diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/AbstractHandler.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/AbstractHandler.java
index cb803fba..f14e68b6 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/AbstractHandler.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/AbstractHandler.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ abstract public class AbstractHandler extends InputMethodService {
 	abstract protected boolean onStart(InputConnection inputConnection, EditorInfo inputField);
 	abstract protected void onFinishTyping();
 	abstract protected void onStop();
-	abstract protected void onDeath();
 	abstract protected void setInputField(InputConnection inputConnection, EditorInfo inputField);
 
 	// UI
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/TraditionalT9.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/TraditionalT9.java
index 66b4cb58..74a6fd0d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/TraditionalT9.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/TraditionalT9.java
@@ -175,10 +175,10 @@ public class TraditionalT9 extends MainViewHandler {
 	 * On Android 11 the IME is sometimes not killed when the user switches to a different one.
 	 * Here we attempt to detect if we are disabled, then hide and kill ourselves.
 	 */
-	protected void onDeath() {
+	private void onDeath() {
 		if (SystemSettings.isTT9Active(this)) {
 			Logger.w("onDeath", "===> Still active, rescheduling");
-			deathDetector.postDelayed(this::onDeath, 2000);
+			deathDetector.postDelayed(this::onDeath, SettingsStore.ZOMBIE_CHECK_INTERVAL);
 			return;
 		} else {
 			deathDetector.removeCallbacksAndMessages(null);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/preferences/settings/SettingsStore.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/preferences/settings/SettingsStore.java
index 33a7d35b..2e193689 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/preferences/settings/SettingsStore.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/preferences/settings/SettingsStore.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public class SettingsStore extends SettingsUI {
 	public final static int WORD_FREQUENCY_MAX = 25500;
 	public final static int WORD_FREQUENCY_NORMALIZATION_DIVIDER = 100; // normalized frequency = WORD_FREQUENCY_MAX / WORD_FREQUENCY_NORMALIZATION_DIVIDER
 	public final static int WORD_NORMALIZATION_DELAY = 15000; // ms
+	public final static int ZOMBIE_CHECK_INTERVAL = 666; // ms
 
 	/************* hacks *************/
 	public final static int PREFERENCES_CLICK_DEBOUNCE_TIME = 250; // ms