diff --git a/packages/service-worker/worker/src/driver.ts b/packages/service-worker/worker/src/driver.ts
index 9f37d38c54..9838186ccf 100644
--- a/packages/service-worker/worker/src/driver.ts
+++ b/packages/service-worker/worker/src/driver.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ type ClientAssignments = {
   [id: string]: ManifestHash
 };
 
-const IDLE_THRESHOLD = 5000;
+const IDLE_DELAY = 5000;
+const MAX_IDLE_DELAY = 30000;
 
 const SUPPORTED_CONFIG_VERSION = 1;
 
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ export class Driver implements Debuggable, UpdateSource {
     this.debugger = new DebugHandler(this, this.adapter);
 
     // The IdleScheduler will execute idle tasks after a given delay.
-    this.idle = new IdleScheduler(this.adapter, IDLE_THRESHOLD, this.debugger);
+    this.idle = new IdleScheduler(this.adapter, IDLE_DELAY, MAX_IDLE_DELAY, this.debugger);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/service-worker/worker/src/idle.ts b/packages/service-worker/worker/src/idle.ts
index e84e1bc33a..36bae8d1c0 100644
--- a/packages/service-worker/worker/src/idle.ts
+++ b/packages/service-worker/worker/src/idle.ts
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@ export class IdleScheduler {
   private emptyResolve: Function|null = null;
   lastTrigger: number|null = null;
   lastRun: number|null = null;
+  oldestScheduledAt: number|null = null;
 
-  constructor(private adapter: Adapter, private threshold: number, private debug: DebugLogger) {}
+  constructor(
+      private adapter: Adapter, private delay: number, private maxDelay: number,
+      private debug: DebugLogger) {}
 
   async trigger(): Promise<void> {
     this.lastTrigger = this.adapter.time;
@@ -43,7 +46,12 @@ export class IdleScheduler {
     };
     this.scheduled = scheduled;
 
-    await this.adapter.timeout(this.threshold);
+    // Ensure that no task remains pending for longer than `this.maxDelay` ms.
+    const now = this.adapter.time;
+    const maxDelay = Math.max(0, (this.oldestScheduledAt ?? now) + this.maxDelay - now);
+    const delay = Math.min(maxDelay, this.delay);
+
+    await this.adapter.timeout(delay);
 
     if (scheduled.cancel) {
       return;
@@ -75,15 +83,21 @@ export class IdleScheduler {
       this.emptyResolve = null;
     }
     this.empty = Promise.resolve();
+    this.oldestScheduledAt = null;
   }
 
   schedule(desc: string, run: () => Promise<void>): void {
     this.queue.push({desc, run});
+
     if (this.emptyResolve === null) {
       this.empty = new Promise(resolve => {
         this.emptyResolve = resolve;
       });
     }
+
+    if (this.oldestScheduledAt === null) {
+      this.oldestScheduledAt = this.adapter.time;
+    }
   }
 
   get size(): number {
diff --git a/packages/service-worker/worker/test/idle_spec.ts b/packages/service-worker/worker/test/idle_spec.ts
index de863d7384..3d223c6ce3 100644
--- a/packages/service-worker/worker/test/idle_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/service-worker/worker/test/idle_spec.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ describe('IdleScheduler', () => {
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     scope = new SwTestHarnessBuilder().build();
-    idle = new IdleScheduler(scope, 1000, {
+    idle = new IdleScheduler(scope, 1000, 3000, {
       log: (v, context) => console.error(v, context),
     });
   });
@@ -137,5 +137,50 @@ describe('IdleScheduler', () => {
     // The task should have executed.
     expect(completed).toEqual(true);
   });
+
+  it('executes tasks after max delay even with newer triggers', async () => {
+    // Set up a single idle task to set the completed flag to true when it runs.
+    let completed: boolean = false;
+    idle.schedule('work', async () => {
+      completed = true;
+    });
+
+    // Trigger the queue once. This trigger will start a timer for the idle timeout,
+    // but another `trigger()` will be called before that timeout passes.
+    const firstTrigger = idle.trigger();
+
+    // Advance the clock a little, but not enough to actually cause tasks to execute.
+    scope.advance(999);
+    expect(completed).toBe(false);
+
+    // Next, trigger the queue again.
+    const secondTrigger = idle.trigger();
+
+    // Advance the clock beyond the timeout for the first trigger, but not the second.
+    // This should cause the first trigger to resolve, but without running the task.
+    scope.advance(999);
+    await firstTrigger;
+    expect(completed).toBe(false);
+
+    // Next, trigger the queue again.
+    const thirdTrigger = idle.trigger();
+
+    // Advance the clock beyond the timeout for the second trigger, but not the third.
+    // This should cause the second trigger to resolve, but without running the task.
+    scope.advance(999);
+    await secondTrigger;
+    expect(completed).toBe(false);
+
+    // Next, trigger the queue again.
+    const forthTrigger = idle.trigger();
+
+    // Finally, advance the clock beyond `maxDelay` (3000) from the first trigger, but not beyond
+    // the timeout for the forth. This should cause the task to be executed nontheless.
+    scope.advance(3);
+    await Promise.all([thirdTrigger, forthTrigger]);
+
+    // The task should have executed.
+    expect(completed).toBe(true);
+  });
 });
 })();
diff --git a/packages/service-worker/worker/test/prefetch_spec.ts b/packages/service-worker/worker/test/prefetch_spec.ts
index da8ec1ad02..df8970c2eb 100644
--- a/packages/service-worker/worker/test/prefetch_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/service-worker/worker/test/prefetch_spec.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe('prefetch assets', () => {
   let group: PrefetchAssetGroup;
   let idle: IdleScheduler;
   beforeEach(() => {
-    idle = new IdleScheduler(null!, 3000, {
+    idle = new IdleScheduler(null!, 3000, 30000, {
       log: (v, ctx = '') => console.error(v, ctx),
     });
     group = new PrefetchAssetGroup(