diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/paint.h b/selfdrive/ui/paint.h
index 55fe9c1d0835f1..4ce7cbd133e156 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/paint.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/paint.h
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ void ui_fill_rect(NVGcontext *vg, const Rect &r, const NVGpaint &paint, float ra
 void ui_fill_rect(NVGcontext *vg, const Rect &r, const NVGcolor &color, float radius = 0);
 void ui_nvg_init(UIState *s);
 void ui_resize(UIState *s, int width, int height);
+void ui_update_params(UIState *s);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad.cc
index c3fbdcb6e64112..1eef3122e08629 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad.cc
@@ -186,3 +186,9 @@ void NvgWindow::paintGL() {
   }
   prev_draw_t = cur_draw_t;
 }
+
+void NvgWindow::showEvent(QShowEvent *event) {
+  CameraViewWidget::showEvent(event);
+  ui_update_params(&QUIState::ui_state);
+  prev_draw_t = millis_since_boot();
+}
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad.h
index 9be04e04ae473f..ee44973cf24c19 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class NvgWindow : public CameraViewWidget {
 protected:
   void paintGL() override;
   void initializeGL() override;
+  void showEvent(QShowEvent *event) override;
   double prev_draw_t = 0;
 };
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/ui.cc b/selfdrive/ui/ui.cc
index 054e90e1768a82..016bf72d1d00c5 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/ui.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/ui.cc
@@ -186,12 +186,8 @@ static void update_state(UIState *s) {
   scene.started = sm["deviceState"].getDeviceState().getStarted() && scene.ignition;
 }
 
-static void update_params(UIState *s) {
-  const uint64_t frame = s->sm->frame;
-  UIScene &scene = s->scene;
-  if (frame % (5*UI_FREQ) == 0) {
-    scene.is_metric = Params().getBool("IsMetric");
-  }
+void ui_update_params(UIState *s) {
+  s->scene.is_metric = Params().getBool("IsMetric");
 }
 
 static void update_status(UIState *s) {
@@ -240,7 +236,6 @@ QUIState::QUIState(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent) {
 }
 
 void QUIState::update() {
-  update_params(&ui_state);
   update_sockets(&ui_state);
   update_state(&ui_state);
   update_status(&ui_state);