diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/layouts/home.py b/selfdrive/ui/layouts/home.py
index 53e1968d48..0fa91da552 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/layouts/home.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/layouts/home.py
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ class HomeLayout(Widget):
     self._setup_widget.render(setup_rect)
 
   def _refresh(self):
+    # TODO: implement _update_state with a timer
     self.update_available = self.update_alert.refresh()
     self.alert_count = self.offroad_alert.refresh()
     self._update_state_priority(self.update_available, self.alert_count > 0)
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/layouts/sidebar.py b/selfdrive/ui/layouts/sidebar.py
index c65f6db736..13f69b79d4 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/layouts/sidebar.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/layouts/sidebar.py
@@ -86,8 +86,6 @@ class Sidebar(Widget):
     self._on_flag_click = on_flag
 
   def _render(self, rect: rl.Rectangle):
-    self.update_state()
-
     # Background
     rl.draw_rectangle_rec(rect, Colors.SIDEBAR_BG)
 
@@ -95,7 +93,7 @@ class Sidebar(Widget):
     self._draw_network_indicator(rect)
     self._draw_metrics(rect)
 
-  def update_state(self):
+  def _update_state(self):
     sm = ui_state.sm
     if not sm.updated['deviceState']:
       return
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/onroad/driver_state.py b/selfdrive/ui/onroad/driver_state.py
index 951b39f5cb..9a5da4d298 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/onroad/driver_state.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/onroad/driver_state.py
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ class DriverStateRenderer(Widget):
     self.is_active = False
     self.is_rhd = False
     self.dm_fade_state = 0.0
-    self.state_updated = False
     self.driver_pose_vals = np.zeros(3, dtype=np.float32)
     self.driver_pose_diff = np.zeros(3, dtype=np.float32)
     self.driver_pose_sins = np.zeros(3, dtype=np.float32)
@@ -79,10 +78,6 @@ class DriverStateRenderer(Widget):
                               ui_state.sm.seen['driverMonitoringState']))
 
   def _render(self, rect):
-    self._update_state(ui_state.sm, rect)
-    if not self.state_updated:
-      return
-
     # Set opacity based on active state
     opacity = 0.65 if self.is_active else 0.2
 
@@ -107,8 +102,9 @@ class DriverStateRenderer(Widget):
     if self.v_arc_data:
       rl.draw_spline_linear(self.v_arc_lines, len(self.v_arc_lines), self.v_arc_data.thickness, self.arc_color)
 
-  def _update_state(self, sm, rect):
+  def _update_state(self):
     """Update the driver monitoring state based on model data"""
+    sm = ui_state.sm
     if not sm.updated["driverMonitoringState"]:
       return
 
@@ -158,16 +154,15 @@ class DriverStateRenderer(Widget):
     self.face_keypoints_transformed = self.face_kpts_draw[:, :2] * kp_depth[:, None]
 
     # Pre-calculate all drawing elements
-    self._pre_calculate_drawing_elements(rect)
-    self.state_updated = True
+    self._pre_calculate_drawing_elements()
 
-  def _pre_calculate_drawing_elements(self, rect):
+  def _pre_calculate_drawing_elements(self):
     """Pre-calculate all drawing elements based on the current rectangle"""
     # Calculate icon position (bottom-left or bottom-right)
-    width, height = rect.width, rect.height
+    width, height = self._rect.width, self._rect.height
     offset = UI_BORDER_SIZE + BTN_SIZE // 2
-    self.position_x = rect.x + (width - offset if self.is_rhd else offset)
-    self.position_y = rect.y + height - offset
+    self.position_x = self._rect.x + (width - offset if self.is_rhd else offset)
+    self.position_y = self._rect.y + height - offset
 
     # Pre-calculate the face lines positions
     positioned_keypoints = self.face_keypoints_transformed + np.array([self.position_x, self.position_y])
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/onroad/exp_button.py b/selfdrive/ui/onroad/exp_button.py
index 6ca1b4ca81..8c835090d0 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/onroad/exp_button.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/onroad/exp_button.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import time
 import pyray as rl
-from cereal.messaging import SubMaster
 from openpilot.selfdrive.ui.ui_state import ui_state
 from openpilot.system.ui.lib.application import gui_app
 from openpilot.system.ui.lib.widget import Widget
@@ -28,8 +27,8 @@ class ExpButton(Widget):
   def set_rect(self, rect: rl.Rectangle) -> None:
     self._rect.x, self._rect.y = rect.x, rect.y
 
-  def update_state(self, sm: SubMaster) -> None:
-    selfdrive_state = sm["selfdriveState"]
+  def _update_state(self) -> None:
+    selfdrive_state = ui_state.sm["selfdriveState"]
     self._experimental_mode = selfdrive_state.experimentalMode
     self._engageable = selfdrive_state.engageable or selfdrive_state.enabled
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/onroad/hud_renderer.py b/selfdrive/ui/onroad/hud_renderer.py
index f67527c8e2..da292d38d5 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/onroad/hud_renderer.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/onroad/hud_renderer.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import pyray as rl
 from dataclasses import dataclass
-from cereal.messaging import SubMaster
 from openpilot.selfdrive.ui.ui_state import ui_state, UIStatus
 from openpilot.selfdrive.ui.onroad.exp_button import ExpButton
 from openpilot.system.ui.lib.application import gui_app, FontWeight
@@ -72,8 +71,9 @@ class HudRenderer(Widget):
 
     self._exp_button = ExpButton(UI_CONFIG.button_size, UI_CONFIG.wheel_icon_size)
 
-  def _update_state(self, sm: SubMaster) -> None:
+  def _update_state(self) -> None:
     """Update HUD state based on car state and controls state."""
+    sm = ui_state.sm
     if sm.recv_frame["carState"] < ui_state.started_frame:
       self.is_cruise_set = False
       self.set_speed = SET_SPEED_NA
@@ -99,12 +99,8 @@ class HudRenderer(Widget):
     speed_conversion = CV.MS_TO_KPH if ui_state.is_metric else CV.MS_TO_MPH
     self.speed = max(0.0, v_ego * speed_conversion)
 
-    self._exp_button.update_state(sm)
-
   def _render(self, rect: rl.Rectangle) -> None:
     """Render HUD elements to the screen."""
-    self._update_state(ui_state.sm)
-
     # Draw the header background
     rl.draw_rectangle_gradient_v(
       int(rect.x),
diff --git a/system/ui/lib/widget.py b/system/ui/lib/widget.py
index 8ec610d82c..f1161392ce 100644
--- a/system/ui/lib/widget.py
+++ b/system/ui/lib/widget.py
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ class Widget(abc.ABC):
     if rect is not None:
       self.set_rect(rect)
 
+    self._update_state()
+
     if not self.is_visible:
       return None
 
@@ -56,6 +58,9 @@ class Widget(abc.ABC):
   def _render(self, rect: rl.Rectangle) -> bool | int | None:
     """Render the widget within the given rectangle."""
 
+  def _update_state(self):
+    """Optionally update the widget's non-layout state. This is called before rendering."""
+
   def _update_layout_rects(self) -> None:
     """Optionally update any layout rects on Widget rect change."""