diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1257724b..9cef2851 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Please add a note of your changes below this heading if you make a Pull Request.
   * `encoder.config.bandwidth`
 
 ### Fixed
+* An issue where the axis state machine would jump in and out of idle when there is an error
 * There is a [bug](https://github.com/ARM-software/CMSIS_5/issues/267) in the arm fast math library, which gives spikes in the output of arm_cos_f32 for input values close to -pi/2. We fixed the bug locally, and hence are using "our_arm_cos_f32".
 
 # Releases
diff --git a/Firmware/MotorControl/axis.hpp b/Firmware/MotorControl/axis.hpp
index b264d1a1..3443b7f6 100644
--- a/Firmware/MotorControl/axis.hpp
+++ b/Firmware/MotorControl/axis.hpp
@@ -85,17 +85,9 @@ public:
     bool do_updates();
     float get_temp();
 
+    // True if there are no errors
     bool inline check_for_errors() {
-        // Maybe we should update this to only trigger on new errors?
-        // The danger with that is we could fail to bail on uncleared errors that still prevent
-        // correct opreation.
-
-        // For now: we treat ERROR_INVALID_STATE in idle loop special, or we could never stay
-        // in idle after this kind of error.
-        if (current_state_ == AXIS_STATE_IDLE)
-            return (error_ & ~ERROR_INVALID_STATE) == ERROR_NONE;
-        else
-            return error_ == ERROR_NONE;
+        return error_ == ERROR_NONE;
     }
 
     // @brief Runs the specified update handler at the frequency of the current measurements.
@@ -127,8 +119,12 @@ public:
             // Note: updates run even if checks fail
             bool updates_ok = do_updates(); 
             
-            if (!checks_ok || !updates_ok) 
-                break;
+            if (!checks_ok || !updates_ok) {
+                // It's not useful to quit idle since that is the safe action
+                // Also leaving idle would rearm the motors
+                if (current_state_ != AXIS_STATE_IDLE)
+                    break;
+            }
 
             // Run main loop function, defer quitting for after wait
             // TODO: change arming logic to arm after waiting
diff --git a/Firmware/MotorControl/odrive_main.h b/Firmware/MotorControl/odrive_main.h
index 0165c673..776f1590 100644
--- a/Firmware/MotorControl/odrive_main.h
+++ b/Firmware/MotorControl/odrive_main.h
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 #ifndef __ODRIVE_MAIN_H
 #define __ODRIVE_MAIN_H
 
+// Note on central include scheme by Samuel:
+// there are circular dependencies between some of the header files,
+// e.g. the Motor header needs a forward declaration of Axis and vice versa
+// so I figured I'd make one main header that takes care of
+// the forward declarations and right ordering
+// btw this pattern is not so uncommon, for instance IIRC the stdlib uses it too
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 #include <fibre/protocol.hpp>
 extern "C" {