diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 0e214e89..78b689e2 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Items to complete before the first alpha release.
 * implement CustomRF95::canSleep
 * document rules for sleep wrt lora/bluetooth/screen/gps.  also: if I have text messages (only) for the phone, then give a few seconds in the hopes BLE can get it across before we have to go back to sleep.
 * wake from light sleep as needed for our next scheduled periodic task (needed for gps position broadcasts etc)
+* turn bluetooth off based on our sleep policy
 * if the phone doesn't read fromradio mailbox within X seconds, assume the phone is gone and we can stop queing location msgs 
 for it (because it will redownload the nodedb when it comes back)
 * don't enter light sleep while the screen is on
diff --git a/src/GPS.cpp b/src/GPS.cpp
index e8fe51fc..c89a5536 100644
--- a/src/GPS.cpp
+++ b/src/GPS.cpp
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@ uint64_t zeroOffsetSecs; // GPS based time in secs since 1970 - only updated onc
 RTC_DATA_ATTR bool timeSetFromGPS;     // We only reset our time once per _boot_ after that point just run from the internal clock (even across sleeps)
 
 GPS gps;
+bool hasValidLocation; // default to false, until we complete our first read
 
-GPS::GPS() : PeriodicTask(30 * 1000)
+GPS::GPS() : PeriodicTask() 
 {
 }
 
@@ -57,8 +58,23 @@ void GPS::perhapsSetRTC(const struct timeval *tv)
 void GPS::loop()
 {
     PeriodicTask::loop();
+}
 
+uint32_t GPS::getTime()
+{
+    return ((millis() - timeStartMsec) / 1000) + zeroOffsetSecs;
+}
+
+uint32_t GPS::getValidTime()
+{
+    return timeSetFromGPS ? getTime() : 0;
+}
+
+uint32_t GPS::doTask()
+{
 #ifdef GPS_RX_PIN
+    // Consume all characters that have arrived
+
     while (_serial_gps.available())
     {
         encode(_serial_gps.read());
@@ -86,25 +102,16 @@ void GPS::loop()
         perhapsSetRTC(&tv);
     }
 #endif
-}
 
-uint32_t GPS::getTime()
-{
-    return ((millis() - timeStartMsec) / 1000) + zeroOffsetSecs;
-}
-
-uint32_t GPS::getValidTime()
-{
-    return timeSetFromGPS ? getTime() : 0;
-}
-
-void GPS::doTask()
-{
     if (location.isValid() && location.isUpdated())
     { // we only notify if position has changed
         // DEBUG_MSG("new gps pos\n");
+        hasValidLocation = true;
         notifyObservers();
     }
+
+    // Once we have sent a location we only poll the GPS rarely, otherwise check back every 100ms until we have something over the serial
+    return hasValidLocation ? 30 * 1000 : 100;
 }
 
 String GPS::getTimeStr()
diff --git a/src/GPS.h b/src/GPS.h
index 9ff98cca..1a2c82ad 100644
--- a/src/GPS.h
+++ b/src/GPS.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public:
 
     virtual void loop();
 
-    virtual void doTask();
+    virtual uint32_t doTask();
 
     /// If we haven't yet set our RTC this boot, set it from a GPS derived time
     void perhapsSetRTC(const struct timeval *tv);
diff --git a/src/MeshService.cpp b/src/MeshService.cpp
index 271ed03b..7b321d7a 100644
--- a/src/MeshService.cpp
+++ b/src/MeshService.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "NodeDB.h"
 #include "GPS.h"
 #include "screen.h"
+#include "Periodic.h"
 
 /*
 receivedPacketQueue - this is a queue of messages we've received from the mesh, which we are keeping to deliver to the phone.
@@ -60,7 +61,9 @@ void MeshService::init()
         DEBUG_MSG("radio init failed\n");
 
     gps.addObserver(this);
-    sendOurOwner();
+
+    // No need to call this here, our periodic task will fire quite soon
+    // sendOwnerPeriod();
 }
 
 void MeshService::sendOurOwner(NodeNum dest)
@@ -165,6 +168,16 @@ void MeshService::handleFromRadio()
         bluetoothNotifyFromNum(fromNum);
 }
 
+
+uint32_t sendOwnerCb()
+{
+  service.sendOurOwner();
+
+  return radioConfig.preferences.send_owner_secs * 1000;
+}
+
+Periodic sendOwnerPeriod(sendOwnerCb);
+
 /// Do idle processing (mostly processing messages which have been queued from the radio)
 void MeshService::loop()
 {
@@ -173,13 +186,7 @@ void MeshService::loop()
     handleFromRadio();
 
     // occasionally send our owner info
-    static uint32_t lastsend;
-    uint32_t now = millis();
-    if (now - lastsend > radioConfig.preferences.send_owner_secs * 1000)
-    {
-        lastsend = now;
-        sendOurOwner();
-    }
+    sendOwnerPeriod.loop();
 }
 
 /// The radioConfig object just changed, call this to force the hw to change to the new settings
diff --git a/src/Periodic.h b/src/Periodic.h
index fe7b67df..92d66241 100644
--- a/src/Periodic.h
+++ b/src/Periodic.h
@@ -1,32 +1,22 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <Arduino.h>
+#include "PeriodicTask.h"
 
 /**
  * Periodically invoke a callback.
  * 
- * FIXME: currently just syntatic sugar for polling in loop (you must call .loop), but eventually
- * generalize with the freertos scheduler so we can save lots of power by having everything either in
- * something like this or triggered off of an irq.
+ * This just provides C style callback conventions rather than a virtual function - FIXME, remove?
  */
-class Periodic
+class Periodic : public PeriodicTask
 {
-  uint32_t lastMsec = 0;
-  uint32_t period = 1; // call soon after creation
   uint32_t (*callback)();
 
 public:
   // callback returns the period for the next callback invocation (or 0 if we should no longer be called)
   Periodic(uint32_t (*_callback)()) : callback(_callback) {}
 
-  // for the time being this must be called from loop
-  void loop()
-  {
-    uint32_t now = millis();
-    if (period && (now - lastMsec) >= period)
-    {
-      lastMsec = now;
-      period = (*callback)();
-    }
-  }
+protected:
+
+  uint32_t doTask();
 };
diff --git a/src/PeriodicTask.cpp b/src/PeriodicTask.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb46d1ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/PeriodicTask.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#include "PeriodicTask.h"
+#include "Periodic.h"
+
+PeriodicTask::PeriodicTask(uint32_t initialPeriod) : period(initialPeriod)
+{
+}
+
+/// call this from loop
+void PeriodicTask::loop()
+{
+    uint32_t now = millis();
+    if (period && (now - lastMsec) >= period)
+    {
+        lastMsec = now;
+        period = doTask();
+    }
+}
+
+  uint32_t Periodic::doTask() { return callback(); }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/PeriodicTask.h b/src/PeriodicTask.h
index fa68e805..5ac90e29 100644
--- a/src/PeriodicTask.h
+++ b/src/PeriodicTask.h
@@ -3,34 +3,28 @@
 #include <Arduino.h>
 #include "configuration.h"
 
+/**
+ * A base class for tasks that want their doTask() method invoked periodically
+ * 
+ * FIXME: currently just syntatic sugar for polling in loop (you must call .loop), but eventually
+ * generalize with the freertos scheduler so we can save lots of power by having everything either in
+ * something like this or triggered off of an irq.
+ */
 class PeriodicTask
 {
-    /// we use prevMsec rather than nextMsec because it is easier to handle the uint32 rollover in that case, also changes in periodMsec take effect immediately
-    uint32_t prevMsec;
+    uint32_t lastMsec = 0;
+    uint32_t period = 1; // call soon after creation
 
 public:
     uint32_t periodMsec;
 
     virtual ~PeriodicTask() {}
 
-    PeriodicTask(uint32_t period) : periodMsec(period)
-    {
-        prevMsec = millis();
-    }
+    PeriodicTask(uint32_t initialPeriod = 1);
 
     /// call this from loop
-    virtual void loop()
-    {
-        uint32_t now = millis();
-        if (now > (prevMsec + periodMsec))
-        {
-            // FIXME, this lets period slightly drift based on scheduling - not sure if that is always good
-            prevMsec = now;
+    virtual void loop();
 
-            // DEBUG_MSG("Calling periodic task\n");
-            doTask();
-        }
-    }
-
-    virtual void doTask() = 0;
+protected: 
+    virtual uint32_t doTask() = 0;
 };