diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/util/wakelock/WakeLock.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/util/wakelock/WakeLock.java
index bebc20b116a3b..775a3ab3360c8 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/util/wakelock/WakeLock.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/util/wakelock/WakeLock.java
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ public interface WakeLock {
     static final String TAG = "WakeLock";
     static final String REASON_WRAP = "wrap";
 
+    /**
+     * Default wake-lock timeout, to avoid battery regressions.
+     */
+    long DEFAULT_MAX_TIMEOUT = 20000;
+
     /**
      * @param why A tag that will be saved for sysui dumps.
      * @see android.os.PowerManager.WakeLock#acquire()
@@ -46,7 +51,14 @@ public interface WakeLock {
     Runnable wrap(Runnable r);
 
     static WakeLock createPartial(Context context, String tag) {
-        return wrap(createPartialInner(context, tag));
+        return createPartial(context, tag, DEFAULT_MAX_TIMEOUT);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a {@link WakeLock} that has a default release timeout.
+     * @see android.os.PowerManager.WakeLock#acquire(long) */
+    static WakeLock createPartial(Context context, String tag, long maxTimeout) {
+        return wrap(createPartialInner(context, tag), maxTimeout);
     }
 
     @VisibleForTesting
@@ -66,7 +78,14 @@ public interface WakeLock {
         };
     }
 
-    static WakeLock wrap(final PowerManager.WakeLock inner) {
+    /**
+     * Create a {@link WakeLock} containing a {@link PowerManager.WakeLock}.
+     * @param inner To be wrapped.
+     * @param maxTimeout When to expire.
+     * @return The new wake lock.
+     */
+    @VisibleForTesting
+    static WakeLock wrap(final PowerManager.WakeLock inner, long maxTimeout) {
         return new WakeLock() {
             private final HashMap<String, Integer> mActiveClients = new HashMap<>();
 
@@ -74,7 +93,7 @@ public interface WakeLock {
             public void acquire(String why) {
                 mActiveClients.putIfAbsent(why, 0);
                 mActiveClients.put(why, mActiveClients.get(why) + 1);
-                inner.acquire();
+                inner.acquire(maxTimeout);
             }
 
             /** @see PowerManager.WakeLock#release() */
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/util/wakelock/WakeLockTest.java b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/util/wakelock/WakeLockTest.java
index 66eb299641163..3357be8c8b847 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/util/wakelock/WakeLockTest.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/util/wakelock/WakeLockTest.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public class WakeLockTest extends SysuiTestCase {
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
         mInner = WakeLock.createPartialInner(mContext, WakeLockTest.class.getName());
-        mWakeLock = WakeLock.wrap(mInner);
+        mWakeLock = WakeLock.wrap(mInner, 20000);
     }
 
     @After
@@ -69,14 +69,6 @@ public class WakeLockTest extends SysuiTestCase {
         assertFalse(mInner.isHeld());
     }
 
-    @Test
-    public void wakeLock_refCounted() {
-        mWakeLock.acquire(WHY);
-        mWakeLock.acquire(WHY);
-        mWakeLock.release(WHY);
-        assertTrue(mInner.isHeld());
-    }
-
     @Test
     public void wakeLock_wrap() {
         boolean[] ran = new boolean[1];