diff --git a/rq/worker.py b/rq/worker.py
index 11ea290..cac6bdb 100644
--- a/rq/worker.py
+++ b/rq/worker.py
@@ -810,11 +810,7 @@ class Worker:
                     self.wait_for_horse()
                     break
 
-                with self.connection.pipeline() as pipeline:
-                    self.heartbeat(self.job_monitoring_interval + 60, pipeline=pipeline)
-                    ttl = self.get_heartbeat_ttl(job)
-                    job.heartbeat(utcnow(), ttl, pipeline=pipeline, xx=True)
-                    pipeline.execute()
+                self.maintain_heartbeats(job)
 
             except OSError as e:
                 # In case we encountered an OSError due to EINTR (which is
@@ -832,7 +828,9 @@ class Worker:
         self._horse_pid = 0  # Set horse PID to 0, horse has finished working
         if ret_val == os.EX_OK:  # The process exited normally.
             return
+
         job_status = job.get_status()
+
         if job_status is None:  # Job completed and its ttl has expired
             return
         elif job_status == JobStatus.STOPPED:
@@ -869,6 +867,27 @@ class Worker:
         self.monitor_work_horse(job, queue)
         self.set_state(WorkerStatus.IDLE)
 
+    def maintain_heartbeats(self, job):
+        """Updates worker and job's last heartbeat field. If job was
+        enqueued with `result_ttl=0`, a race condition could happen where this heartbeat
+        arrives after job has been deleted, leaving a job key that contains only
+        `last_heartbeat` field.
+
+        hset() is used when updating job's timestamp. This command returns 1 if a new
+        Redis key is created, 0 otherwise. So in this case we check the return of job's
+        heartbeat() command. If a new key was created, this means the job was already
+        deleted. In this case, we simply send another delete command to remove the key.
+
+        https://github.com/rq/rq/issues/1450
+        """
+        with self.connection.pipeline() as pipeline:
+            self.heartbeat(self.job_monitoring_interval + 60, pipeline=pipeline)
+            ttl = self.get_heartbeat_ttl(job)
+            job.heartbeat(utcnow(), ttl, pipeline=pipeline, xx=True)
+            results = pipeline.execute()
+            if results[2] == 1:
+                self.connection.delete(job.key)
+
     def main_work_horse(self, job, queue):
         """This is the entry point of the newly spawned work horse."""
         # After fork()'ing, always assure we are generating random sequences
diff --git a/tests/test_worker.py b/tests/test_worker.py
index 327c617..0e944c2 100644
--- a/tests/test_worker.py
+++ b/tests/test_worker.py
@@ -317,6 +317,20 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         self.testconn.hdel(w.key, 'birth')
         w.refresh()
 
+    def test_maintain_heartbeats(self):
+        """worker.maintain_heartbeats() shouldn't create new job keys"""
+        queue = Queue(connection=self.testconn)
+        worker = Worker([queue], connection=self.testconn)
+        job = queue.enqueue(say_hello)
+        worker.maintain_heartbeats(job)
+        self.assertTrue(self.testconn.exists(worker.key))
+        self.assertTrue(self.testconn.exists(job.key))
+
+        self.testconn.delete(job.key)
+
+        worker.maintain_heartbeats(job)
+        self.assertFalse(self.testconn.exists(job.key))
+
     @slow
     def test_heartbeat_survives_lost_connection(self):
         with mock.patch.object(Worker, 'heartbeat') as mocked:
@@ -1202,23 +1216,29 @@ class WorkerShutdownTestCase(TimeoutTestCase, RQTestCase):
         """
         fooq = Queue('foo')
         self.assertEqual(fooq.count, 0)
-        w = Worker(fooq)
+        w = Worker([fooq], job_monitoring_interval=1)
+
         sentinel_file = '/tmp/.rq_sentinel_work_horse_death'
         if os.path.exists(sentinel_file):
             os.remove(sentinel_file)
-        fooq.enqueue(launch_process_within_worker_and_store_pid, sentinel_file, 100)
-        job, queue = w.dequeue_job_and_maintain_ttl(5)
+
+        job = fooq.enqueue(launch_process_within_worker_and_store_pid, sentinel_file, 100)
+
+        _, queue = w.dequeue_job_and_maintain_ttl(5)
+        w.prepare_job_execution(job)
         w.fork_work_horse(job, queue)
         job.timeout = 5
-        w.job_monitoring_interval = 1
-        now = utcnow()
+
         time.sleep(1)
         with open(sentinel_file) as f:
             subprocess_pid = int(f.read().strip())
         self.assertTrue(psutil.pid_exists(subprocess_pid))
+
         w.monitor_work_horse(job, queue)
         fudge_factor = 1
         total_time = w.job_monitoring_interval + 65 + fudge_factor
+
+        now = utcnow()
         self.assertTrue((utcnow() - now).total_seconds() < total_time)
         self.assertEqual(job.get_status(), JobStatus.FAILED)
         failed_job_registry = FailedJobRegistry(queue=fooq)