diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/ui.py b/selfdrive/ui/ui.py
index f2ca4e7700..4a1f03fb87 100755
--- a/selfdrive/ui/ui.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/ui.py
@@ -13,10 +13,9 @@ def main():
   gui_app.init_window("UI")
   main_layout = MainLayout()
   main_layout.set_rect(rl.Rectangle(0, 0, gui_app.width, gui_app.height))
-  for showing_dialog in gui_app.render():
+  for should_render in gui_app.render():
     ui_state.update()
-
-    if not showing_dialog:
+    if should_render:
       main_layout.render()
 
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/ui_state.py b/selfdrive/ui/ui_state.py
index a947e5406b..b08b8ef28c 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/ui_state.py
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/ui_state.py
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ class Device:
       self._awake = on
       cloudlog.debug(f"setting display power {int(on)}")
       HARDWARE.set_display_power(on)
+      gui_app.set_should_render(on)
 
 
 # Global instance
diff --git a/system/ui/lib/application.py b/system/ui/lib/application.py
index 23fa8a6775..698ed3650b 100644
--- a/system/ui/lib/application.py
+++ b/system/ui/lib/application.py
@@ -156,6 +156,8 @@ class GuiApplication:
     self._mouse = MouseState(self._scale)
     self._mouse_events: list[MouseEvent] = []
 
+    self._should_render = True
+
     # Debug variables
     self._mouse_history: deque[MousePos] = deque(maxlen=MOUSE_THREAD_RATE)
 
@@ -237,6 +239,9 @@ class GuiApplication:
 
     self._modal_overlay = ModalOverlay(overlay=overlay, callback=callback)
 
+  def set_should_render(self, should_render: bool):
+    self._should_render = should_render
+
   def texture(self, asset_path: str, width: int | None = None, height: int | None = None,
               alpha_premultiply=False, keep_aspect_ratio=True):
     cache_key = f"{asset_path}_{width}_{height}_{alpha_premultiply}{keep_aspect_ratio}"
@@ -322,6 +327,12 @@ class GuiApplication:
         # Store all mouse events for the current frame
         self._mouse_events = self._mouse.get_events()
 
+        # Skip rendering when screen is off
+        if not self._should_render:
+          time.sleep(1 / self._target_fps)
+          yield False
+          continue
+
         if self._render_texture:
           rl.begin_texture_mode(self._render_texture)
           rl.clear_background(rl.BLACK)
@@ -344,9 +355,9 @@ class GuiApplication:
             self._modal_overlay = ModalOverlay()
             if original_modal.callback is not None:
               original_modal.callback(result)
-          yield True
-        else:
           yield False
+        else:
+          yield True
 
         if self._render_texture:
           rl.end_texture_mode()
diff --git a/system/ui/reset.py b/system/ui/reset.py
index 8f6466ce46..3922c27aac 100755
--- a/system/ui/reset.py
+++ b/system/ui/reset.py
@@ -126,11 +126,10 @@ def main():
   if mode == ResetMode.FORMAT:
     reset.start_reset()
 
-  for showing_dialog in gui_app.render():
-    if showing_dialog:
-      continue
-    if not reset.render(rl.Rectangle(45, 200, gui_app.width - 90, gui_app.height - 245)):
-      break
+  for should_render in gui_app.render():
+    if should_render:
+      if not reset.render(rl.Rectangle(45, 200, gui_app.width - 90, gui_app.height - 245)):
+        break
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/system/ui/setup.py b/system/ui/setup.py
index da8c8d81fb..f6d2853fa0 100755
--- a/system/ui/setup.py
+++ b/system/ui/setup.py
@@ -432,10 +432,9 @@ def main():
   try:
     gui_app.init_window("Setup", 20)
     setup = Setup()
-    for showing_dialog in gui_app.render():
-      if showing_dialog:
-        continue
-      setup.render(rl.Rectangle(0, 0, gui_app.width, gui_app.height))
+    for should_render in gui_app.render():
+      if should_render:
+        setup.render(rl.Rectangle(0, 0, gui_app.width, gui_app.height))
     setup.close()
   except Exception as e:
     print(f"Setup error: {e}")
diff --git a/system/ui/updater.py b/system/ui/updater.py
index 5dd5a69c69..2e1a8687e1 100755
--- a/system/ui/updater.py
+++ b/system/ui/updater.py
@@ -161,10 +161,9 @@ def main():
   try:
     gui_app.init_window("System Update")
     updater = Updater(updater_path, manifest_path)
-    for showing_dialog in gui_app.render():
-      if showing_dialog:
-        continue
-      updater.render(rl.Rectangle(0, 0, gui_app.width, gui_app.height))
+    for should_render in gui_app.render():
+      if should_render:
+        updater.render(rl.Rectangle(0, 0, gui_app.width, gui_app.height))
   finally:
     # Make sure we clean up even if there's an error
     gui_app.close()