diff --git a/docs/examples/introduction/clock01.py b/docs/examples/introduction/clock01.py
index 7a525c1ff..af5f33194 100644
--- a/docs/examples/introduction/clock01.py
+++ b/docs/examples/introduction/clock01.py
@@ -7,15 +7,15 @@ from textual.widget import Widget
 class Clock(Widget):
     def on_mount(self):
         self.styles.content_align = ("center", "middle")
-        self.set_interval(1, self.refresh)
+        self.auto_refresh = 1.0
 
     def render(self):
-        return datetime.now().strftime("%c")
+        return datetime.now().strftime("%X")
 
 
 class ClockApp(App):
-    def on_mount(self):
-        self.mount(Clock())
+    def compose(self):
+        yield Clock()
 
 
 app = ClockApp()
diff --git a/docs/examples/introduction/clock02.py b/docs/examples/introduction/clock02.py
index 8731d9d8c..3bfd17637 100644
--- a/docs/examples/introduction/clock02.py
+++ b/docs/examples/introduction/clock02.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from textual.widget import Widget
 class Clock(Widget):
     def on_mount(self):
         self.styles.content_align = ("center", "middle")
-        self.set_interval(1, self.refresh)
+        self.auto_refresh = 1.0
 
     def render(self):
         return datetime.now().strftime("%c")
diff --git a/src/textual/app.py b/src/textual/app.py
index 9913e54d6..5e5decfb9 100644
--- a/src/textual/app.py
+++ b/src/textual/app.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from typing import (
     TextIO,
     Type,
     TypeVar,
+    cast,
 )
 from weakref import WeakSet, WeakValueDictionary
 
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ from .devtools.client import DevtoolsClient, DevtoolsConnectionError, DevtoolsLo
 from .devtools.redirect_output import StdoutRedirector
 from .dom import DOMNode
 from .driver import Driver
+from .drivers.headless_driver import HeadlessDriver
 from .features import FeatureFlag, parse_features
 from .file_monitor import FileMonitor
 from .geometry import Offset, Region, Size
@@ -539,17 +541,25 @@ class App(Generic[ReturnType], DOMNode):
             keys, action, description, show=show, key_display=key_display
         )
 
-    def run(self, quit_after: float | None = None) -> ReturnType | None:
+    def run(
+        self, quit_after: float | None = None, headless: bool = False
+    ) -> ReturnType | None:
         """The main entry point for apps.
 
         Args:
             quit_after (float | None, optional): Quit after a given number of seconds, or None
                 to run forever. Defaults to None.
+            headless (bool, optional): Run in "headless" mode (don't write to stdout).
 
         Returns:
-            ReturnType | None: _description_
+            ReturnType | None: The return value specified in `App.exit` or None if exit wasn't called.
         """
 
+        if headless:
+            self.features = cast(
+                "frozenset[FeatureFlag]", self.features.union({"headless"})
+            )
+
         async def run_app() -> None:
             if quit_after is not None:
                 self.set_timer(quit_after, self.shutdown)
@@ -932,29 +942,41 @@ class App(Generic[ReturnType], DOMNode):
             self.set_interval(0.5, self.css_monitor, name="css monitor")
             self.log("[b green]STARTED[/]", self.css_monitor)
 
+        process_messages = super().process_messages
+
+        async def run_process_messages():
+            mount_event = events.Mount(sender=self)
+            await self.dispatch_message(mount_event)
+
+            self.title = self._title
+            self.stylesheet.update(self)
+            self.refresh()
+            await self.animator.start()
+            await self._ready()
+            await process_messages()
+            await self.animator.stop()
+            await self.close_all()
+
         self._running = True
         try:
             load_event = events.Load(sender=self)
             await self.dispatch_message(load_event)
 
-            driver = self._driver = self.driver_class(self.console, self)
-            driver.start_application_mode()
-            driver.enable_bracketed_paste()
-            try:
-                with redirect_stdout(StdoutRedirector(self.devtools, self._log_file)):  # type: ignore
-                    mount_event = events.Mount(sender=self)
-                    await self.dispatch_message(mount_event)
+            driver: Driver
+            driver_class = cast(
+                "type[Driver]",
+                HeadlessDriver if self.is_headless else self.driver_class,
+            )
+            driver = self._driver = driver_class(self.console, self)
 
-                    self.title = self._title
-                    self.stylesheet.update(self)
-                    self.refresh()
-                    await self.animator.start()
-                    await self._ready()
-                    await super().process_messages()
-                    await self.animator.stop()
-                    await self.close_all()
+            driver.start_application_mode()
+            try:
+                if self.is_headless:
+                    await run_process_messages()
+                else:
+                    with redirect_stdout(StdoutRedirector(self.devtools, self._log_file)):  # type: ignore
+                        await run_process_messages()
             finally:
-                driver.disable_bracketed_paste()
                 driver.stop_application_mode()
         except Exception as error:
             self.on_exception(error)
diff --git a/src/textual/dom.py b/src/textual/dom.py
index f1a0fc59f..68a14b28c 100644
--- a/src/textual/dom.py
+++ b/src/textual/dom.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from .css.parse import parse_declarations
 from .css.styles import Styles, RenderStyles
 from .css.query import NoMatchingNodesError
 from .message_pump import MessagePump
+from ._timer import Timer
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .app import App
@@ -71,8 +72,30 @@ class DOMNode(MessagePump):
         # A mapping of class names to Styles set in COMPONENT_CLASSES
         self._component_styles: dict[str, RenderStyles] = {}
 
+        self._auto_refresh: float | None = None
+        self._auto_refresh_timer: Timer | None = None
+
         super().__init__()
 
+    @property
+    def auto_refresh(self) -> float | None:
+        return self._auto_refresh
+
+    @auto_refresh.setter
+    def auto_refresh(self, interval: float | None) -> None:
+        if self._auto_refresh_timer is not None:
+            self._auto_refresh_timer.stop_no_wait()
+            self._auto_refresh_timer = None
+        if interval is not None:
+            self._auto_refresh_timer = self.set_interval(
+                interval, self._automatic_refresh
+            )
+        self._auto_refresh = interval
+
+    def _automatic_refresh(self) -> None:
+        """Perform an automatic refresh (set with auto_refresh property)."""
+        self.refresh()
+
     def __init_subclass__(cls, inherit_css: bool = True) -> None:
         super().__init_subclass__()
         cls._inherit_css = inherit_css
diff --git a/src/textual/driver.py b/src/textual/driver.py
index 93e1fdd69..a349540f3 100644
--- a/src/textual/driver.py
+++ b/src/textual/driver.py
@@ -41,18 +41,6 @@ class Driver(ABC):
             click_event = events.Click.from_event(event)
             self.send_event(click_event)
 
-    def enable_bracketed_paste(self) -> None:
-        """Write the ANSI escape code `ESC[?2004h`, which
-        enables bracketed paste mode."""
-        self.console.file.write("\x1b[?2004h")
-        self.console.file.flush()
-
-    def disable_bracketed_paste(self) -> None:
-        """Write the ANSI escape code `ESC[?2004l`, which
-        disables bracketed paste mode."""
-        self.console.file.write("\x1b[?2004l")
-        self.console.file.flush()
-
     @abstractmethod
     def start_application_mode(self) -> None:
         ...
diff --git a/src/textual/drivers/headless_driver.py b/src/textual/drivers/headless_driver.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ede6c4e8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/textual/drivers/headless_driver.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+
+from ..driver import Driver
+
+
+class HeadlessDriver(Driver):
+    """A do-nothing driver for testing."""
+
+    def start_application_mode(self) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    def disable_input(self) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    def stop_application_mode(self) -> None:
+        pass
diff --git a/src/textual/drivers/linux_driver.py b/src/textual/drivers/linux_driver.py
index 95a9dd1ed..11d6067de 100644
--- a/src/textual/drivers/linux_driver.py
+++ b/src/textual/drivers/linux_driver.py
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ class LinuxDriver(Driver):
         # Note: E.g. lxterminal understands 1000h, but not the urxvt or sgr
         #       extensions.
 
+    def _enable_bracketed_paste(self) -> None:
+        """Enable bracketed paste mode."""
+        self.console.file.write("\x1b[?2004h")
+
+    def _disable_bracketed_paste(self) -> None:
+        """Disable bracketed paste mode."""
+        self.console.file.write("\x1b[?2004l")
+
     def _disable_mouse_support(self) -> None:
         write = self.console.file.write
         write("\x1b[?1000l")  #
@@ -130,6 +138,7 @@ class LinuxDriver(Driver):
         send_size_event()
         self._key_thread.start()
         self._request_terminal_sync_mode_support()
+        self._enable_bracketed_paste()
 
     def _request_terminal_sync_mode_support(self):
         self.console.file.write("\033[?2026$p")
@@ -168,6 +177,7 @@ class LinuxDriver(Driver):
             pass
 
     def stop_application_mode(self) -> None:
+        self._disable_bracketed_paste()
         self.disable_input()
 
         if self.attrs_before is not None:
diff --git a/src/textual/drivers/windows_driver.py b/src/textual/drivers/windows_driver.py
index e63aad542..fb51973ea 100644
--- a/src/textual/drivers/windows_driver.py
+++ b/src/textual/drivers/windows_driver.py
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ class WindowsDriver(Driver):
         write("\x1b[?1006l")
         self.console.file.flush()
 
+    def _enable_bracketed_paste(self) -> None:
+        """Enable bracketed paste mode."""
+        self.console.file.write("\x1b[?2004h")
+
+    def _disable_bracketed_paste(self) -> None:
+        """Disable bracketed paste mode."""
+        self.console.file.write("\x1b[?2004l")
+
     def start_application_mode(self) -> None:
 
         loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
@@ -54,6 +62,7 @@ class WindowsDriver(Driver):
         self._enable_mouse_support()
         self.console.show_cursor(False)
         self.console.file.write("\033[?1003h\n")
+        self._enable_bracketed_paste()
 
         app = active_app.get()
 
@@ -75,6 +84,7 @@ class WindowsDriver(Driver):
             pass
 
     def stop_application_mode(self) -> None:
+        self._disable_bracketed_paste()
         self.disable_input()
         if self._restore_console:
             self._restore_console()
diff --git a/src/textual/features.py b/src/textual/features.py
index bc9b984db..3d7aa6c0a 100644
--- a/src/textual/features.py
+++ b/src/textual/features.py
@@ -25,10 +25,7 @@ def parse_features(features: str) -> frozenset[FeatureFlag]:
     """
 
     features_set = frozenset(
-        set(
-            feature.strip().lower()
-            for feature in features.split(",")
-            if feature.strip()
-        ).intersection(FEATURES)
-    )
+        feature.strip().lower() for feature in features.split(",") if feature.strip()
+    ).intersection(FEATURES)
+
     return cast("frozenset[FeatureFlag]", features_set)
diff --git a/src/textual/widget.py b/src/textual/widget.py
index 1922d9c41..92ef7018b 100644
--- a/src/textual/widget.py
+++ b/src/textual/widget.py
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ from .dom import DOMNode
 from .geometry import Offset, Region, Size, Spacing, clamp
 from .layouts.vertical import VerticalLayout
 from .message import Message
-from .reactive import Reactive, watch
+from .reactive import Reactive
+from ._timer import Timer
 
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
diff --git a/tests/test_auto_refresh.py b/tests/test_auto_refresh.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d211224c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_auto_refresh.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+from time import time
+
+from textual.app import App
+
+
+class RefreshApp(App[float]):
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.count = 0
+        super().__init__()
+
+    def on_mount(self):
+        self.start = time()
+        self.auto_refresh = 0.1
+
+    def _automatic_refresh(self):
+        self.count += 1
+        if self.count == 3:
+            self.exit(time() - self.start)
+        super()._automatic_refresh()
+
+
+def test_auto_refresh():
+    app = RefreshApp()
+
+    elapsed = app.run(quit_after=1, headless=True)
+    assert elapsed is not None
+    # CI can run slower, so we need to give this a bit of margin
+    assert elapsed >= 0.3 and elapsed < 0.6