System, methods and apparatus are described that improve link turnaround performance in a differentially driven link. A method performed at a first device coupled to a two-wire serial link includes transmitting from the first device first differentially-encoded data to a second device over the two-wire serial link during a first time period, receiving at the first device second differentially-encoded data from the second device over the two-wire serial link during a second time period, and driving by the first device both wires of the two-wire serial link to a common voltage level during a third time period, the third time period spanning a link turnaround period between the first time period and the second time period. Both wires of the two-wire serial link are driven toward the common voltage level by the second device during the third time period.