diff --git a/app/models/miq_worker/runner.rb b/app/models/miq_worker/runner.rb
index 7de832b024f6..70fb3542295d 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_worker/runner.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_worker/runner.rb
@@ -288,6 +288,8 @@ def heartbeat
       _log.info("#{log_prefix} Synchronizing configuration complete...")
     end
 
+    process_messages_from_server unless MiqEnvironment::Command.is_podified?
+
     @last_hb = now
     do_heartbeat_work
   rescue SystemExit, SignalException
@@ -296,6 +298,15 @@ def heartbeat
     do_exit("Error heartbeating because #{err.class.name}: #{err.message}\n#{err.backtrace.join('\n')}", 1)
   end
 
+  def process_messages_from_server
+    worker_monitor_drb.register_worker(@worker.pid, @worker.class.name, @worker.queue_name)
+    worker_monitor_drb.worker_get_messages(@worker.pid).each do |msg, *args|
+      process_message(msg, *args)
+    end
+  rescue DRb::DRbError => err
+    do_exit("Error processing messages from MiqServer because #{err.class.name}: #{err.message}", 1)
+  end
+
   def heartbeat_to_file(timeout = nil)
     # Disable heartbeat check.  Useful if a worker is running in isolation
     # without the oversight of MiqServer::WorkerManagement