diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index a1539b3..58e0fa0 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -1539,8 +1539,7 @@ void MainWindow::on_the_minute ()
 
   if (m_config.watchdog ())
     {
-      ++m_idleMinutes;
-      qDebug() << "idle" << m_idleMinutes << "minutes";
+      incrementIdleTimer();
       update_watchdog_label ();
     }
   else
@@ -2655,6 +2654,8 @@ bool MainWindow::eventFilter (QObject * object, QEvent * event)
       // fall through
     case QEvent::MouseButtonPress:
       // reset the Tx watchdog
+      qDebug() << event;
+      resetIdleTimer();
       tx_watchdog (false);
       break;
 
@@ -10162,6 +10163,18 @@ void MainWindow::remove_child_from_event_filter (QObject * target)
     }
 }
 
+void MainWindow::resetIdleTimer(){
+    if(m_idleMinutes){
+      m_idleMinutes = 0;
+      qDebug() << "idle" << m_idleMinutes << "minutes";
+    }
+}
+
+void MainWindow::incrementIdleTimer(){
+    m_idleMinutes++;
+    qDebug() << "increment idle to" << m_idleMinutes << "minutes";
+}
+
 void MainWindow::tx_watchdog (bool triggered)
 {
   auto prior = m_tx_watchdog;
diff --git a/mainwindow.h b/mainwindow.h
index 325e398..a597496 100644
--- a/mainwindow.h
+++ b/mainwindow.h
@@ -935,6 +935,9 @@ private:
   void add_child_to_event_filter (QObject *);
   void remove_child_from_event_filter (QObject *);
   void setup_status_bar (bool vhf);
+
+  void resetIdleTimer();
+  void incrementIdleTimer();
   void tx_watchdog (bool triggered);
   qint64  nWidgets(QString t);
   void displayWidgets(qint64 n);