diff --git a/src/modules/logger/log_writer.h b/src/modules/logger/log_writer.h
index 07ebbee387..1285685da1 100644
--- a/src/modules/logger/log_writer.h
+++ b/src/modules/logger/log_writer.h
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ public:
 
 	void stop_log();
 
+	/**
+	 * whether logging is currently active or not.
+	 */
+	bool is_started() const { return _should_run; }
+
 	/**
 	 * Write data to be logged. The caller must call lock() before calling this.
 	 * @param dropout_start timestamp when lastest dropout occured. 0 if no dropout at the moment.
diff --git a/src/modules/logger/logger.cpp b/src/modules/logger/logger.cpp
index 3deacc3194..0de68d20bd 100644
--- a/src/modules/logger/logger.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/logger/logger.cpp
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ int Logger::start(char *const *argv)
 
 void Logger::status()
 {
-	if (!_enabled) {
+	if (!_writer.is_started()) {
 		PX4_INFO("Running, but not logging");
 
 	} else {
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ void Logger::status()
 }
 void Logger::print_statistics()
 {
-	if (!_enabled) {
+	if (!_writer.is_started()) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -637,6 +637,7 @@ void Logger::run()
 		PX4_ERR("init of writer failed (alloc failed)");
 		return;
 	}
+
 	pthread_t writer_thread;
 
 	int ret = _writer.thread_start(writer_thread);
@@ -693,7 +694,7 @@ void Logger::run()
 			}
 		}
 
-		if (_enabled) {
+		if (_writer.is_started()) {
 
 			bool data_written = false;
 
@@ -1048,7 +1049,7 @@ bool Logger::get_log_time(struct tm *tt, bool boot_time)
 
 void Logger::start_log()
 {
-	if (_enabled) {
+	if (_writer.is_started()) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -1072,17 +1073,15 @@ void Logger::start_log()
 	write_parameters();
 	write_all_add_logged_msg();
 	_writer.notify();
-	_enabled = true;
 	_start_time = hrt_absolute_time();
 }
 
 void Logger::stop_log()
 {
-	if (!_enabled) {
+	if (!_writer.is_started()) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	_enabled = false;
 	_writer.stop_log();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/logger/logger.h b/src/modules/logger/logger.h
index a6fbd2ab8c..4c50f90ab0 100644
--- a/src/modules/logger/logger.h
+++ b/src/modules/logger/logger.h
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@ private:
 	char 						_log_dir[LOG_DIR_LEN];
 	char 						_log_file_name[32];
 	bool						_has_log_dir = false;
-	bool						_enabled = false;
 	bool						_was_armed = false;
 	bool						_arm_override;