diff --git a/settings/xfpm-settings.c b/settings/xfpm-settings.c
index 1ecfa86..9dae720 100644
--- a/settings/xfpm-settings.c
+++ b/settings/xfpm-settings.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <math.h>
 
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 #include <glib.h>
@@ -257,11 +258,71 @@ battery_critical_changed_cb (GtkWidget *w, XfconfChannel *channel)
 }
 
 void
+map_value_solve (gint lower, gint upper, gdouble *a, gdouble *b)
+{
+    /* Do some math to make the sliders use an exponential scale, while
+     * respecting the configured limits.  This is simple algebra, but C makes
+     * it look cryptic.
+     *
+     *                         y = a * x^e + b
+     *                            inversely,
+     *                      x = ((y - b) / a)^(1/e)
+     *
+     * where x is the input value, y is the output value, e is the exponent
+     * (controls the magnitude of the effect), and a and b are the constants we
+     * are solving for.  These are our constraints:
+     *
+     *                         l = a * l^e + b
+     *                         u = a * u^e + b
+     *
+     * where l and u are the lower and upper limits, respectively.  These are
+     * given.  We are also given the exponent e.
+     */
+
+    gdouble l = (gdouble)lower;
+    gdouble u = (gdouble)upper;
+    gdouble e = 2.0; /* exponent */
+
+    /* solving our constraints */
+    *b = (u - (l * pow(u,e) / pow(l,e)))
+         /
+         (-(pow(u,e) / pow(l,e)) + 1);
+    *a = (l - *b) / pow(l,e);
+}
+
+gdouble
+map_slider_value (gdouble value, gint lower, gint upper)
+{
+    gdouble a, b;
+    gdouble e = 2.0;
+    map_value_solve(lower, upper, &a, &b);
+    /* determine the final mapped value */
+    /*         y = a * x^e + b          */
+    return a * pow(value, e) + b;
+}
+
+gdouble
+unmap_slider_value (gdouble value, gint lower, gint upper)
+{
+    gdouble a, b;
+    gdouble e = 2.0;
+    map_value_solve(lower, upper, &a, &b);
+    /* determine the final unmapped value */
+    /*      x = ((y - b) / a)^(1/e)       */
+    return pow((value - b) / a, (1.0/e));
+}
+
+void
 inactivity_on_ac_value_changed_cb (GtkWidget *widget, XfconfChannel *channel)
 {
-    gint value    = (gint)gtk_range_get_value (GTK_RANGE (widget));
+    gdouble value    = gtk_range_get_value (GTK_RANGE (widget));
+
+    /* map the value of this slider exponentially, to make it easier to use */
+    value = map_slider_value (value,
+                              4,      /* lower limit */
+                              360);   /* upper limit */
     
-    if (!xfconf_channel_set_uint (channel, PROPERTIES_PREFIX ON_AC_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT, value))
+    if (!xfconf_channel_set_uint (channel, PROPERTIES_PREFIX ON_AC_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT, (gint)value))
     {
 	g_critical ("Cannot set value for property %s\n", ON_AC_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT);
     }
@@ -270,9 +331,14 @@ inactivity_on_ac_value_changed_cb (GtkWidget *widget, XfconfChannel *channel)
 void
 inactivity_on_battery_value_changed_cb (GtkWidget *widget, XfconfChannel *channel)
 {
-    gint value    = (gint)gtk_range_get_value (GTK_RANGE (widget));
+    gdouble value    = gtk_range_get_value (GTK_RANGE (widget));
+
+    /* map the value of this slider exponentially, to make it easier to use */
+    value = map_slider_value (value,
+                              4,      /* lower limit */
+                              360);   /* upper limit */
     
-    if (!xfconf_channel_set_uint (channel, PROPERTIES_PREFIX ON_BATTERY_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT, value))
+    if (!xfconf_channel_set_uint (channel, PROPERTIES_PREFIX ON_BATTERY_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT, (gint)value))
     {
 	g_critical ("Cannot set value for property %s\n", ON_BATTERY_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT);
     }
@@ -636,7 +702,12 @@ gchar *
 format_inactivity_value_cb (GtkScale *scale, gdouble value, gpointer data)
 {
     gint h, min;
-    
+
+    /* map the value of this slider exponentially, to make it easier to use */
+    value = map_slider_value (value,
+                              4,      /* lower limit */
+                              360);   /* upper limit */
+
     if ( (gint)value <= 4 )
 	return g_strdup (_("Never"));
     else if ( (gint)value < 60 )
@@ -935,6 +1006,8 @@ xfpm_settings_on_battery (XfconfChannel *channel, gboolean auth_suspend,
     }
 
     val = xfconf_channel_get_uint (channel, PROPERTIES_PREFIX ON_BATTERY_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT, 14);
+    /* unmap minutes back into the correct slider position */
+    val = (gint)unmap_slider_value ((gdouble)val, 4, 360) + 1;
     gtk_range_set_value (GTK_RANGE (inact_timeout), val);
 
 
@@ -1161,6 +1234,8 @@ xfpm_settings_on_ac (XfconfChannel *channel, gboolean auth_suspend,
     }
 
     val = xfconf_channel_get_uint (channel, PROPERTIES_PREFIX ON_AC_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT, 14);
+    /* unmap minutes back into the correct slider position */
+    val = (gint)unmap_slider_value ((gdouble)val, 4, 360) + 1;
     gtk_range_set_value (GTK_RANGE (inact_timeout), val);
 
     /*