diff --git a/js/misc/timeLimitsManager.js b/js/misc/timeLimitsManager.js
index 6be0e456a..776076464 100644
--- a/js/misc/timeLimitsManager.js
+++ b/js/misc/timeLimitsManager.js
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ export const TimeLimitsManager = GObject.registerClass({
         this._stateTransitions = [];
         this._cancellable = null;
         this._loginManager = null;
+        this._inhibitor = null;
         this._loginUser = null;
         this._lastStateChangeTimeSecs = 0;
         this._timerId = 0;
@@ -257,12 +258,16 @@ export const TimeLimitsManager = GObject.registerClass({
             this._timeChangeId = 0;
         }
 
-        // Start listening for notifications to the user’s state.
+        // Start listening for notifications to the user’s state. Listening to
+        // the prepare-for-sleep signal requires taking a delay inhibitor to
+        // avoid races.
         this._loginManager = this._loginManagerFactory.new();
+        await this._ensureInhibitor();
         this._loginManager.connectObject(
             'prepare-for-sleep',
-            () => this._updateUserState(true).catch(
-                e => console.warn(`Failed to update user state: ${e.message}`)),
+            (unused, preparingForSleep) => {
+                this._onPrepareForSleep(preparingForSleep).catch(logError);
+            },
             this);
 
         this._loginUser = await this._loginUserFactory.newAsync();
@@ -290,6 +295,8 @@ export const TimeLimitsManager = GObject.registerClass({
         this._loginUser?.disconnectObject(this);
         this._loginUser = null;
 
+        this._releaseInhibitor();
+
         this._loginManager?.disconnectObject(this);
         this._loginManager = null;
 
@@ -322,6 +329,40 @@ export const TimeLimitsManager = GObject.registerClass({
         this._cancellable = null;
     }
 
+    async _ensureInhibitor() {
+        if (this._inhibitor)
+            return;
+
+        try {
+            this._inhibitor = await this._loginManager.inhibit(
+                _('GNOME needs to save screen time data'), this._cancellable);
+        } catch (e) {
+            if (!e.matches(Gio.IOErrorEnum, Gio.IOErrorEnum.CANCELLED))
+                console.warn('Failed to inhibit suspend: %s'.format(e.message));
+        }
+    }
+
+    _releaseInhibitor() {
+        this._inhibitor?.close(null);
+        this._inhibitor = null;
+    }
+
+    async _onPrepareForSleep(preparingForSleep) {
+        // Just come back from sleep, so take another inhibitor.
+        if (!preparingForSleep)
+            this._ensureInhibitor();
+
+        try {
+            await this._updateUserState(true);
+        } catch (e) {
+            console.warn(`Failed to update user state: ${e.message}`);
+        }
+
+        // Release the inhibitor if we’re preparing to sleep.
+        if (preparingForSleep)
+            this._releaseInhibitor();
+    }
+
     /** Shut down the state machine and write out the state file. */
     async shutdown() {
         await this._stopStateMachine();
diff --git a/tests/unit/timeLimitsManager.js b/tests/unit/timeLimitsManager.js
index 578ed1c62..3eba0aa7c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/timeLimitsManager.js
+++ b/tests/unit/timeLimitsManager.js
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ class TestHarness {
         // And a mock D-Bus proxy for logind.
         const harness = this;
 
+        class MockInhibitor {
+            close(unusedCancellable) {
+                // No-op for mock purposes
+            }
+        }
+
         class MockLoginManager {
             connectObject(signalName, callback, unusedObject) {
                 if (signalName === 'prepare-for-sleep') {
@@ -107,6 +113,12 @@ class TestHarness {
                 harness._loginManagerPrepareForSleepCallback = null;
             }
 
+            /* eslint-disable-next-line require-await */
+            async inhibit(unusedReason, unusedCancellable) {
+                // Basically a no-op for mock purposes
+                return new MockInhibitor();
+            }
+
             get preparingForSleep() {
                 return harness._currentPreparingForSleepState;
             }
@@ -578,8 +590,10 @@ class TestHarness {
         case 'preparing-for-sleep-state-change':
             this._currentPreparingForSleepState = event.newPreparingForSleepState;
 
-            if (this._loginManagerPrepareForSleepCallback)
-                this._loginManagerPrepareForSleepCallback(this._currentPreparingForSleepState);
+            if (this._loginManagerPrepareForSleepCallback) {
+                this._loginManagerPrepareForSleepCallback(
+                    this._mockLoginManager, this._currentPreparingForSleepState);
+            }
             break;
         case 'login-user-state-change':
             this._currentUserState = event.newUserState;