diff --git a/selfdrive/manager.py b/selfdrive/manager.py
index 93b7b697f1..5e3e2e820f 100755
--- a/selfdrive/manager.py
+++ b/selfdrive/manager.py
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ if not PC:
     'updated',
     'logcatd',
     'tombstoned',
+    'sensord',
   ]
 
 car_started_processes = [
@@ -254,7 +255,6 @@ if WEBCAM:
 if not PC:
   car_started_processes += [
     'ubloxd',
-    'sensord',
     'dmonitoringd',
     'dmonitoringmodeld',
   ]
diff --git a/selfdrive/sensord/sensors_qcom.cc b/selfdrive/sensord/sensors_qcom.cc
index 4119d8ede6..389014f2e5 100644
--- a/selfdrive/sensord/sensors_qcom.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/sensord/sensors_qcom.cc
@@ -48,7 +48,12 @@ void sigpipe_handler(int sig) {
 
 void sensor_loop() {
   LOG("*** sensor loop");
+
+  uint64_t frame = 0;
+  bool low_power_mode = false;
+
   while (!do_exit) {
+    SubMaster sm({"thermal"});
     PubMaster pm({"sensorEvents"});
 
     struct sensors_poll_device_t* device;
@@ -90,6 +95,13 @@ void sensor_loop() {
       {SENSOR_LIGHT, ms2ns(100)}
     };
 
+    // sensors needed while offroad
+    std::set<int> offroad_sensors = {
+      SENSOR_LIGHT,
+      SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER,
+    };
+
+    // init all the sensors
     for (auto &s : sensors) {
       device->activate(device, s.first, 0);
       device->activate(device, s.first, 1);
@@ -189,6 +201,22 @@ void sensor_loop() {
         re_init_sensors = false;
         break;
       }
+
+      // Check whether to go into low power mode at 5Hz
+      if (frame % 20 == 0 && sm.update(0) > 0) {
+        bool offroad = !sm["thermal"].getThermal().getStarted();
+        if (low_power_mode != offroad) {
+          for (auto &s : sensors) {
+            device->activate(device, s.first, 0);
+            if (!offroad || offroad_sensors.find(s.first) != offroad_sensors.end()) {
+              device->activate(device, s.first, 1);
+            }
+          }
+          low_power_mode = offroad;
+        }
+      }
+
+      frame++;
     }
     sensors_close(device);
   }
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/android/ui.cc b/selfdrive/ui/android/ui.cc
index e64ab6cded..20640068ee 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/android/ui.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/android/ui.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <math.h>
 #include <sys/resource.h>
 
+#include <algorithm>
+
 #include "common/util.h"
 #include "common/utilpp.h"
 #include "common/params.h"
@@ -13,65 +15,11 @@
 #include "paint.hpp"
 #include "android/sl_sound.hpp"
 
-// Includes for light sensor
-#include <cutils/properties.h>
-#include <hardware/sensors.h>
-#include <utils/Timers.h>
-
 volatile sig_atomic_t do_exit = 0;
 static void set_do_exit(int sig) {
   do_exit = 1;
 }
 
-
-static void* light_sensor_thread(void *args) {
-  set_thread_name("light_sensor");
-
-  int err;
-  UIState *s = (UIState*)args;
-  s->light_sensor = 0.0;
-
-  struct sensors_poll_device_t* device;
-  struct sensors_module_t* module;
-
-  hw_get_module(SENSORS_HARDWARE_MODULE_ID, (hw_module_t const**)&module);
-  sensors_open(&module->common, &device);
-
-  // need to do this
-  struct sensor_t const* list;
-  module->get_sensors_list(module, &list);
-
-  int SENSOR_LIGHT = 7;
-
-  err = device->activate(device, SENSOR_LIGHT, 0);
-  if (err != 0) goto fail;
-  err = device->activate(device, SENSOR_LIGHT, 1);
-  if (err != 0) goto fail;
-
-  device->setDelay(device, SENSOR_LIGHT, ms2ns(100));
-
-  while (!do_exit) {
-    static const size_t numEvents = 1;
-    sensors_event_t buffer[numEvents];
-
-    int n = device->poll(device, buffer, numEvents);
-    if (n < 0) {
-      LOG_100("light_sensor_poll failed: %d", n);
-    }
-    if (n > 0) {
-      s->light_sensor = buffer[0].light;
-    }
-  }
-  sensors_close(device);
-  return NULL;
-
-fail:
-  LOGE("LIGHT SENSOR IS MISSING");
-  s->light_sensor = 255;
-
-  return NULL;
-}
-
 static void ui_set_brightness(UIState *s, int brightness) {
   static int last_brightness = -1;
   if (last_brightness != brightness && (s->awake || brightness == 0)) {
@@ -92,24 +40,35 @@ static void enable_event_processing(bool yes) {
   }
 }
 
-static void set_awake(UIState *s, bool awake) {
-  if (awake) {
-    // 30 second timeout
-    s->awake_timeout = 30*UI_FREQ;
+// TODO: implement double tap to wake and actually turn display off
+static void handle_display_state(UIState *s, bool user_input) {
+
+  static int display_mode = HWC_POWER_MODE_OFF;
+  static int display_timeout = 0;
+
+  // determine desired state
+  int desired_mode = display_mode;
+  if (user_input || s->ignition || s->started) {
+    desired_mode = HWC_POWER_MODE_NORMAL;
+    display_timeout = 30*UI_FREQ;
+  } else {
+    display_timeout = std::max(display_timeout-1, 0);
+    if (display_timeout == 0) {
+      desired_mode = HWC_POWER_MODE_OFF;
+    }
   }
-  if (s->awake != awake) {
-    s->awake = awake;
-
-    // TODO: replace command_awake and command_sleep with direct calls to android
-    if (awake) {
-      LOGW("awake normal");
-      framebuffer_set_power(s->fb, HWC_POWER_MODE_NORMAL);
-      enable_event_processing(true);
-    } else {
-      LOGW("awake off");
+
+  // handle state transition
+  if (display_mode != desired_mode) {
+    LOGW("setting display mode %d", desired_mode);
+
+    display_mode = desired_mode;
+    s->awake = display_mode == HWC_POWER_MODE_NORMAL;
+    framebuffer_set_power(s->fb, display_mode);
+    enable_event_processing(s->awake);
+
+    if (!s->awake) {
       ui_set_brightness(s, 0);
-      framebuffer_set_power(s->fb, HWC_POWER_MODE_OFF);
-      enable_event_processing(false);
     }
   }
 }
@@ -161,9 +120,7 @@ static void update_offroad_layout_state(UIState *s, PubMaster *pm) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
-  int err;
   setpriority(PRIO_PROCESS, 0, -14);
-
   signal(SIGINT, (sighandler_t)set_do_exit);
   SLSound sound;
 
@@ -172,14 +129,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   ui_init(s);
   s->sound = &sound;
 
-  set_awake(s, true);
+  handle_display_state(s, true);
   enable_event_processing(true);
 
   PubMaster *pm = new PubMaster({"offroadLayout"});
-  pthread_t light_sensor_thread_handle;
-  err = pthread_create(&light_sensor_thread_handle, NULL,
-                       light_sensor_thread, s);
-  assert(err == 0);
 
   TouchState touch = {0};
   touch_init(&touch);
@@ -215,23 +168,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
     int touch_x = -1, touch_y = -1;
     int touched = touch_poll(&touch, &touch_x, &touch_y, 0);
     if (touched == 1) {
-      set_awake(s, true);
       handle_sidebar_touch(s, touch_x, touch_y);
       handle_vision_touch(s, touch_x, touch_y);
     }
 
-    // manage wakefulness
-    if (s->started || s->ignition) {
-      set_awake(s, true);
-    }
-
-    if (s->awake_timeout > 0) {
-      s->awake_timeout--;
-    } else {
-      set_awake(s, false);
-    }
-
     // Don't waste resources on drawing in case screen is off
+    handle_display_state(s, touched == 1);
     if (!s->awake) {
       continue;
     }
@@ -255,10 +197,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
     framebuffer_swap(s->fb);
   }
 
-  set_awake(s, true);
-
-  err = pthread_join(light_sensor_thread_handle, NULL);
-  assert(err == 0);
+  handle_display_state(s, true);
   delete s->sm;
   delete pm;
   return 0;
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/ui.cc b/selfdrive/ui/ui.cc
index 8ca5d0170c..1715b7faf5 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/ui.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/ui.cc
@@ -217,8 +217,6 @@ void update_sockets(UIState *s) {
   } else if ((sm.frame - sm.rcv_frame("dMonitoringState")) > UI_FREQ/2) {
     scene.frontview = false;
   }
-
-#ifdef QCOM2 // TODO: use this for QCOM too
   if (sm.updated("sensorEvents")) {
     for (auto sensor : sm["sensorEvents"].getSensorEvents()) {
       if (sensor.which() == cereal::SensorEventData::LIGHT) {
@@ -226,7 +224,6 @@ void update_sockets(UIState *s) {
       }
     }
   }
-#endif
 
   s->started = scene.thermal.getStarted() || scene.frontview;
 }
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/ui.hpp b/selfdrive/ui/ui.hpp
index 1255e54b7a..a9016dd61e 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/ui.hpp
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/ui.hpp
@@ -183,8 +183,7 @@ typedef struct UIState {
 
   // device state
   bool awake;
-  int awake_timeout;
-  std::atomic<float> light_sensor;
+  float light_sensor;
 
   bool started;
   bool ignition;