diff --git a/plugins/hw_wallet/__init__.py b/plugins/hw_wallet/__init__.py
index aa5e14390..4621e7f57 100644
--- a/plugins/hw_wallet/__init__.py
+++ b/plugins/hw_wallet/__init__.py
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 from hw_wallet import BIP44_HW_Wallet
 from qt import QtHandlerBase
+from plugin import HW_PluginBase
diff --git a/plugins/hw_wallet/plugin.py b/plugins/hw_wallet/plugin.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..37b5fc30f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/hw_wallet/plugin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
+# -*- mode: python -*-
+#
+# Electrum - lightweight Bitcoin client
+# Copyright (C) 2016  The Electrum developers
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import time
+
+from electrum.util import ThreadJob
+from electrum.plugins import BasePlugin, hook
+
+
+class HW_PluginBase(BasePlugin, ThreadJob):
+    # Derived classes provide:
+    #
+    #  class-static variables: client_class, firmware_URL, handler_class,
+    #     libraries_available, libraries_URL, minimum_firmware,
+    #     wallet_class, ckd_public, types, HidTransport
+
+    def __init__(self, parent, config, name):
+        BasePlugin.__init__(self, parent, config, name)
+        self.device = self.wallet_class.device
+        self.wallet_class.plugin = self
+        self.prevent_timeout = time.time() + 3600 * 24 * 365
+
+    def is_enabled(self):
+        return self.libraries_available
+
+    def device_manager(self):
+        return self.parent.device_manager
+
+    def thread_jobs(self):
+        # Thread job to handle device timeouts
+        return [self] if self.libraries_available else []
+
+    def run(self):
+        '''Handle device timeouts.  Runs in the context of the Plugins
+        thread.'''
+        now = time.time()
+        for wallet in self.device_manager().paired_wallets():
+            if (isinstance(wallet, self.wallet_class)
+                    and hasattr(wallet, 'last_operation')
+                    and now > wallet.last_operation + wallet.session_timeout):
+                wallet.timeout()
+                wallet.last_operation = self.prevent_timeout
+
+    @hook
+    def close_wallet(self, wallet):
+        if isinstance(wallet, self.wallet_class):
+            self.device_manager().unpair_wallet(wallet)
+
+    def on_restore_wallet(self, wallet, wizard):
+        assert isinstance(wallet, self.wallet_class)
+
+        msg = _("Enter the seed for your %s wallet:" % self.device)
+        seed = wizard.request_seed(msg, is_valid = self.is_valid_seed)
+
+        # Restored wallets are not hardware wallets
+        wallet_class = self.wallet_class.restore_wallet_class
+        wallet.storage.put('wallet_type', wallet_class.wallet_type)
+        wallet = wallet_class(wallet.storage)
+
+        passphrase = wizard.request_passphrase(self.device, restore=True)
+        password = wizard.request_password()
+        wallet.add_seed(seed, password)
+        wallet.add_xprv_from_seed(seed, 'x/', password, passphrase)
+        wallet.create_hd_account(password)
+        return wallet
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def is_valid_seed(seed):
+        return True
diff --git a/plugins/ledger/ledger.py b/plugins/ledger/ledger.py
index 746116a5f..053c04172 100644
--- a/plugins/ledger/ledger.py
+++ b/plugins/ledger/ledger.py
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 from binascii import hexlify
 from struct import unpack
 import hashlib
+import time
 
 import electrum
 from electrum.bitcoin import EncodeBase58Check, DecodeBase58Check, TYPE_ADDRESS
 from electrum.i18n import _
 from electrum.plugins import BasePlugin, hook
 from ..hw_wallet import BIP44_HW_Wallet
+from ..hw_wallet import HW_PluginBase
 from electrum.util import format_satoshis_plain, print_error
 
 
@@ -306,18 +308,15 @@ class BTChipWallet(BIP44_HW_Wallet):
         return True, response, response
 
 
-class LedgerPlugin(BasePlugin):
+class LedgerPlugin(HW_PluginBase):
+    libraries_available = BTCHIP
     wallet_class = BTChipWallet
 
     def __init__(self, parent, config, name):
-        BasePlugin.__init__(self, parent, config, name)
-        self.wallet_class.plugin = self
-        self.device = self.wallet_class.device
+        HW_PluginBase.__init__(self, parent, config, name)
+        # FIXME shouldn't be a plugin member.  Then this constructor can go.
         self.client = None
 
-    def is_enabled(self):
-        return BTCHIP
-
     def btchip_is_connected(self, wallet):
         try:
             wallet.get_client().getFirmwareVersion()
@@ -325,33 +324,6 @@ class LedgerPlugin(BasePlugin):
             return False
         return True
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def is_valid_seed(seed):
-        return True
-
-    def on_restore_wallet(self, wallet, wizard):
-        assert isinstance(wallet, self.wallet_class)
-
-        msg = _("Enter the seed for your %s wallet:" % self.device)
-        seed = wizard.request_seed(msg, is_valid = self.is_valid_seed)
-
-        # Restored wallets are not hardware wallets
-        wallet_class = self.wallet_class.restore_wallet_class
-        wallet.storage.put('wallet_type', wallet_class.wallet_type)
-        wallet = wallet_class(wallet.storage)
-
-        # Ledger wallets don't use passphrases
-        passphrase = unicode()
-        password = wizard.request_password()
-        wallet.add_seed(seed, password)
-        wallet.add_xprv_from_seed(seed, 'x/', password, passphrase)
-        wallet.create_hd_account(password)
-        return wallet
-
-    @hook
-    def close_wallet(self, wallet):
-        self.client = None
-
     def get_client(self, wallet, force_pair=True, noPin=False):
         aborted = False
         client = self.client
@@ -421,4 +393,8 @@ class LedgerPlugin(BasePlugin):
             wallet.proper_device = False
             self.client = client
 
+        if client:
+            self.print_error("set last_operation")
+            wallet.last_operation = time.time()
+
         return self.client
diff --git a/plugins/trezor/plugin.py b/plugins/trezor/plugin.py
index 3bdc0504e..c18f52837 100644
--- a/plugins/trezor/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/trezor/plugin.py
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ from electrum.i18n import _
 from electrum.plugins import BasePlugin, hook
 from electrum.transaction import (deserialize, is_extended_pubkey,
                                   Transaction, x_to_xpub)
-from ..hw_wallet import BIP44_HW_Wallet
-from electrum.util import ThreadJob
+from ..hw_wallet import BIP44_HW_Wallet, HW_PluginBase
 
 
 # TREZOR initialization methods
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ class TrezorCompatibleWallet(BIP44_HW_Wallet):
         self.plugin.sign_transaction(self, tx, prev_tx, xpub_path)
 
 
-class TrezorCompatiblePlugin(BasePlugin, ThreadJob):
+class TrezorCompatiblePlugin(HW_PluginBase):
     # Derived classes provide:
     #
     #  class-static variables: client_class, firmware_URL, handler_class,
@@ -95,35 +94,12 @@ class TrezorCompatiblePlugin(BasePlugin, ThreadJob):
     MAX_LABEL_LEN = 32
 
     def __init__(self, parent, config, name):
-        BasePlugin.__init__(self, parent, config, name)
+        HW_PluginBase.__init__(self, parent, config, name)
         self.main_thread = threading.current_thread()
-        self.device = self.wallet_class.device
-        self.wallet_class.plugin = self
-        self.prevent_timeout = time.time() + 3600 * 24 * 365
+        # FIXME: move to base class when Ledger is fixed
         if self.libraries_available:
             self.device_manager().register_devices(self.DEVICE_IDS)
 
-    def is_enabled(self):
-        return self.libraries_available
-
-    def device_manager(self):
-        return self.parent.device_manager
-
-    def thread_jobs(self):
-        # Thread job to handle device timeouts
-        return [self] if self.libraries_available else []
-
-    def run(self):
-        '''Handle device timeouts.  Runs in the context of the Plugins
-        thread.'''
-        now = time.time()
-        for wallet in self.device_manager().paired_wallets():
-            if (isinstance(wallet, self.wallet_class)
-                    and hasattr(wallet, 'last_operation')
-                    and now > wallet.last_operation + wallet.session_timeout):
-                wallet.timeout()
-                wallet.last_operation = self.prevent_timeout
-
     def create_client(self, device, handler):
         if device.interface_number == 1:
             pair = [None, device.path]