diff --git a/common/loop.c b/common/loop.c
index bfbfd5a6..da3c2142 100644
--- a/common/loop.c
+++ b/common/loop.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 struct loop_event {
 	void (*callback)(int fd, short mask, void *data);
 	void *data;
+	bool is_timer;
 };
 
 struct loop {
@@ -52,6 +53,11 @@ void loop_poll(struct loop *loop) {
 
 		if (pfd.revents & events) {
 			event->callback(pfd.fd, pfd.revents, event->data);
+
+			if (event->is_timer) {
+				loop_remove_event(loop, event);
+				--i;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -82,11 +88,14 @@ struct loop_event *loop_add_timer(struct loop *loop, int ms,
 	struct itimerspec its;
 	its.it_interval.tv_sec = 0;
 	its.it_interval.tv_nsec = 0;
-	its.it_value.tv_sec = ms / 1000000000;
-	its.it_value.tv_nsec = (ms * 1000000) % 1000000000;
+	its.it_value.tv_sec = ms / 1000;
+	its.it_value.tv_nsec = (ms % 1000) * 1000000;
 	timerfd_settime(fd, 0, &its, NULL);
 
-	return loop_add_fd(loop, fd, POLLIN, callback, data);
+	struct loop_event *event = loop_add_fd(loop, fd, POLLIN, callback, data);
+	event->is_timer = true;
+
+	return event;
 }
 
 bool loop_remove_event(struct loop *loop, struct loop_event *event) {
@@ -94,6 +103,10 @@ bool loop_remove_event(struct loop *loop, struct loop_event *event) {
 		if (loop->events->items[i] == event) {
 			list_del(loop->events, i);
 
+			if (event->is_timer) {
+				close(loop->fds[i].fd);
+			}
+
 			loop->fd_length--;
 			memmove(&loop->fds[i], &loop->fds[i + 1], sizeof(void*) * (loop->fd_length - i));
 
diff --git a/include/swaylock/swaylock.h b/include/swaylock/swaylock.h
index c8732cb7..792d34cf 100644
--- a/include/swaylock/swaylock.h
+++ b/include/swaylock/swaylock.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ struct swaylock_password {
 
 struct swaylock_state {
 	struct loop *eventloop;
+	struct loop_event *clear_indicator_timer; // clears the indicator
 	struct wl_display *display;
 	struct wl_compositor *compositor;
 	struct zwlr_layer_shell_v1 *layer_shell;
diff --git a/swaylock/password.c b/swaylock/password.c
index 50b81f6b..fb610bf2 100644
--- a/swaylock/password.c
+++ b/swaylock/password.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
 #include "swaylock/swaylock.h"
 #include "swaylock/seat.h"
+#include "loop.h"
 #include "unicode.h"
 
 void clear_password_buffer(struct swaylock_password *pw) {
@@ -39,6 +40,21 @@ static void append_ch(struct swaylock_password *pw, uint32_t codepoint) {
 	pw->len += utf8_size;
 }
 
+static void clear_indicator(int fd, short mask, void *data) {
+	struct swaylock_state *state = data;
+	state->clear_indicator_timer = NULL;
+	state->auth_state = AUTH_STATE_IDLE;
+	damage_state(state);
+}
+
+static void schedule_indicator_clear(struct swaylock_state *state) {
+	if (state->clear_indicator_timer) {
+		loop_remove_event(state->eventloop, state->clear_indicator_timer);
+	}
+	state->clear_indicator_timer = loop_add_timer(
+			state->eventloop, 3000, clear_indicator, state);
+}
+
 void swaylock_handle_key(struct swaylock_state *state,
 		xkb_keysym_t keysym, uint32_t codepoint) {
 	switch (keysym) {
@@ -79,11 +95,13 @@ void swaylock_handle_key(struct swaylock_state *state,
 			state->auth_state = AUTH_STATE_CLEAR;
 		}
 		damage_state(state);
+		schedule_indicator_clear(state);
 		break;
 	case XKB_KEY_Escape:
 		clear_password_buffer(&state->password);
 		state->auth_state = AUTH_STATE_CLEAR;
 		damage_state(state);
+		schedule_indicator_clear(state);
 		break;
 	case XKB_KEY_Caps_Lock:
 		/* The state is getting active after this
@@ -91,6 +109,7 @@ void swaylock_handle_key(struct swaylock_state *state,
 		state->xkb.caps_lock = !state->xkb.caps_lock;
 		state->auth_state = AUTH_STATE_INPUT_NOP;
 		damage_state(state);
+		schedule_indicator_clear(state);
 		break;
 	case XKB_KEY_Shift_L:
 	case XKB_KEY_Shift_R:
@@ -104,12 +123,14 @@ void swaylock_handle_key(struct swaylock_state *state,
 	case XKB_KEY_Super_R:
 		state->auth_state = AUTH_STATE_INPUT_NOP;
 		damage_state(state);
+		schedule_indicator_clear(state);
 		break;
 	case XKB_KEY_u:
 		if (state->xkb.control) {
 			clear_password_buffer(&state->password);
 			state->auth_state = AUTH_STATE_CLEAR;
 			damage_state(state);
+			schedule_indicator_clear(state);
 			break;
 		}
 		// fallthrough
@@ -118,6 +139,7 @@ void swaylock_handle_key(struct swaylock_state *state,
 			append_ch(&state->password, codepoint);
 			state->auth_state = AUTH_STATE_INPUT;
 			damage_state(state);
+			schedule_indicator_clear(state);
 		}
 		break;
 	}