diff --git a/dashboard/consts.py b/dashboard/consts.py
index c1d3ec474..e73d8eb50 100644
--- a/dashboard/consts.py
+++ b/dashboard/consts.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_MAX_COUNT_OF_RPC_ERROR = env_integer(
     "GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_MAX_COUNT_OF_RPC_ERROR", 10)
 GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS = env_integer(
     "GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS", 5)
+GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_RPC_TIMEOUT = env_integer("GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_RPC_TIMEOUT", 10)
 GCS_RETRY_CONNECT_INTERVAL_SECONDS = env_integer(
     "GCS_RETRY_CONNECT_INTERVAL_SECONDS", 2)
 # aiohttp_cache
diff --git a/dashboard/head.py b/dashboard/head.py
index d25cf34f7..525128144 100644
--- a/dashboard/head.py
+++ b/dashboard/head.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import socket
 import asyncio
 import logging
 import ipaddress
+import threading
 
 from grpc.experimental import aio as aiogrpc
 
@@ -28,12 +29,73 @@ routes = dashboard_utils.ClassMethodRouteTable
 aiogrpc.init_grpc_aio()
 
 
+async def make_gcs_grpc_channel(redis_client):
+    while True:
+        try:
+            gcs_address = await redis_client.get(
+                dashboard_consts.REDIS_KEY_GCS_SERVER_ADDRESS)
+            if not gcs_address:
+                raise Exception("GCS address not found.")
+            logger.info("Connect to GCS at %s", gcs_address)
+            options = (("grpc.enable_http_proxy", 0), )
+            channel = aiogrpc.insecure_channel(gcs_address, options=options)
+            return channel
+        except Exception as ex:
+            logger.error("Connect to GCS failed: %s, retry...", ex)
+            await asyncio.sleep(
+                dashboard_consts.GCS_RETRY_CONNECT_INTERVAL_SECONDS)
+
+
+class GCSHealthCheckThread(threading.Thread):
+    def __init__(self, redis_client):
+        self.thread_local_loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+        self.aiogrpc_gcs_channel = None
+        self.gcs_heartbeat_info_stub = None
+
+        async def on_startup():
+            aiogrpc.init_grpc_aio()
+            self.aiogrpc_gcs_channel = await (
+                make_gcs_grpc_channel(redis_client))
+            self.gcs_heartbeat_info_stub = (
+                gcs_service_pb2_grpc.HeartbeatInfoGcsServiceStub(
+                    self.aiogrpc_gcs_channel))
+
+        self.startup_task = self.thread_local_loop.create_task(on_startup())
+
+        super().__init__(daemon=True)
+
+    async def _check_once(self) -> bool:
+        request = gcs_service_pb2.CheckAliveRequest()
+        try:
+            reply = await self.gcs_heartbeat_info_stub.CheckAlive(
+                request, timeout=dashboard_consts.GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_RPC_TIMEOUT)
+            if reply.status.code != 0:
+                logger.exception(
+                    f"Failed to CheckAlive: {reply.status.message}")
+                return False
+        except aiogrpc.AioRpcError:  # Deadline Exceeded
+            logger.exception("Got AioRpcError when checking GCS is alive")
+            return False
+        return True
+
+    async def check_once(self) -> bool:
+        # Make sure startup is complete
+        if not self.startup_task.done():
+            return False
+        # Make the grpc call inside the thread loop so it's not blocked by
+        # potentially busy main loop.
+        return await asyncio.wrap_future(
+            asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(self._check_once(),
+                                             self.thread_local_loop))
+
+    def run(self) -> None:
+        self.thread_local_loop.run_forever()
+
+
 class DashboardHead:
     def __init__(self, http_host, http_port, http_port_retries, redis_address,
                  redis_password, log_dir):
-        # HeartbeatInfoGcsService
-        self._gcs_heartbeat_info_stub = None
-        self._gcs_check_alive_seq = 0
+        self.health_check_thread: GCSHealthCheckThread = None
         self._gcs_rpc_error_counter = 0
         # Public attributes are accessible for all head modules.
         # Walkaround for issue: https://github.com/ray-project/ray/issues/7084
@@ -56,20 +118,10 @@ class DashboardHead:
 
     @async_loop_forever(dashboard_consts.GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS)
     async def _gcs_check_alive(self):
-        try:
-            self._gcs_check_alive_seq += 1
-            request = gcs_service_pb2.CheckAliveRequest(
-                seq=self._gcs_check_alive_seq)
-            reply = await self._gcs_heartbeat_info_stub.CheckAlive(
-                request, timeout=2)
-            if reply.status.code != 0:
-                raise Exception(
-                    f"Failed to CheckAlive: {reply.status.message}")
+        is_alive = await self.health_check_thread.check_once()
+        if is_alive:
             self._gcs_rpc_error_counter = 0
-        except aiogrpc.AioRpcError:
-            logger.exception(
-                "Got AioRpcError when checking GCS is alive, seq=%s.",
-                self._gcs_check_alive_seq)
+        else:
             self._gcs_rpc_error_counter += 1
             if self._gcs_rpc_error_counter > \
                     dashboard_consts.GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_MAX_COUNT_OF_RPC_ERROR:
@@ -84,9 +136,6 @@ class DashboardHead:
                 # shutdown(). Please refer to:
                 # https://github.com/ray-project/ray/issues/16328
                 os._exit(-1)
-        except Exception:
-            logger.exception("Error checking GCS is alive, seq=%s.",
-                             self._gcs_check_alive_seq)
 
     def _load_modules(self):
         """Load dashboard head modules."""
@@ -120,28 +169,12 @@ class DashboardHead:
             loop=asyncio.get_event_loop())
 
         # Waiting for GCS is ready.
-        while True:
-            try:
-                gcs_address = await self.aioredis_client.get(
-                    dashboard_consts.REDIS_KEY_GCS_SERVER_ADDRESS)
-                if not gcs_address:
-                    raise Exception("GCS address not found.")
-                logger.info("Connect to GCS at %s", gcs_address)
-                options = (("grpc.enable_http_proxy", 0), )
-                channel = aiogrpc.insecure_channel(
-                    gcs_address, options=options)
-            except Exception as ex:
-                logger.error("Connect to GCS failed: %s, retry...", ex)
-                await asyncio.sleep(
-                    dashboard_consts.GCS_RETRY_CONNECT_INTERVAL_SECONDS)
-            else:
-                self.aiogrpc_gcs_channel = channel
-                break
+        self.aiogrpc_gcs_channel = await make_gcs_grpc_channel(
+            self.aioredis_client)
 
-        # Create a HeartbeatInfoGcsServiceStub.
-        self._gcs_heartbeat_info_stub = \
-            gcs_service_pb2_grpc.HeartbeatInfoGcsServiceStub(
-                self.aiogrpc_gcs_channel)
+        self.health_check_thread = GCSHealthCheckThread(
+            redis_client=self.aioredis_client)
+        self.health_check_thread.start()
 
         # Start a grpc asyncio server.
         await self.server.start()
diff --git a/dashboard/modules/log/tests/test_log.py b/dashboard/modules/log/tests/test_log.py
index 09651a94c..db6549918 100644
--- a/dashboard/modules/log/tests/test_log.py
+++ b/dashboard/modules/log/tests/test_log.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def test_log(disable_aiohttp_cache, ray_start_with_dashboard):
             # Test range request.
             response = requests.get(
                 webui_url + "/logs/dashboard.log",
-                headers={"Range": "bytes=43-51"})
+                headers={"Range": "bytes=44-52"})
             response.raise_for_status()
             assert response.text == "Dashboard"
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def test_log_proxy(ray_start_with_dashboard):
             # Test range request.
             response = requests.get(
                 f"{webui_url}/log_proxy?url={webui_url}/logs/dashboard.log",
-                headers={"Range": "bytes=43-51"})
+                headers={"Range": "bytes=44-52"})
             response.raise_for_status()
             assert response.text == "Dashboard"
             # Test 404.
diff --git a/dashboard/tests/conftest.py b/dashboard/tests/conftest.py
index d607c6aaa..34acc9925 100644
--- a/dashboard/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/dashboard/tests/conftest.py
@@ -64,7 +64,9 @@ def fast_gcs_failure_detection():
     os.environ["GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_MAX_COUNT_OF_RPC_ERROR"] = "2"
     os.environ["GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS"] = "1"
     os.environ["GCS_RETRY_CONNECT_INTERVAL_SECONDS"] = "1"
+    os.environ["GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_RPC_TIMEOUT"] = "1"
     yield
     os.environ.pop("GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_MAX_COUNT_OF_RPC_ERROR", None)
     os.environ.pop("GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS", None)
     os.environ.pop("GCS_RETRY_CONNECT_INTERVAL_SECONDS", None)
+    os.environ.pop("GCS_CHECK_ALIVE_RPC_TIMEOUT", None)
diff --git a/python/ray/scripts/scripts.py b/python/ray/scripts/scripts.py
index 66f9cd1b8..a8ac4008f 100644
--- a/python/ray/scripts/scripts.py
+++ b/python/ray/scripts/scripts.py
@@ -1786,7 +1786,7 @@ def healthcheck(address, redis_password, component):
             options = (("grpc.enable_http_proxy", 0), )
             channel = grpc.insecure_channel(gcs_address, options=options)
             stub = gcs_service_pb2_grpc.HeartbeatInfoGcsServiceStub(channel)
-            request = gcs_service_pb2.CheckAliveRequest(seq=0)
+            request = gcs_service_pb2.CheckAliveRequest()
             reply = stub.CheckAlive(
                 request, timeout=ray.ray_constants.HEALTHCHECK_EXPIRATION_S)
             if reply.status.code == 0:
diff --git a/src/ray/gcs/gcs_server/gcs_heartbeat_manager.cc b/src/ray/gcs/gcs_server/gcs_heartbeat_manager.cc
index fd01207af..49ffc1e04 100644
--- a/src/ray/gcs/gcs_server/gcs_heartbeat_manager.cc
+++ b/src/ray/gcs/gcs_server/gcs_heartbeat_manager.cc
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ void GcsHeartbeatManager::HandleReportHeartbeat(
 void GcsHeartbeatManager::HandleCheckAlive(const rpc::CheckAliveRequest &request,
                                            rpc::CheckAliveReply *reply,
                                            rpc::SendReplyCallback send_reply_callback) {
-  reply->set_seq(request.seq());
   GCS_RPC_SEND_REPLY(send_reply_callback, reply, Status::OK());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ray/protobuf/gcs_service.proto b/src/ray/protobuf/gcs_service.proto
index 3caee9334..3c1d16e24 100644
--- a/src/ray/protobuf/gcs_service.proto
+++ b/src/ray/protobuf/gcs_service.proto
@@ -190,12 +190,10 @@ message ReportHeartbeatReply {
 }
 
 message CheckAliveRequest {
-  int32 seq = 1;
 }
 
 message CheckAliveReply {
   GcsStatus status = 1;
-  int32 seq = 2;
 }
 
 message GetInternalConfigRequest {