diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/ui.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/ui.cc
index aece1742ab..de4f6950ee 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/ui.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/ui.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   w.setFixedSize(vwp_w, vwp_h);
   w.show();
 
+  a.installEventFilter(&w);
+
 #ifdef QCOM2
   QPlatformNativeInterface *native = QGuiApplication::platformNativeInterface();
   wl_surface *s = reinterpret_cast<wl_surface*>(native->nativeResourceForWindow("surface", w.windowHandle()));
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/window.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/window.cc
index 7810f27864..3aa0de55af 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/window.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/window.cc
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@
 #include <QMouseEvent>
 
 #include "window.hpp"
-#include "offroad/settings.hpp"
-#include "offroad/onboarding.hpp"
 
 #include "paint.hpp"
 #include "common/util.h"
@@ -22,6 +20,18 @@
 
 volatile sig_atomic_t do_exit = 0;
 
+static void handle_display_state(UIState *s, int dt, bool user_input) {
+  static int awake_timeout = 0;
+  awake_timeout = std::max(awake_timeout-dt, 0);
+
+  if (user_input || s->ignition || s->started) {
+    s->awake = true;
+    awake_timeout = 30*UI_FREQ;
+  } else if (awake_timeout == 0){
+    s->awake = false;
+  }
+}
+
 static void set_backlight(int brightness){
   std::ofstream brightness_control("/sys/class/backlight/panel0-backlight/brightness");
   if (brightness_control.is_open()){
@@ -37,13 +47,13 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) {
   set_core_affinity(7);
 #endif
 
-  GLWindow *glWindow = new GLWindow(this);
+  glWindow = new GLWindow(this);
   main_layout->addWidget(glWindow);
 
-  SettingsWindow *settingsWindow = new SettingsWindow(this);
+  settingsWindow = new SettingsWindow(this);
   main_layout->addWidget(settingsWindow);
 
-  OnboardingWindow *onboardingWindow = new OnboardingWindow(this);
+  onboardingWindow = new OnboardingWindow(this);
   main_layout->addWidget(onboardingWindow);
 
   main_layout->setMargin(0);
@@ -56,6 +66,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) {
   QObject::connect(onboardingWindow, SIGNAL(onboardingDone()), this, SLOT(closeSettings()));
   onboardingWindow->updateActiveScreen();
 
+
   setStyleSheet(R"(
     * {
       color: white;
@@ -73,6 +84,14 @@ void MainWindow::closeSettings() {
 }
 
 
+bool MainWindow::eventFilter(QObject *obj, QEvent *event){
+  if (event->type() == QEvent::MouseButtonPress) {
+    glWindow->wake();
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+
 GLWindow::GLWindow(QWidget *parent) : QOpenGLWidget(parent) {
   timer = new QTimer(this);
   QObject::connect(timer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(timerUpdate()));
@@ -107,6 +126,8 @@ void GLWindow::initializeGL() {
   ui_state->fb_h = vwp_h;
   ui_init(ui_state);
 
+  wake();
+
   timer->start(0);
   backlight_timer->start(BACKLIGHT_DT * 100);
 }
@@ -119,11 +140,9 @@ void GLWindow::backlightUpdate(){
   smooth_brightness = clipped_brightness * k + smooth_brightness * (1.0f - k);
   int brightness = smooth_brightness;
 
-#ifdef QCOM2
-  if (!ui_state->started){
-    brightness = 150;
+  if (!ui_state->awake){
+    brightness = 0;
   }
-#endif
 
   std::thread{set_backlight, brightness}.detach();
 }
@@ -136,6 +155,10 @@ void GLWindow::timerUpdate(){
   }
 #endif
 
+  // Fix awake timeout if running 1 Hz when offroad
+  int dt = timer->interval() == 0 ? 1 : 20;
+  handle_display_state(ui_state, dt, false);
+
   ui_update(ui_state);
   repaint();
 }
@@ -148,7 +171,13 @@ void GLWindow::paintGL() {
   ui_draw(ui_state);
 }
 
+void GLWindow::wake(){
+  handle_display_state(ui_state, 1, true);
+}
+
 void GLWindow::mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent *e) {
+  wake();
+
   // Settings button click
   if (!ui_state->scene.uilayout_sidebarcollapsed && settings_btn.ptInRect(e->x(), e->y())) {
     emit openSettings();
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/window.hpp b/selfdrive/ui/qt/window.hpp
index f98973ec55..fa68cec1d0 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/window.hpp
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/window.hpp
@@ -8,20 +8,8 @@
 
 #include "qt/qt_sound.hpp"
 #include "ui/ui.hpp"
-
-class MainWindow : public QWidget {
-  Q_OBJECT
-
-public:
-  explicit MainWindow(QWidget *parent = 0);
-
-private:
-  QStackedLayout *main_layout;
-
-public slots:
-  void openSettings();
-  void closeSettings();
-};
+#include "offroad/settings.hpp"
+#include "offroad/onboarding.hpp"
 
 #ifdef QCOM2
 const int vwp_w = 2160;
@@ -30,12 +18,14 @@ const int vwp_w = 1920;
 #endif
 const int vwp_h = 1080;
 
+
 class GLWindow : public QOpenGLWidget, protected QOpenGLFunctions {
   Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
   using QOpenGLWidget::QOpenGLWidget;
   explicit GLWindow(QWidget *parent = 0);
+  void wake();
   ~GLWindow();
 
 protected:
@@ -65,3 +55,23 @@ public slots:
 signals:
   void openSettings();
 };
+
+class MainWindow : public QWidget {
+  Q_OBJECT
+
+protected:
+  bool eventFilter(QObject *obj, QEvent *event) override;
+
+public:
+  explicit MainWindow(QWidget *parent = 0);
+
+private:
+  QStackedLayout *main_layout;
+  GLWindow *glWindow;
+  SettingsWindow *settingsWindow;
+  OnboardingWindow *onboardingWindow;
+
+public slots:
+  void openSettings();
+  void closeSettings();
+};