diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c b/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
index 188f50269b89..d66b17c000d4 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ static unsigned long o2hb_live_node_bitmap[BITS_TO_LONGS(O2NM_MAX_NODES)];
 static LIST_HEAD(o2hb_node_events);
 static DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(o2hb_steady_queue);
 
+/*
+ * In global heartbeat, we maintain a series of region bitmaps.
+ * 	- o2hb_region_bitmap allows us to limit the region number to max region.
+ */
+static unsigned long o2hb_region_bitmap[BITS_TO_LONGS(O2NM_MAX_REGIONS)];
+
 #define O2HB_DB_TYPE_LIVENODES		0
 struct o2hb_debug_buf {
 	int db_type;
@@ -176,6 +182,7 @@ struct o2hb_region {
 
 	/* live node map of this region */
 	unsigned long		hr_live_node_bitmap[BITS_TO_LONGS(O2NM_MAX_NODES)];
+	unsigned int		hr_region_num;
 
 	/* let the person setting up hb wait for it to return until it
 	 * has reached a 'steady' state.  This will be fixed when we have
@@ -1127,6 +1134,7 @@ int o2hb_init(void)
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&o2hb_node_events);
 
 	memset(o2hb_live_node_bitmap, 0, sizeof(o2hb_live_node_bitmap));
+	memset(o2hb_region_bitmap, 0, sizeof(o2hb_region_bitmap));
 
 	return o2hb_debug_init();
 }
@@ -1716,12 +1724,22 @@ static struct config_item *o2hb_heartbeat_group_make_item(struct config_group *g
 	if (strlen(name) > O2HB_MAX_REGION_NAME_LEN)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENAMETOOLONG);
 
-	config_item_init_type_name(&reg->hr_item, name, &o2hb_region_type);
-
 	spin_lock(&o2hb_live_lock);
+	reg->hr_region_num = 0;
+	if (o2hb_global_heartbeat_active()) {
+		reg->hr_region_num = find_first_zero_bit(o2hb_region_bitmap,
+							 O2NM_MAX_REGIONS);
+		if (reg->hr_region_num >= O2NM_MAX_REGIONS) {
+			spin_unlock(&o2hb_live_lock);
+			return ERR_PTR(-EFBIG);
+		}
+		set_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_region_bitmap);
+	}
 	list_add_tail(&reg->hr_all_item, &o2hb_all_regions);
 	spin_unlock(&o2hb_live_lock);
 
+	config_item_init_type_name(&reg->hr_item, name, &o2hb_region_type);
+
 	return &reg->hr_item;
 }
 
@@ -1733,6 +1751,8 @@ static void o2hb_heartbeat_group_drop_item(struct config_group *group,
 
 	/* stop the thread when the user removes the region dir */
 	spin_lock(&o2hb_live_lock);
+	if (o2hb_global_heartbeat_active())
+		clear_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_region_bitmap);
 	hb_task = reg->hr_task;
 	reg->hr_task = NULL;
 	spin_unlock(&o2hb_live_lock);