diff --git a/src/canvas/heatmapFeature.js b/src/canvas/heatmapFeature.js
index e10888f6d1..aacda52737 100644
--- a/src/canvas/heatmapFeature.js
+++ b/src/canvas/heatmapFeature.js
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ var canvas_heatmapFeature = function (arg) {
       m_heatMapTransform,
       s_init = this._init,
       s_update = this._update,
+      m_lastRenderDuration,
       m_renderTime = timestamp();
 
   /**
@@ -298,6 +299,7 @@ var canvas_heatmapFeature = function (arg) {
   this._renderOnCanvas = function (context2d, map) {
 
     if (m_renderTime.timestamp() < m_this.buildTime().timestamp()) {
+      let starttime = Date.now();
       var data = m_this.data() || [],
           radius = m_this.style('radius') + m_this.style('blurRadius'),
           binned = m_this.binned(),
@@ -350,6 +352,7 @@ var canvas_heatmapFeature = function (arg) {
       };
       m_renderTime.modified();
       layer.renderer().clearCanvas(false);
+      m_lastRenderDuration = Date.now() - starttime;
     }
 
     return m_this;
@@ -440,6 +443,14 @@ var canvas_heatmapFeature = function (arg) {
         parseFloat((rotation - m_heatMapPosition.rotation).toFixed(4)) !== 0 ||
         parseFloat(origin.x.toFixed(1)) !== 0 ||
         parseFloat(origin.y.toFixed(1)) !== 0) {
+      let delay = m_this.updateDelay();
+      if (delay < 0 && m_lastRenderDuration) {
+        delay = m_lastRenderDuration - Math.floor(1000 / 60 * delay);
+      } else if (m_lastRenderDuration) {
+        delay = m_lastRenderDuration * 2;
+      } else {
+        delay = 100;
+      }
       m_heatMapPosition.timeout = window.setTimeout(function () {
         m_heatMapPosition.timeout = undefined;
         m_this.buildTime().modified();
diff --git a/src/heatmapFeature.js b/src/heatmapFeature.js
index 786f45a07b..49557a11a1 100644
--- a/src/heatmapFeature.js
+++ b/src/heatmapFeature.js
@@ -19,8 +19,11 @@ var transform = require('./transform');
  * @property {number} [minIntensity=null] Minimum intensity of the data.
  *   Minimum intensity must be a positive real number and is used to normalize
  *   all intensities within a dataset.  If `null`, it is computed.
- * @property {number} [updateDelay=1000] Delay in milliseconds after a zoom,
- *   rotate, or pan event before recomputing the heatmap.
+ * @property {number} [updateDelay=-1] Delay in milliseconds after a zoom,
+ *   rotate, or pan event before recomputing the heatmap.  If 0, this is double
+ *   the last render time.  If negative, it is roughly the last render time
+ *   plus the absolute value of the specified number of refresh intervals.
+ *   compute a delay based on the last heatmap render time.
  * @property {boolean|number|'auto'} [binned='auto'] If `true` or a number,
  *   spatially bin data as part of producing the heatmap.  If falsy, each
  *   datapoint stands on its own.  If `'auto'`, bin data if there are more data
@@ -76,7 +79,7 @@ var heatmapFeature = function (arg) {
   m_maxIntensity = arg.maxIntensity !== undefined ? arg.maxIntensity : null;
   m_minIntensity = arg.minIntensity !== undefined ? arg.minIntensity : null;
   m_binned = arg.binned !== undefined ? arg.binned : 'auto';
-  m_updateDelay = arg.updateDelay ? parseInt(arg.updateDelay, 10) : 1000;
+  m_updateDelay = (arg.updateDelay || arg.updateDelay === 0) ? parseInt(arg.updateDelay, 10) : -1;
 
   /**
    * Get/Set maxIntensity.
@@ -121,7 +124,9 @@ var heatmapFeature = function (arg) {
    *
    * @param {number} [val] If not specified, return the current update delay.
    *    If specified, this is the delay in milliseconds after a zoom, rotate,
-   *    or pan event before recomputing the heatmap.
+   *    or pan event before recomputing the heatmap.  If 0, this is double the
+   *    last render time.  If negative, it is roughly the last render time plus
+   *    the absolute value of the specified number of refresh intervals.
    * @returns {number|this}
    */
   this.updateDelay = function (val) {
diff --git a/tests/cases/heatmap.js b/tests/cases/heatmap.js
index 2da2ff03e1..ac5bd95c15 100644
--- a/tests/cases/heatmap.js
+++ b/tests/cases/heatmap.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ describe('canvas heatmap', function () {
     });
 
     it('Add feature to a layer', function () {
-      feature1 = layer.createFeature('heatmap')
+      feature1 = layer.createFeature('heatmap', {updateDelay: 1000})
         .data(testData)
         .intensity(function (d) {
           return d[0];
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ describe('canvas heatmap', function () {
       });
       it('updateDelay', function () {
         var heatmap = heatmapFeature({layer: layer});
-        expect(heatmap.updateDelay()).toBe(1000);
+        expect(heatmap.updateDelay()).toBe(-1);
         expect(heatmap.updateDelay(40)).toBe(heatmap);
         expect(heatmap.updateDelay()).toBe(40);
         heatmap = heatmapFeature({layer: layer, updateDelay: 50});