diff --git a/glfw/glfw3.h b/glfw/glfw3.h
index 96b2c8a41..9e4e8f9e3 100644
--- a/glfw/glfw3.h
+++ b/glfw/glfw3.h
@@ -1662,6 +1662,7 @@ GLFWAPI void glfwRunMainLoop(GLFWtickcallback callback, void *callback_data);
 GLFWAPI void glfwStopMainLoop(void);
 GLFWAPI void glfwRequestTickCallback(void);
 GLFWAPI unsigned long long glfwAddTimer(double interval, bool repeats, GLFWuserdatafun callback, void * callback_data, GLFWuserdatafun free_callback);
+GLFWAPI void glfwUpdateTimer(unsigned long long timer_id, double interval, bool enabled);
 GLFWAPI void glfwRemoveTimer(unsigned long long);
 
 /*! @brief Terminates the GLFW library.
diff --git a/glfw/init.c b/glfw/init.c
index 6e9fe4db2..436d87c31 100644
--- a/glfw/init.c
+++ b/glfw/init.c
@@ -344,6 +344,10 @@ GLFWAPI unsigned long long glfwAddTimer(
     return _glfwPlatformAddTimer(interval, repeats, callback, callback_data, free_callback);
 }
 
+GLFWAPI void glfwUpdateTimer(unsigned long long timer_id, double interval, bool enabled) {
+    _glfwPlatformUpdateTimer(timer_id, interval, enabled);
+}
+
 GLFWAPI void glfwRemoveTimer(unsigned long long timer_id) {
     _glfwPlatformRemoveTimer(timer_id);
 }
diff --git a/glfw/internal.h b/glfw/internal.h
index e09e29959..ca7ff108b 100644
--- a/glfw/internal.h
+++ b/glfw/internal.h
@@ -787,6 +787,7 @@ void _glfwPlatformRunMainLoop(GLFWtickcallback, void*);
 void _glfwPlatformRequestTickCallback();
 void _glfwPlatformStopMainLoop(void);
 unsigned long long _glfwPlatformAddTimer(double interval, bool repeats, GLFWuserdatafreefun callback, void *callback_data, GLFWuserdatafreefun free_callback);
+void _glfwPlatformUpdateTimer(unsigned long long timer_id, double interval, GLFWbool enabled);
 void _glfwPlatformRemoveTimer(unsigned long long timer_id);
 
 char* _glfw_strdup(const char* source);
diff --git a/glfw/main_loop.h b/glfw/main_loop.h
index 1353abdbb..56b337978 100644
--- a/glfw/main_loop.h
+++ b/glfw/main_loop.h
@@ -44,3 +44,8 @@ unsigned long long _glfwPlatformAddTimer(double interval, bool repeats, GLFWuser
 void _glfwPlatformRemoveTimer(unsigned long long timer_id) {
     removeTimer(&_glfw.GLFW_LOOP_BACKEND.eventLoopData, timer_id);
 }
+
+void _glfwPlatformUpdateTimer(unsigned long long timer_id, double interval, GLFWbool enabled) {
+    changeTimerInterval(&_glfw.GLFW_LOOP_BACKEND.eventLoopData, timer_id, interval);
+    toggleTimer(&_glfw.GLFW_LOOP_BACKEND.eventLoopData, timer_id, enabled);
+}
diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index ebe672901..98c83604b 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -865,7 +865,6 @@ set_cocoa_pending_action(CocoaPendingAction action, const char *wd) {
 }
 #endif
 
-static id_type state_check_timer = 0;
 static void process_global_state(void *data);
 
 static void
@@ -874,20 +873,13 @@ do_state_check(id_type timer_id UNUSED, void *data) {
     process_global_state(self);
 }
 
-static void
-request_global_state_check_in(double seconds, ChildMonitor *self) {
-    if (state_check_timer) remove_main_loop_timer(state_check_timer);
-    state_check_timer = add_main_loop_timer(seconds, false, do_state_check, self, NULL);
-}
+static id_type state_check_timer = 0;
 
 static void
 process_global_state(void *data) {
     ChildMonitor *self = data;
-    if (state_check_timer) {
-        remove_main_loop_timer(state_check_timer);
-        state_check_timer = 0;
-    }
     maximum_wait = -1;
+    bool state_check_timer_enabled = false;
 
     double now = monotonic();
     if (global_state.has_pending_resizes) process_pending_resizes(now);
@@ -918,16 +910,18 @@ process_global_state(void *data) {
     if (has_open_windows) {
         if (maximum_wait >= 0) {
             if (maximum_wait == 0) request_tick_callback();
-            else request_global_state_check_in(maximum_wait, self);
+            else state_check_timer_enabled = true;
         }
     } else {
         stop_main_loop();
     }
+    update_main_loop_timer(state_check_timer, MAX(0, maximum_wait), state_check_timer_enabled);
 }
 
 static PyObject*
 main_loop(ChildMonitor *self, PyObject *a UNUSED) {
 #define main_loop_doc "The main thread loop"
+    state_check_timer = add_main_loop_timer(1000, true, do_state_check, self, NULL);
     run_main_loop(process_global_state, self);
 #ifdef __APPLE__
     if (cocoa_pending_actions_wd) { free(cocoa_pending_actions_wd); cocoa_pending_actions_wd = NULL; }
diff --git a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.c b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.c
index 08d2b76b8..b6c17e7d1 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.c
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ load_glfw(const char* path) {
     *(void **) (&glfwAddTimer_impl) = dlsym(handle, "glfwAddTimer");
     if (glfwAddTimer_impl == NULL) fail("Failed to load glfw function glfwAddTimer with error: %s", dlerror());
 
+    *(void **) (&glfwUpdateTimer_impl) = dlsym(handle, "glfwUpdateTimer");
+    if (glfwUpdateTimer_impl == NULL) fail("Failed to load glfw function glfwUpdateTimer with error: %s", dlerror());
+
     *(void **) (&glfwRemoveTimer_impl) = dlsym(handle, "glfwRemoveTimer");
     if (glfwRemoveTimer_impl == NULL) fail("Failed to load glfw function glfwRemoveTimer with error: %s", dlerror());
 
diff --git a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
index f060b3ecc..34977f0c3 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
+++ b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
@@ -1443,6 +1443,10 @@ typedef unsigned long long (*glfwAddTimer_func)(double, bool, GLFWuserdatafun, v
 glfwAddTimer_func glfwAddTimer_impl;
 #define glfwAddTimer glfwAddTimer_impl
 
+typedef void (*glfwUpdateTimer_func)(unsigned long long, double, bool);
+glfwUpdateTimer_func glfwUpdateTimer_impl;
+#define glfwUpdateTimer glfwUpdateTimer_impl
+
 typedef void (*glfwRemoveTimer_func)(unsigned long);
 glfwRemoveTimer_func glfwRemoveTimer_impl;
 #define glfwRemoveTimer glfwRemoveTimer_impl
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index 8da249695..34fb0aefb 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -1130,6 +1130,11 @@ add_main_loop_timer(double interval, bool repeats, timer_callback_fun callback,
     return glfwAddTimer(interval, repeats, callback, callback_data, free_callback);
 }
 
+void
+update_main_loop_timer(id_type timer_id, double interval, bool enabled) {
+    glfwUpdateTimer(timer_id, interval, enabled);
+}
+
 void
 remove_main_loop_timer(id_type timer_id) {
     glfwRemoveTimer(timer_id);
diff --git a/kitty/state.h b/kitty/state.h
index 6bece32ca..569397128 100644
--- a/kitty/state.h
+++ b/kitty/state.h
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ typedef void (* timer_callback_fun)(id_type, void*);
 typedef void (* tick_callback_fun)(void*);
 id_type add_main_loop_timer(double interval, bool repeats, timer_callback_fun callback, void *callback_data, timer_callback_fun free_callback);
 void remove_main_loop_timer(id_type timer_id);
+void update_main_loop_timer(id_type timer_id, double interval, bool enabled);
 void run_main_loop(tick_callback_fun, void*);
 void request_tick_callback(void);
 void stop_main_loop(void);