diff --git a/hosts/ao/hardware-configuration.nix b/hosts/ao/hardware-configuration.nix
index 6b8ad222..587f031a 100644
--- a/hosts/ao/hardware-configuration.nix
+++ b/hosts/ao/hardware-configuration.nix
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
   ## CPU
   nix.maxJobs = lib.mkDefault 2;
+  powerManagement.cpuFreqGovernor = "ondemand";
 
   ## Harddrives
   fileSystems = {
diff --git a/hosts/shiro/hardware-configuration.nix b/hosts/shiro/hardware-configuration.nix
index bdd8d54d..9b82ba42 100644
--- a/hosts/shiro/hardware-configuration.nix
+++ b/hosts/shiro/hardware-configuration.nix
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@
 
   # CPU
   nix.maxJobs = lib.mkDefault 8;
-  powerManagement.cpuFreqGovernor = lib.mkDefault "ondemand";
   hardware.cpu.intel.updateMicrocode = true;
+  # performance gives better battery life/perf than ondemand on sandy bridge and
+  # newer because of intel pstates.
+  powerManagement.cpuFreqGovernor = "performance";
 
   # Power management
   environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.acpi ];