diff --git a/common/watchdog.py b/common/watchdog.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ddb6f744e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/watchdog.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import os
+import time
+import struct
+from openpilot.system.hardware.hw import Paths
+
+WATCHDOG_FN = f"{Paths.shm_path()}/wd_"
+_LAST_KICK = 0.0
+
+def kick_watchdog():
+  global _LAST_KICK
+  current_time = time.monotonic()
+
+  if current_time - _LAST_KICK < 1.0:
+    return
+
+  try:
+    with open(f"{WATCHDOG_FN}{os.getpid()}", 'wb') as f:
+      f.write(struct.pack('<Q', int(current_time * 1e9)))
+      f.flush()
+    _LAST_KICK = current_time
+  except OSError:
+    pass
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/ui.py b/selfdrive/ui/ui.py
index 8a3e34466f..e77e053cb7 100755
--- a/selfdrive/ui/ui.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/ui.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 import pyray as rl
+from openpilot.common.watchdog import kick_watchdog
 from openpilot.system.ui.lib.application import gui_app
 from openpilot.selfdrive.ui.layouts.main import MainLayout
 from openpilot.selfdrive.ui.ui_state import ui_state
 
 
+
 def main():
   gui_app.init_window("UI")
   main_layout = MainLayout()
@@ -15,6 +17,8 @@ def main():
 
     main_layout.render(rl.Rectangle(0, 0, gui_app.width, gui_app.height))
 
+    kick_watchdog()
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   main()
diff --git a/system/manager/process.py b/system/manager/process.py
index 7f8044461d..0ebddae049 100644
--- a/system/manager/process.py
+++ b/system/manager/process.py
@@ -16,9 +16,8 @@ import openpilot.system.sentry as sentry
 from openpilot.common.basedir import BASEDIR
 from openpilot.common.params import Params
 from openpilot.common.swaglog import cloudlog
-from openpilot.system.hardware.hw import Paths
+from openpilot.common.watchdog import WATCHDOG_FN
 
-WATCHDOG_FN = f"{Paths.shm_path()}/wd_"
 ENABLE_WATCHDOG = os.getenv("NO_WATCHDOG") is None