diff --git a/shell/plugins/services/idle/Service.qml b/shell/plugins/services/idle/Service.qml
index 9321150d..860a3b23 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/services/idle/Service.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/services/idle/Service.qml
@@ -94,14 +94,22 @@ Item {
     root.screensaverStartedThisCycle = false
     resetScreensaverWindows()
 
+    // Set this cycle's deadlines once: a bound interval would restart a pending
+    // timer from the moment shell.json changes, locking early or late.
     if (root.screensaverEnabled) {
       if (root.screensaverDelaySeconds === 0) launchScreensaver()
-      else screensaverTimer.restart()
+      else {
+        screensaverTimer.interval = root.screensaverDelaySeconds * 1000
+        screensaverTimer.restart()
+      }
     }
 
     if (root.lockEnabled) {
       if (root.lockDelaySeconds === 0) lockSystem("lock-timeout-immediate")
-      else lockTimer.restart()
+      else {
+        lockTimer.interval = root.lockDelaySeconds * 1000
+        lockTimer.restart()
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -265,14 +273,12 @@ Item {
 
   Timer {
     id: screensaverTimer
-    interval: root.screensaverDelaySeconds * 1000
     repeat: false
     onTriggered: if (root.screensaverEnabled) root.launchScreensaver()
   }
 
   Timer {
     id: lockTimer
-    interval: root.lockDelaySeconds * 1000
     repeat: false
     onTriggered: if (root.idleEnabled && root.idledThisCycle && root.lockEnabled) root.lockSystem("lock-timeout")
   }
diff --git a/test/shell.d/idle-test.sh b/test/shell.d/idle-test.sh
index d5bd7afa..a5057a26 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/idle-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/idle-test.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,16 @@ assert(
   /id: lockTimer[\s\S]*?onTriggered: if \([^)]*root\.lockEnabled\) root\.lockSystem\("lock-timeout"\)/.test(serviceSource),
   'idle does not fire a pending lock once its timeout is set to 0'
 )
+assert(
+  /lockTimer\.interval = root\.lockDelaySeconds \* 1000\s*\n\s*lockTimer\.restart\(\)/.test(serviceSource) &&
+    !/interval: root\.lockDelaySeconds/.test(serviceSource),
+  'idle keeps a pending lock on its deadline when shell.json changes mid-cycle'
+)
+assert(
+  /screensaverTimer\.interval = root\.screensaverDelaySeconds \* 1000\s*\n\s*screensaverTimer\.restart\(\)/.test(serviceSource) &&
+    !/interval: root\.screensaverDelaySeconds/.test(serviceSource),
+  'idle keeps a pending screensaver on its deadline when shell.json changes mid-cycle'
+)
 
 assertDeepEqual(idle.eventParts({ data: 'a,b,c' }, 2), ['a', 'b', 'c'], 'idle parses raw event data')
 assertDeepEqual(