diff --git a/tools/cabana/signaledit.cc b/tools/cabana/signaledit.cc
index b2491d5b1f..3845e72be1 100644
--- a/tools/cabana/signaledit.cc
+++ b/tools/cabana/signaledit.cc
@@ -54,12 +54,20 @@ SignalForm::SignalForm(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) {
   val_desc = new QLineEdit();
   form_layout->addRow(tr("Value descriptions"), val_desc);
 
-  QObject::connect(name, &QLineEdit::textEdited, this, &SignalForm::changed);
-  QObject::connect(factor, &QLineEdit::textEdited, this, &SignalForm::changed);
-  QObject::connect(offset, &QLineEdit::textEdited, this, &SignalForm::changed);
+  QObject::connect(name, &QLineEdit::editingFinished, this, &SignalForm::textBoxEditingFinished);
+  QObject::connect(factor, &QLineEdit::editingFinished, this, &SignalForm::textBoxEditingFinished);
+  QObject::connect(offset, &QLineEdit::editingFinished, this, &SignalForm::textBoxEditingFinished);
+  QObject::connect(size, &QSpinBox::editingFinished, this, &SignalForm::changed);
   QObject::connect(sign, SIGNAL(activated(int)), SIGNAL(changed()));
   QObject::connect(endianness, SIGNAL(activated(int)), SIGNAL(changed()));
-  QObject::connect(size, SIGNAL(valueChanged(int)), SIGNAL(changed()));
+}
+
+void SignalForm::textBoxEditingFinished() {
+  QLineEdit *edit = qobject_cast<QLineEdit *>(QObject::sender());
+  if (edit && edit->isModified()) {
+    edit->setModified(false);
+    emit changed();
+  }
 }
 
 // SignalEdit
@@ -108,17 +116,12 @@ SignalEdit::SignalEdit(int index, QWidget *parent) : form_idx(index), QWidget(pa
   hline->setFrameShadow(QFrame::Sunken);
   main_layout->addWidget(hline);
 
-  save_timer = new QTimer(this);
-  save_timer->setInterval(300);
-  save_timer->setSingleShot(true);
-  save_timer->callOnTimeout(this, &SignalEdit::saveSignal);
-
   QObject::connect(title, &ElidedLabel::clicked, [this]() { emit showFormClicked(sig); });
   QObject::connect(plot_btn, &QToolButton::clicked, [this](bool checked) {
     emit showChart(msg_id, sig, checked, QGuiApplication::keyboardModifiers() & Qt::ShiftModifier);
   });
-  QObject::connect(remove_btn, &QToolButton::clicked,  [this]() { emit remove(sig); });
-  QObject::connect(form, &SignalForm::changed, [this]() { save_timer->start(); });
+  QObject::connect(remove_btn, &QToolButton::clicked, [this]() { emit remove(sig); });
+  QObject::connect(form, &SignalForm::changed, this, &SignalEdit::saveSignal);
   setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Preferred, QSizePolicy::Fixed);
 }
 
@@ -133,8 +136,6 @@ void SignalEdit::setSignal(const QString &message_id, const Signal *signal) {
 }
 
 void SignalEdit::saveSignal() {
-  if (!sig || !form->changed_by_user) return;
-
   Signal s = *sig;
   s.name = form->name->text().toStdString();
   s.size = form->size->text().toInt();
@@ -160,8 +161,9 @@ void SignalEdit::saveSignal() {
     s.lsb = bigEndianStartBitsIndex(bigEndianBitIndex(s.start_bit) + s.size - 1);
     s.msb = s.start_bit;
   }
-  if (s != *sig)
+  if (s != *sig) {
     emit save(this->sig, s);
+  }
 }
 
 void SignalEdit::setChartOpened(bool opened) {
@@ -171,7 +173,6 @@ void SignalEdit::setChartOpened(bool opened) {
 
 void SignalEdit::updateForm(bool visible) {
   if (visible && sig) {
-    form->changed_by_user = false;
     if (form->name->text() != sig->name.c_str()) {
       form->name->setText(sig->name.c_str());
     }
@@ -182,7 +183,6 @@ void SignalEdit::updateForm(bool visible) {
     form->msb->setText(QString::number(sig->msb));
     form->lsb->setText(QString::number(sig->lsb));
     form->size->setValue(sig->size);
-    form->changed_by_user = true;
   }
   form->setVisible(visible);
   icon->setText(visible ? "▼ " : "> ");
diff --git a/tools/cabana/signaledit.h b/tools/cabana/signaledit.h
index eec943226e..d7b9084e7f 100644
--- a/tools/cabana/signaledit.h
+++ b/tools/cabana/signaledit.h
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #include <QLabel>
 #include <QLineEdit>
 #include <QSpinBox>
-#include <QTimer>
 #include <QToolButton>
 
 #include "selfdrive/ui/qt/widgets/controls.h"
@@ -15,13 +14,14 @@ class SignalForm : public QWidget {
   Q_OBJECT
 public:
   SignalForm(QWidget *parent);
+  void textBoxEditingFinished();
+
   QLineEdit *name, *unit, *comment, *val_desc, *offset, *factor, *min_val, *max_val;
   QLabel *lsb, *msb;
   QSpinBox *size;
   QComboBox *sign, *endianness;
-  bool changed_by_user = false;
 
- signals:
+signals:
   void changed();
 };
 
@@ -55,5 +55,4 @@ protected:
   QLabel *icon;
   int form_idx = 0;
   QToolButton *plot_btn;
-  QTimer *save_timer;
 };