diff --git a/eb_sqs/management/commands/healthcheck.py b/eb_sqs/management/commands/healthcheck.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e996617
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eb_sqs/management/commands/healthcheck.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import sys
+
+import logging
+from datetime import timedelta
+
+from django.core.management import BaseCommand
+from django.utils import timezone
+from django.utils.dateparse import parse_datetime
+
+from eb_sqs import settings
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+    help = 'Checks the SQS worker is healthy, and if not returns a failure code'
+
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        pass
+
+    def handle(self, *args, **options):
+        try:
+            with open(settings.HEALTHCHECK_FILE_NAME, 'r') as file:
+                last_healthcheck_date_str = file.readlines()[0]
+
+                if parse_datetime(last_healthcheck_date_str) < timezone.now() - timedelta(seconds=settings.HEALTHCHECK_UNHEALTHY_PERIOD_S):
+                    self._return_failure()
+        except Exception:
+            self._return_failure()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _return_failure():
+        logger.warning('[django-eb-sqs] Health check failed')
+        sys.exit(1)
diff --git a/eb_sqs/settings.py b/eb_sqs/settings.py
index 291ff7f..c7ae840 100644
--- a/eb_sqs/settings.py
+++ b/eb_sqs/settings.py
@@ -37,3 +37,7 @@
 
 QUEUE_MESSAGE_RETENTION = getattr(settings, 'EB_SQS_QUEUE_MESSAGE_RETENTION', '1209600')  # type: str
 QUEUE_VISIBILITY_TIMEOUT = getattr(settings, 'EB_SQS_QUEUE_VISIBILITY_TIMEOUT', '300')  # type: str
+
+MIN_HEALTHCHECK_WRITE_PERIOD_S = getattr(settings, 'EB_SQS_MIN_HEALTHCHECK_WRITE_PERIOD_S', 10)  # type: int
+HEALTHCHECK_UNHEALTHY_PERIOD_S = getattr(settings, 'EB_SQS_HEALTHCHECK_UNHEALTHY_PERIOD_S', int(QUEUE_VISIBILITY_TIMEOUT))  # type: int
+HEALTHCHECK_FILE_NAME = getattr(settings, 'EB_SQS_HEALTHCHECK_FILE_NAME', 'healthcheck.txt')  # type: str
diff --git a/eb_sqs/worker/service.py b/eb_sqs/worker/service.py
index db8e34b..ec41c08 100644
--- a/eb_sqs/worker/service.py
+++ b/eb_sqs/worker/service.py
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ def process_queues(self, queue_names):
         static_queues = queues
         last_update_time = timezone.now() - timedelta(seconds=settings.REFRESH_PREFIX_QUEUES_S)
 
+        self.write_healthcheck_file()
+        last_healthcheck_time = timezone.now()
+
         logger.debug('[django-eb-sqs] Connected to SQS: {}'.format(', '.join(queue_names)))
 
         worker = WorkerFactory.default().create()
@@ -67,6 +70,10 @@ def process_queues(self, queue_names):
             logger.debug('[django-eb-sqs] Processing {} queues'.format(len(queues)))
             self.process_messages(queues, worker, static_queues)
 
+            if timezone.now() - timedelta(seconds=settings.MIN_HEALTHCHECK_WRITE_PERIOD_S) > last_healthcheck_time:
+                self.write_healthcheck_file()
+                last_healthcheck_time = timezone.now()
+
     def process_messages(self, queues, worker, static_queues):
         # type: (list, Worker, list) -> None
         for queue in queues:
@@ -144,3 +151,7 @@ def get_queues_by_prefixes(self, sqs, prefixes):
             queues += sqs.queues.filter(QueueNamePrefix=prefix)
 
         return queues
+
+    def write_healthcheck_file(self):
+        with open(settings.HEALTHCHECK_FILE_NAME, 'w') as file:
+            file.write(timezone.now().isoformat())
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 17af45f..3009e02 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 setup(
     name='django-eb-sqs',
-    version='1.16',
+    version='1.20',
     package_dir={'eb_sqs': 'eb_sqs'},
     include_package_data=True,
     packages=find_packages(),