diff --git a/js/ui/messageTray.js b/js/ui/messageTray.js
index 1ce114e6d..eabf6a7d5 100644
--- a/js/ui/messageTray.js
+++ b/js/ui/messageTray.js
@@ -1508,7 +1508,7 @@ const MessageTray = new Lang.Class({
         this._idleMonitorWatchId = 0;
         this._backFromAway = false;
 
-        this.idleMonitor = new Shell.IdleMonitor();
+        this.idleMonitor = Shell.IdleMonitor.get();
 
         // To simplify the summary item animation code, we pretend
         // that there's an invisible SummaryItem to the left of the
diff --git a/src/shell-idle-monitor.c b/src/shell-idle-monitor.c
index 22581d100..592f4772c 100644
--- a/src/shell-idle-monitor.c
+++ b/src/shell-idle-monitor.c
@@ -316,15 +316,21 @@ shell_idle_monitor_init (ShellIdleMonitor *monitor)
         monitor->priv->counter = None;
 }
 
+/**
+ * shell_idle_monitor_get:
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer none): the global #ShellIdleMonitor.
+ */
 ShellIdleMonitor *
-shell_idle_monitor_new (void)
+shell_idle_monitor_get (void)
 {
-        GObject *idle_monitor;
+        static ShellIdleMonitor *idle_monitor;
 
-        idle_monitor = g_object_new (SHELL_TYPE_IDLE_MONITOR,
-                                     NULL);
+        if (G_UNLIKELY (idle_monitor == NULL))
+                idle_monitor = g_object_new (SHELL_TYPE_IDLE_MONITOR,
+                                             NULL);
 
-        return SHELL_IDLE_MONITOR (idle_monitor);
+        return idle_monitor;
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/shell-idle-monitor.h b/src/shell-idle-monitor.h
index 1086d9216..2fcd0820b 100644
--- a/src/shell-idle-monitor.h
+++ b/src/shell-idle-monitor.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ typedef void (*ShellIdleMonitorWatchFunc) (ShellIdleMonitor *monitor,
 
 GType              shell_idle_monitor_get_type     (void);
 
-ShellIdleMonitor * shell_idle_monitor_new          (void);
+ShellIdleMonitor * shell_idle_monitor_get          (void);
 
 guint              shell_idle_monitor_add_watch    (ShellIdleMonitor         *monitor,
                                                     guint                     interval,