diff --git a/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/utils/CompilationUnitCache.java b/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/utils/CompilationUnitCache.java
index 3b89aaff8..351997c0d 100644
--- a/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/utils/CompilationUnitCache.java
+++ b/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/utils/CompilationUnitCache.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import com.google.common.cache.CacheBuilder;
 
 public final class CompilationUnitCache {
 
-	private static final long CU_ACCESS_EXPIRATION_MINUTES = 3;
+	private static final long CU_ACCESS_EXPIRATION = 1;
 	private JavaProjectFinder projectFinder;
 	private ProjectObserver projectObserver;
 	private Cache<URI, CompilationUnit> uriToCu;
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public final class CompilationUnitCache {
 		// PT 154618835 - Avoid retaining the CU in the cache as it consumes memory if it hasn't been
 		// accessed after some time
 		uriToCu = CacheBuilder.newBuilder()
-				.expireAfterAccess(CU_ACCESS_EXPIRATION_MINUTES, TimeUnit.MINUTES)
+				.expireAfterWrite(CU_ACCESS_EXPIRATION, TimeUnit.MINUTES)
 				.build();
 		projectToDocs = CacheBuilder.newBuilder().build();
 
diff --git a/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/utils/SpringLiveHoverWatchdog.java b/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/utils/SpringLiveHoverWatchdog.java
index a46e5c29e..af3762c6b 100644
--- a/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/utils/SpringLiveHoverWatchdog.java
+++ b/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/utils/SpringLiveHoverWatchdog.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ public class SpringLiveHoverWatchdog {
 	private RunningAppProvider runningAppProvider;
 
 	private boolean highlightsEnabled = true;
+	private boolean hadPreviousRunningBootApps = false;
 
 	private Timer timer;
 
@@ -148,17 +149,23 @@ public class SpringLiveHoverWatchdog {
 					runningBootApps = runningAppProvider.getAllRunningSpringApps().toArray(new SpringBootApp[0]);
 				}
 
-				if (runningBootApps != null && runningBootApps.length > 0) {
+				boolean hasCurrentRunningBootApps = runningBootApps != null && runningBootApps.length > 0;
+				if (hasCurrentRunningBootApps) {
 					TextDocument doc = this.server.getTextDocumentService().get(docURI);
 					if (doc != null) {
 						Range[] ranges = this.hoverProvider.getLiveHoverHints(doc, runningBootApps);
 						publishLiveHints(docURI, ranges);
 					}
 				}
-				else {
+				else if (this.hadPreviousRunningBootApps) {
+					// PT 156688501:
+					// Only clean up live hovers if there were running boot apps in the previous update, but not
+					// in the current one.
+					// This is to avoid unnecessary publishing of live hovers when there have been no running apps
+					// at all between consecutive updates.
 					cleanupLiveHints(docURI);
 				}
-
+				this.hadPreviousRunningBootApps = hasCurrentRunningBootApps;
 			} catch (Exception e) {
 				logger.error("", e);
 			}