin.h
index 80cf546726085b6ca03406a7dc1abc91e647c11c..638d2e9868b8fb25329272f5c084b6e83f4e136e 100644
--- a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/RobotAPIComponentPlugins/HeartbeatComponentPlugin.h
+++ b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/RobotAPIComponentPlugins/HeartbeatComponentPlugin.h
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ namespace armarx::plugins
     public:
         using ComponentPlugin::ComponentPlugin;
 
+        /**
+         * @brief Configures a heartbeat subchannel.
+         *
+         * @param channel Identifier of the heartbeat channel
+         * @param args Configuration of this channel's heartbeat properties
+         */
+        void configureHeartbeatChannel(const std::string& channel, const std::string& message);
+
         /**
          * @brief Configures a heartbeat subchannel.
          *