diff --git a/src/modules/attitude_estimator_q/attitude_estimator_q_main.cpp b/src/modules/attitude_estimator_q/attitude_estimator_q_main.cpp
index 9183d6f21e..9b9998eb7e 100644
--- a/src/modules/attitude_estimator_q/attitude_estimator_q_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/attitude_estimator_q/attitude_estimator_q_main.cpp
@@ -361,15 +361,20 @@ void AttitudeEstimatorQ::task_main()
 					// Hence Rvis must be transposed having (Rwr)' * Vw
 					// Rrw * Vw = vn. This way we have consistency
 					_vision_hdg = Rvis.transpose() * v;
-
-					// vision external heading usage (ATT_EXT_HDG_M 1)
-					if (_ext_hdg_mode == 1) {
-						// Check for timeouts on data
-						_ext_hdg_good = vision.timestamp > 0 && (hrt_elapsed_time(&vision.timestamp) < 500000);
-					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		// vision external heading usage (ATT_EXT_HDG_M 1)
+		if (_ext_hdg_mode == 1) {
+			// Check for timeouts on data
+			uint64_t time_topic;
+			if (orb_stat(_vision_odom_sub, &time_topic)) {
+				/* error getting last topic publication time */
+				time_topic = 0;
+			}
+			_ext_hdg_good = time_topic > 0 && (hrt_elapsed_time(&time_topic) < 500000);
+		}
+
 
 		bool mocap_updated = false;
 		orb_check(_mocap_odom_sub, &mocap_updated);
@@ -393,15 +398,19 @@ void AttitudeEstimatorQ::task_main()
 					// Hence Rmoc must be transposed having (Rwr)' * Vw
 					// Rrw * Vw = vn. This way we have consistency
 					_mocap_hdg = Rmoc.transpose() * v;
-
-					// Motion Capture external heading usage (ATT_EXT_HDG_M 2)
-					if (_ext_hdg_mode == 2) {
-						// Check for timeouts on data
-						_ext_hdg_good = mocap.timestamp > 0 && (hrt_elapsed_time(&mocap.timestamp) < 500000);
-					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		// Motion Capture external heading usage (ATT_EXT_HDG_M 2)
+		if (_ext_hdg_mode == 2) {
+			// Check for timeouts on data
+			uint64_t time_topic;
+			if (orb_stat(_mocap_odom_sub, &time_topic)) {
+				/* error getting last topic publication time */
+				time_topic = 0;
+			}
+			_ext_hdg_good = time_topic > 0 && (hrt_elapsed_time(&time_topic) < 500000);
+		}
 
 		bool gpos_updated = false;
 		orb_check(_global_pos_sub, &gpos_updated);