diff --git a/ports/espressif/common-hal/watchdog/WatchDogTimer.c b/ports/espressif/common-hal/watchdog/WatchDogTimer.c
index 159c99458f..6a7c91622e 100644
--- a/ports/espressif/common-hal/watchdog/WatchDogTimer.c
+++ b/ports/espressif/common-hal/watchdog/WatchDogTimer.c
@@ -33,9 +33,18 @@
 #include "esp_task_wdt.h"
 
 extern void esp_task_wdt_isr_user_handler(void);
+
 void esp_task_wdt_isr_user_handler(void) {
+    // just delete, deiniting TWDT in isr context causes a crash
+    if (esp_task_wdt_delete(NULL) == ESP_OK) {
+        watchdog_watchdogtimer_obj_t *self = &common_hal_mcu_watchdogtimer_obj;
+        self->mode = WATCHDOGMODE_NONE;
+    }
+
+    // schedule watchdog timeout exception
     mp_obj_exception_clear_traceback(MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(&mp_watchdog_timeout_exception));
     MP_STATE_THREAD(mp_pending_exception) = &mp_watchdog_timeout_exception;
+
     #if MICROPY_ENABLE_SCHEDULER
     if (MP_STATE_VM(sched_state) == MP_SCHED_IDLE) {
         MP_STATE_VM(sched_state) = MP_SCHED_PENDING;
@@ -44,12 +53,13 @@ void esp_task_wdt_isr_user_handler(void) {
 }
 
 void common_hal_watchdog_feed(watchdog_watchdogtimer_obj_t *self) {
-    if (esp_task_wdt_reset() != ESP_OK) {
-        mp_raise_RuntimeError(translate("watchdog not initialized"));
-    }
+    esp_task_wdt_reset();
 }
 
 void common_hal_watchdog_deinit(watchdog_watchdogtimer_obj_t *self) {
+    if (self->mode == WATCHDOGMODE_NONE) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (esp_task_wdt_delete(NULL) == ESP_OK && esp_task_wdt_deinit() == ESP_OK) {
         self->mode = WATCHDOGMODE_NONE;
     }
@@ -59,11 +69,11 @@ void watchdog_reset(void) {
     common_hal_watchdog_deinit(&common_hal_mcu_watchdogtimer_obj);
 }
 
-static void wdt_config(watchdog_watchdogtimer_obj_t *self) {
+static void wdt_config(uint32_t timeout, watchdog_watchdogmode_t mode) {
     // enable panic hanler in WATCHDOGMODE_RESET mode
     // initialize Task Watchdog Timer (TWDT)
-    if (esp_task_wdt_init((uint32_t)self->timeout, (self->mode == WATCHDOGMODE_RESET)) != ESP_OK) {
-        mp_raise_RuntimeError(translate("Initialization failed due to lack of memory"));
+    if (esp_task_wdt_init(timeout, mode == WATCHDOGMODE_RESET) != ESP_OK) {
+        mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_MemoryError, NULL);
     }
     esp_task_wdt_add(NULL);
 }
@@ -73,12 +83,17 @@ mp_float_t common_hal_watchdog_get_timeout(watchdog_watchdogtimer_obj_t *self) {
 }
 
 void common_hal_watchdog_set_timeout(watchdog_watchdogtimer_obj_t *self, mp_float_t new_timeout) {
-    if ((uint64_t)new_timeout > UINT32_MAX) {
-        mp_raise_ValueError(translate("timeout duration exceeded the maximum supported value"));
+    if (!(self->timeout < new_timeout || self->timeout > new_timeout)) {
+        return;
     }
-    if ((uint32_t)self->timeout != (uint32_t)new_timeout) {
-        self->timeout = new_timeout;
-        wdt_config(self);
+
+    if ((uint64_t)new_timeout > UINT32_MAX) {
+        mp_raise_ValueError_varg(translate("%q must be <= %d"), MP_QSTR_timeout, UINT32_MAX);
+    }
+    self->timeout = new_timeout;
+
+    if (self->mode != WATCHDOGMODE_NONE) {
+        wdt_config(new_timeout, self->mode);
     }
 }
 
@@ -87,8 +102,21 @@ watchdog_watchdogmode_t common_hal_watchdog_get_mode(watchdog_watchdogtimer_obj_
 }
 
 void common_hal_watchdog_set_mode(watchdog_watchdogtimer_obj_t *self, watchdog_watchdogmode_t new_mode) {
-    if (self->mode != new_mode) {
-        self->mode = new_mode;
-        wdt_config(self);
+    if (self->mode == new_mode) {
+        return;
     }
+
+    switch (new_mode) {
+        case WATCHDOGMODE_NONE:
+            common_hal_watchdog_deinit(self);
+            break;
+        case WATCHDOGMODE_RAISE:
+        case WATCHDOGMODE_RESET:
+            wdt_config(self->timeout, new_mode);
+            break;
+        default:
+            return;
+    }
+
+    self->mode = new_mode;
 }