diff --git a/src/fu-engine.c b/src/fu-engine.c
index c8e6c657d..31bed706b 100644
--- a/src/fu-engine.c
+++ b/src/fu-engine.c
@@ -167,6 +167,12 @@ fu_engine_update_motd_timeout_cb(gpointer user_data)
 {
 	FuEngine *self = FU_ENGINE(user_data);
 	g_autoptr(GError) error_local = NULL;
+
+	/* busy */
+	if (fu_idle_has_inhibit(self->idle, "update"))
+		return G_SOURCE_CONTINUE;
+
+	/* update now */
 	if (!fu_engine_update_motd(self, &error_local))
 		g_debug("failed to update MOTD: %s", error_local->message);
 	self->update_motd_id = 0;
diff --git a/src/fu-idle.c b/src/fu-idle.c
index 67f966e8e..0500cd788 100644
--- a/src/fu-idle.c
+++ b/src/fu-idle.c
@@ -148,6 +148,23 @@ fu_idle_inhibit(FuIdle *self, const gchar *reason)
 	return item->token;
 }
 
+gboolean
+fu_idle_has_inhibit(FuIdle *self, const gchar *reason)
+{
+	g_autoptr(GRWLockWriterLocker) locker = g_rw_lock_reader_locker_new(&self->items_mutex);
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail(FU_IS_IDLE(self), FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(reason != NULL, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(locker != NULL, FALSE);
+
+	for (guint i = 0; i < self->items->len; i++) {
+		FuIdleItem *item = g_ptr_array_index(self->items, i);
+		if (g_strcmp0(item->reason, reason) == 0)
+			return TRUE;
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
 void
 fu_idle_set_timeout(FuIdle *self, guint timeout)
 {
diff --git a/src/fu-idle.h b/src/fu-idle.h
index a6f4c2cf1..53c61298d 100644
--- a/src/fu-idle.h
+++ b/src/fu-idle.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ FuIdle *
 fu_idle_new(void);
 guint32
 fu_idle_inhibit(FuIdle *self, const gchar *reason);
+gboolean
+fu_idle_has_inhibit(FuIdle *self, const gchar *reason);
 void
 fu_idle_uninhibit(FuIdle *self, guint32 token);
 void