diff --git a/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/realtime/snapshot_writer.go b/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/realtime/snapshot_writer.go
index b7bf8c40..d1da9c78 100644
--- a/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/realtime/snapshot_writer.go
+++ b/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/realtime/snapshot_writer.go
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ func (w *SnapshotWriter) Update(ctx context.Context, env envelope.FrameEnvelope)
 	if vehicleKey == "" || strings.HasSuffix(vehicleKey, ":unknown") {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if !hasRealtimePayload(env) {
+		return nil
+	}
 	fieldsJSON, err := marshalObject(env.Fields)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -82,6 +85,16 @@ func nullableTime(ms int64) any {
 	return time.UnixMilli(ms)
 }
 
+func hasRealtimePayload(env envelope.FrameEnvelope) bool {
+	if len(env.Fields) > 0 {
+		return true
+	}
+	if _, ok := env.Parsed["data_units"]; ok {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 const realtimeSnapshotTableSQL = `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS vehicle_realtime_snapshot (
   id BIGINT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
   protocol VARCHAR(32) NOT NULL,
diff --git a/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/realtime/snapshot_writer_test.go b/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/realtime/snapshot_writer_test.go
index 243e6792..48374c39 100644
--- a/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/realtime/snapshot_writer_test.go
+++ b/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/realtime/snapshot_writer_test.go
@@ -75,6 +75,29 @@ func TestSnapshotWriterSkipsUnknownVehicleKey(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSnapshotWriterSkipsGB32960HeartbeatWithoutRealtimePayload(t *testing.T) {
+	exec := &recordingSnapshotExec{}
+	writer := NewSnapshotWriter(exec)
+
+	if err := writer.Update(context.Background(), envelope.FrameEnvelope{
+		Protocol:  envelope.ProtocolGB32960,
+		MessageID: "0x07",
+		VIN:       "ABCDE600000000009",
+		Parsed: map[string]any{
+			"header": map[string]any{
+				"vin":                "ABCDE600000000009",
+				"command":            "0x07",
+				"actual_body_length": 0,
+			},
+		},
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Update() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(exec.calls) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("exec calls = %d, want 0", len(exec.calls))
+	}
+}
+
 type recordingSnapshotExec struct {
 	calls []snapshotExecCall
 }