diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaApis.scala b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaApis.scala
index c8be15a58a5..dd37213b1cb 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaApis.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/kafka/server/KafkaApis.scala
@@ -1739,21 +1739,14 @@ class KafkaApis(val requestChannel: RequestChannel,
   def handleHeartbeatRequest(request: RequestChannel.Request): CompletableFuture[Unit] = {
     val heartbeatRequest = request.body[HeartbeatRequest]
 
-    def sendResponse(response: AbstractResponse): Unit = {
-      requestHelper.sendResponseMaybeThrottle(request, requestThrottleMs => {
-        response.maybeSetThrottleTimeMs(requestThrottleMs)
-        response
-      })
-    }
-
     if (heartbeatRequest.data.groupInstanceId != null && config.interBrokerProtocolVersion.isLessThan(IBP_2_3_IV0)) {
       // Only enable static membership when IBP >= 2.3, because it is not safe for the broker to use the static member logic
       // until we are sure that all brokers support it. If static group being loaded by an older coordinator, it will discard
       // the group.instance.id field, so static members could accidentally become "dynamic", which leads to wrong states.
-      sendResponse(heartbeatRequest.getErrorResponse(Errors.UNSUPPORTED_VERSION.exception))
+      requestHelper.sendMaybeThrottle(request, heartbeatRequest.getErrorResponse(Errors.UNSUPPORTED_VERSION.exception))
       CompletableFuture.completedFuture[Unit](())
     } else if (!authHelper.authorize(request.context, READ, GROUP, heartbeatRequest.data.groupId)) {
-      sendResponse(heartbeatRequest.getErrorResponse(Errors.GROUP_AUTHORIZATION_FAILED.exception))
+      requestHelper.sendMaybeThrottle(request, heartbeatRequest.getErrorResponse(Errors.GROUP_AUTHORIZATION_FAILED.exception))
       CompletableFuture.completedFuture[Unit](())
     } else {
       newGroupCoordinator.heartbeat(
@@ -1761,9 +1754,9 @@ class KafkaApis(val requestChannel: RequestChannel,
         heartbeatRequest.data
       ).handle[Unit] { (response, exception) =>
         if (exception != null) {
-          sendResponse(heartbeatRequest.getErrorResponse(exception))
+          requestHelper.sendMaybeThrottle(request, heartbeatRequest.getErrorResponse(exception))
         } else {
-          sendResponse(new HeartbeatResponse(response))
+          requestHelper.sendMaybeThrottle(request, new HeartbeatResponse(response))
         }
       }
     }