diff --git a/include/aquamarine/backend/Backend.hpp b/include/aquamarine/backend/Backend.hpp
index 5c0fe2b..b2c2432 100644
--- a/include/aquamarine/backend/Backend.hpp
+++ b/include/aquamarine/backend/Backend.hpp
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ namespace Aquamarine {
         } idle;
 
         void dispatchIdle();
+        void updateIdleTimer();
 
         //
         struct {
diff --git a/src/backend/Backend.cpp b/src/backend/Backend.cpp
index fdaad24..503cf63 100644
--- a/src/backend/Backend.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/Backend.cpp
@@ -174,14 +174,17 @@ std::vector<Hyprutils::Memory::CSharedPointer<SPollFD>> Aquamarine::CBackend::ge
     for (auto& i : implementations) {
         auto pollfds = i->pollFDs();
         for (auto& p : pollfds) {
+            log(AQ_LOG_DEBUG, std::format("backend: poll fd {} for implementation {}", p->fd, backendTypeToName(i->type())));
             result.emplace_back(p);
         }
     }
 
     for (auto& sfd : sessionFDs) {
+        log(AQ_LOG_DEBUG, std::format("backend: poll fd {} for session", sfd->fd));
         result.emplace_back(sfd);
     }
 
+    log(AQ_LOG_DEBUG, std::format("backend: poll fd {} for idle", idle.fd));
     result.emplace_back(makeShared<SPollFD>(idle.fd, [this]() { dispatchIdle(); }));
 
     return result;
@@ -224,9 +227,15 @@ const std::vector<SP<IBackendImplementation>>& Aquamarine::CBackend::getImplemen
 void Aquamarine::CBackend::addIdleEvent(SP<std::function<void(void)>> fn) {
     auto r = idle.pending.emplace_back(fn);
 
-    // update timerfd
+    updateIdleTimer();
+}
+
+void Aquamarine::CBackend::updateIdleTimer() {
+    uint64_t ADD_NS = idle.pending.empty() ? TIMESPEC_NSEC_PER_SEC * 240ULL /* 240s, 4 mins */ : 0;
+
     timespec now;
     clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &now);
+    timespecAddNs(&now, ADD_NS);
 
     itimerspec ts = {.it_value = now};
 
@@ -246,4 +255,6 @@ void Aquamarine::CBackend::dispatchIdle() {
         if (i && *i)
             (*i)();
     }
+
+    updateIdleTimer();
 }
diff --git a/src/backend/Headless.cpp b/src/backend/Headless.cpp
index e0c0c0e..fab0017 100644
--- a/src/backend/Headless.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/Headless.cpp
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ bool Aquamarine::CHeadlessBackend::createOutput(const std::string& name) {
     auto output = SP<CHeadlessOutput>(new CHeadlessOutput(name.empty() ? std::format("HEADLESS-{}", ++outputIDCounter) : name, self.lock()));
     outputs.emplace_back(output);
     output->swapchain = CSwapchain::create(backend->allocator, self.lock());
-    output->self = output;
+    output->self      = output;
     backend->events.newOutput.emit(SP<IOutput>(output));
 
     return true;
@@ -147,22 +147,23 @@ void Aquamarine::CHeadlessBackend::dispatchTimers() {
 }
 
 void Aquamarine::CHeadlessBackend::updateTimerFD() {
-    long long  lowest   = 42069133769LL;
+    long long  lowestNs = TIMESPEC_NSEC_PER_SEC * 240 /* 240s, 4 mins */;
     const auto clocknow = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+    bool       any      = false;
 
     for (auto& t : timers.timers) {
-        auto delta = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::microseconds>(t.when - clocknow).count();
+        auto delta = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::microseconds>(t.when - clocknow).count() * 1000 /* µs -> ns */;
 
-        if (delta < lowest)
-            lowest = delta;
+        if (delta < lowestNs)
+            lowestNs = delta;
     }
 
-    if (lowest < 0)
-        lowest = 0;
+    if (lowestNs < 0)
+        lowestNs = 0;
 
     timespec now;
     clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &now);
-    timespecAddNs(&now, lowest * 1000); // µs -> ns => * 1000
+    timespecAddNs(&now, lowestNs);
 
     itimerspec ts = {.it_value = now};