diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/main.cc b/selfdrive/ui/main.cc
index 35268bd880..63bbffa7af 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/main.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/main.cc
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   qInstallMessageHandler(swagLogMessageHandler);
-  setQtSurfaceFormat();
+  initApp();
 
   if (Hardware::EON()) {
-    QApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_ShareOpenGLContexts);
     QSslConfiguration ssl = QSslConfiguration::defaultConfiguration();
     ssl.setCaCertificates(QSslCertificate::fromPath("/usr/etc/tls/cert.pem"));
     QSslConfiguration::setDefaultConfiguration(ssl);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
index 2404f3c982..0dcae6d97b 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
@@ -16,15 +16,19 @@
 
 TrackWidget::TrackWidget(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) {
   setFixedSize(spinner_size);
-  setAutoFillBackground(false);
-
-  comma_img = QPixmap("../assets/img_spinner_comma.png").scaled(spinner_size, Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
+  setAutoFillBackground(true);
+  setPalette(Qt::black);
 
   // pre-compute all the track imgs. make this a gif instead?
-  QTransform transform;
+  QPixmap comma_img = QPixmap("../assets/img_spinner_comma.png").scaled(spinner_size, Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
+  QTransform transform(1, 0, 0, 1, width() / 2, height() / 2);
   QPixmap track_img = QPixmap("../assets/img_spinner_track.png").scaled(spinner_size, Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
-  for (auto &img : track_imgs) {
-    img = track_img.transformed(transform.rotate(360/spinner_fps), Qt::SmoothTransformation);
+  for (QPixmap &img : track_imgs) {
+    img = comma_img;
+    QPainter p(&img);
+    p.setRenderHint(QPainter::SmoothPixmapTransform);
+    p.setTransform(transform.rotate(360 / spinner_fps));
+    p.drawPixmap(-width() / 2, -height() / 2, track_img);
   }
 
   m_anim.setDuration(1000);
@@ -37,18 +41,7 @@ TrackWidget::TrackWidget(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) {
 
 void TrackWidget::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event) {
   QPainter painter(this);
-  QRect bg(0, 0, painter.device()->width(), painter.device()->height());
-  QBrush bgBrush("#000000");
-  painter.fillRect(bg, bgBrush);
-
-  int track_idx = m_anim.currentValue().toInt();
-  QRect rect(track_imgs[track_idx].rect());
-  rect.moveCenter(bg.center());
-  painter.drawPixmap(rect.topLeft(), track_imgs[track_idx]);
-
-  rect = comma_img.rect();
-  rect.moveCenter(bg.center());
-  painter.drawPixmap(rect.topLeft(), comma_img);
+  painter.drawPixmap(0, 0, track_imgs[m_anim.currentValue().toInt()]);
 }
 
 // Spinner
@@ -75,12 +68,10 @@ Spinner::Spinner(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) {
     Spinner {
       background-color: black;
     }
-    * {
-      background-color: transparent;
-    }
     QLabel {
       color: white;
       font-size: 80px;
+      background-color: transparent;
     }
     QProgressBar {
       background-color: #373737;
@@ -114,11 +105,7 @@ void Spinner::update(int n) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-  setQtSurfaceFormat();
-
-  Hardware::set_display_power(true);
-  Hardware::set_brightness(65);
-
+  initApp();
   QApplication a(argc, argv);
   Spinner spinner;
   setMainWindow(&spinner);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.h
index c54aea1032..43d90a75b0 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.h
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #include <array>
 
 #include <QLabel>
-#include <QOpenGLWidget>
 #include <QPixmap>
 #include <QProgressBar>
 #include <QSocketNotifier>
@@ -19,7 +18,6 @@ public:
 private:
   void paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event) override;
   std::array<QPixmap, spinner_fps> track_imgs;
-  QPixmap comma_img;
   QVariantAnimation m_anim;
 };
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/text.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/text.cc
index 5d2012ea14..2d4ff88269 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/text.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/text.cc
@@ -6,17 +6,16 @@
 #include <QWidget>
 
 #include "selfdrive/hardware/hw.h"
+#include "selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h"
 #include "selfdrive/ui/qt/qt_window.h"
 #include "selfdrive/ui/qt/widgets/scrollview.h"
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+  initApp();
   QApplication a(argc, argv);
   QWidget window;
   setMainWindow(&window);
 
-  Hardware::set_display_power(true);
-  Hardware::set_brightness(65);
-
   QGridLayout *main_layout = new QGridLayout(&window);
   main_layout->setMargin(50);
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
index c077883d28..1091624aca 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 #include "selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h"
 
+#include <QApplication>
 #include <QLayoutItem>
 #include <QStyleOption>
 
 #include "selfdrive/common/params.h"
 #include "selfdrive/common/swaglog.h"
+#include "selfdrive/hardware/hw.h"
 
 QString getBrand() {
   return Params().getBool("Passive") ? "dashcam" : "openpilot";
@@ -67,6 +69,15 @@ void setQtSurfaceFormat() {
   QSurfaceFormat::setDefaultFormat(fmt);
 }
 
+void initApp() {
+  Hardware::set_display_power(true);
+  Hardware::set_brightness(65);
+  setQtSurfaceFormat();
+  if (Hardware::EON()) {
+    QApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_ShareOpenGLContexts);
+  }
+}
+
 ClickableWidget::ClickableWidget(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) { }
 
 void ClickableWidget::mouseReleaseEvent(QMouseEvent *event) {
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
index 6b9d4512b8..96af6ff26e 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ void clearLayout(QLayout* layout);
 void setQtSurfaceFormat();
 QString timeAgo(const QDateTime &date);
 void swagLogMessageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext &context, const QString &msg);
+void initApp();
 
 class ClickableWidget : public QWidget
 {