diff --git a/boards/risc-v/esp32c3/esp32c3-devkit/configs/pm/defconfig b/boards/risc-v/esp32c3/esp32c3-devkit/configs/pm/defconfig
index 56914ba3026..2675c8d9872 100644
--- a/boards/risc-v/esp32c3/esp32c3-devkit/configs/pm/defconfig
+++ b/boards/risc-v/esp32c3/esp32c3-devkit/configs/pm/defconfig
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ CONFIG_NSH_FILEIOSIZE=512
 CONFIG_NSH_READLINE=y
 CONFIG_NSH_STRERROR=y
 CONFIG_PM=y
-CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX=y
+CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX=-1
 CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_GREEDY=y
 CONFIG_PREALLOC_TIMERS=0
 CONFIG_RR_INTERVAL=200
diff --git a/boards/xtensa/esp32/esp32-devkitc/configs/pm/defconfig b/boards/xtensa/esp32/esp32-devkitc/configs/pm/defconfig
index 32e0da49276..00bb99887aa 100644
--- a/boards/xtensa/esp32/esp32-devkitc/configs/pm/defconfig
+++ b/boards/xtensa/esp32/esp32-devkitc/configs/pm/defconfig
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ CONFIG_NSH_FILEIOSIZE=512
 CONFIG_NSH_LINELEN=64
 CONFIG_NSH_READLINE=y
 CONFIG_PM=y
-CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX=y
+CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX=-1
 CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_GREEDY=y
 CONFIG_PREALLOC_TIMERS=4
 CONFIG_RAM_SIZE=114688
diff --git a/drivers/power/Kconfig b/drivers/power/Kconfig
index c944ef9e405..5d4b615fe66 100644
--- a/drivers/power/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/power/Kconfig
@@ -41,22 +41,25 @@ config PM_GOVERNOR_ACTIVITY
 
 menu "Governor options"
 
-if PM_GOVERNOR_GREEDY
-
 config PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX
-	bool "Stay initially at PM_NORMAL"
+	int "Stay initially at PM_NORMAL"
+	default 0
 	---help---
-		If you boot into NSH, when using the greedy PM governor, since NuttX will
-		almost immediately go idle (when waiting for a prompt), he lowest possible
-		run-level will be selected, which may not be desirable.
+		If you boot into NSH, especially using the greedy PM governor, since
+		NuttX will almost immediately go idle (when waiting for a prompt), the
+		lowest possible run-level will be selected, which may not be desirable.
 		This is not a problem if you directly run you application at boot, which
 		can hold off power levels using pm_stay() (via boardctl).
 
-		This option will initialize all run levels as if pm_stay() were to be
-		called once for each, so that your application needs to call pm_relax()
-		(via boardctl()) for every run-level you wish to allow to enter.
+		This option will initialize all run levels as if
+		pm_stay/pm_stay_timeout() were to be called once for each.
 
-endif
+		if set to -1, that means pm_stay(), so that your application
+		needs to call pm_relax() (via boardctl()) for every run-level you
+		wish to allow to enter.
+
+		if set to timeout (unit: ms), that means pm_stay_timeout(ms).
+		pm_relax() will be auto called after timeout.
 
 if PM_GOVERNOR_ACTIVITY
 
diff --git a/drivers/power/greedy_governor.c b/drivers/power/greedy_governor.c
index f4077bf7ebf..5db18c2e9c6 100644
--- a/drivers/power/greedy_governor.c
+++ b/drivers/power/greedy_governor.c
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ struct pm_greedy_governor_s
 
 /* PM governor methods */
 
-static void             greedy_governor_initialize(void);
 static void             greedy_governor_statechanged(int domain,
                                                 enum pm_state_e newstate);
 static enum pm_state_e  greedy_governor_checkstate(int domain);
@@ -74,7 +73,6 @@ static void             greedy_governor_activity(int domain, int count);
 
 static const struct pm_governor_s g_greedy_governor_ops =
 {
-  .initialize   = greedy_governor_initialize,   /* initialize */
   .statechanged = greedy_governor_statechanged, /* statechanged */
   .checkstate   = greedy_governor_checkstate,   /* checkstate */
   .activity     = greedy_governor_activity,     /* activity */
@@ -86,23 +84,6 @@ static struct pm_greedy_governor_s g_pm_greedy_governor;
  * Private Functions
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-/****************************************************************************
- * Name: greedy_governor_initialize
- ****************************************************************************/
-
-static void greedy_governor_initialize(void)
-{
-#ifdef CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX
-  for (int dom = 0; dom < CONFIG_PM_NDOMAINS; dom++)
-    {
-      for (int state = 0; state < PM_COUNT; state++)
-        {
-          pm_stay(dom, state);
-        }
-    }
-#endif
-}
-
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: greedy_governor_statechanged
  ****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/drivers/power/pm_governor.c b/drivers/power/pm_governor.c
index cf587980721..590bd371f89 100644
--- a/drivers/power/pm_governor.c
+++ b/drivers/power/pm_governor.c
@@ -70,6 +70,11 @@
 
 int pm_set_governor(int domain, FAR const struct pm_governor_s *gov)
 {
+#if CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX
+  int state;
+  int dom;
+#endif
+
   if (gov == NULL)
     {
       return -EINVAL;
@@ -88,5 +93,19 @@ int pm_set_governor(int domain, FAR const struct pm_governor_s *gov)
       g_pmglobals.domain[domain].governor->initialize();
     }
 
+#if CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX
+  for (dom = 0; dom < CONFIG_PM_NDOMAINS; dom++)
+    {
+      for (state = 0; state < PM_COUNT; state++)
+        {
+#if CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX < 0
+          pm_stay(dom, state);
+#else
+          pm_stay_timeout(dom, state, CONFIG_PM_GOVERNOR_EXPLICIT_RELAX);
+#endif
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+
   return 0;
 }