diff --git a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
index 338bc57a4..7f8ea42d7 100644
--- a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
+++ b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
@@ -346,9 +346,9 @@ def validate_resource_spec(self, resource_specification: dict):
         if resource_specification:
             raise InvalidResourceSpecification(
                 set(resource_specification.keys()),
-                ("HTEX does not support the supplied resource_specifications."
+                ("HTEX does not support the supplied resource_specifications. "
                  "For MPI applications consider using the MPIExecutor. "
-                 "For specifications for core count/memory/walltime, consider using WorkQueueExecutor. ")
+                 "For specifications for core count/memory/walltime, consider using WorkQueueExecutor.")
             )
         return
 
@@ -460,9 +460,7 @@ def _result_queue_worker(self):
                     except pickle.UnpicklingError:
                         raise BadMessage("Message received could not be unpickled")
 
-                    if msg['type'] == 'heartbeat':
-                        continue
-                    elif msg['type'] == 'result':
+                    if msg['type'] == 'result':
                         try:
                             tid = msg['task_id']
                         except Exception:
@@ -582,7 +580,7 @@ def hold_worker(self, worker_id: str) -> None:
     def outstanding(self) -> int:
         """Returns the count of tasks outstanding across the interchange
         and managers"""
-        return self.command_client.run("OUTSTANDING_C")
+        return len(self.tasks)
 
     @property
     def connected_workers(self) -> int:
diff --git a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
index d61c76fed..b0228b52f 100644
--- a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
+++ b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 import pickle
 import platform
 import queue
-import signal
 import sys
 import threading
 import time
@@ -252,13 +251,7 @@ def _command_server(self) -> NoReturn:
             try:
                 command_req = self.command_channel.recv_pyobj()
                 logger.debug("Received command request: {}".format(command_req))
-                if command_req == "OUTSTANDING_C":
-                    outstanding = self.pending_task_queue.qsize()
-                    for manager in self._ready_managers.values():
-                        outstanding += len(manager['tasks'])
-                    reply = outstanding
-
-                elif command_req == "CONNECTED_BLOCKS":
+                if command_req == "CONNECTED_BLOCKS":
                     reply = self.connected_block_history
 
                 elif command_req == "WORKERS":
@@ -319,16 +312,6 @@ def start(self) -> None:
         """ Start the interchange
         """
 
-        # If a user workflow has set its own signal handler for sigterm, that
-        # handler will be inherited by the interchange process because it is
-        # launched as a multiprocessing fork process.
-        # That can interfere with the interchange shutdown mechanism, which is
-        # to receive a SIGTERM and exit immediately.
-        # See Parsl issue #2343 (Threads and multiprocessing cannot be
-        # intermingled without deadlocks) which talks about other fork-related
-        # parent-process-inheritance problems.
-        signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, signal.SIG_DFL)
-
         logger.info("Starting main interchange method")
 
         if self.hub_address is not None and self.hub_zmq_port is not None:
@@ -549,7 +532,6 @@ def process_results_incoming(self, interesting_managers: Set[bytes], monitoring_
                         monitoring_radio.send(r['payload'])
                     elif r['type'] == 'heartbeat':
                         logger.debug("Manager %r sent heartbeat via results connection", manager_id)
-                        b_messages.append((p_message, r))
                     else:
                         logger.error("Interchange discarding result_queue message of unknown type: %s", r["type"])