diff --git a/src/modules/mc_att_control/AttitudeControl/AttitudeControl.cpp b/src/modules/mc_att_control/AttitudeControl/AttitudeControl.cpp
index 7a348117f7e..42a3aa9f387 100644
--- a/src/modules/mc_att_control/AttitudeControl/AttitudeControl.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mc_att_control/AttitudeControl/AttitudeControl.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ matrix::Vector3f AttitudeControl::update(matrix::Quatf q, matrix::Quatf qd, cons
 
 	// mix full and reduced desired attitude
 	Quatf q_mix = qd_red.inversed() * qd;
-	q_mix *= math::signNoZero(q_mix(0));
+	q_mix.canonicalize();
 	// catch numerical problems with the domain of acosf and asinf
 	q_mix(0) = math::constrain(q_mix(0), -1.f, 1.f);
 	q_mix(3) = math::constrain(q_mix(3), -1.f, 1.f);
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ matrix::Vector3f AttitudeControl::update(matrix::Quatf q, matrix::Quatf qd, cons
 
 	// using sin(alpha/2) scaled rotation axis as attitude error (see quaternion definition by axis angle)
 	// also taking care of the antipodal unit quaternion ambiguity
-	const Vector3f eq = 2.f * math::signNoZero(qe(0)) * qe.imag();
+	const Vector3f eq = 2.f * qe.canonical().imag();
 
 	// calculate angular rates setpoint
 	matrix::Vector3f rate_setpoint = eq.emult(_proportional_gain);
diff --git a/src/modules/mc_att_control/AttitudeControl/AttitudeControlTest.cpp b/src/modules/mc_att_control/AttitudeControl/AttitudeControlTest.cpp
index c57ce9a8e27..b6a321c125b 100644
--- a/src/modules/mc_att_control/AttitudeControl/AttitudeControlTest.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mc_att_control/AttitudeControl/AttitudeControlTest.cpp
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ public:
 			const Vector3f rate_setpoint_new = _attitude_control.update(_quat_state, _quat_goal, 0.f);
 			// rotate the simulated state quaternion according to the rate setpoint
 			_quat_state = _quat_state * Quatf(AxisAnglef(rate_setpoint_new));
+			_quat_state = -_quat_state; // produce intermittent antipodal quaternion states to test against unwinding problem
 
 			// expect the error and hence also the output to get smaller with each iteration
 			if (rate_setpoint_new.norm() >= rate_setpoint.norm()) {
@@ -72,22 +73,11 @@ public:
 			rate_setpoint = rate_setpoint_new;
 		}
 
-		EXPECT_EQ(adaptAntipodal(_quat_state), adaptAntipodal(_quat_goal));
+		EXPECT_EQ(_quat_state.canonical(), _quat_goal.canonical());
 		// it shouldn't have taken longer than an iteration timeout to converge
 		EXPECT_GT(i, 0);
 	}
 
-	Quatf adaptAntipodal(const Quatf q)
-	{
-		for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
-			if (fabs(q(i)) > FLT_EPSILON) {
-				return q * math::sign(q(i));
-			}
-		}
-
-		return q;
-	}
-
 	AttitudeControl _attitude_control;
 	Quatf _quat_state;
 	Quatf _quat_goal;