diff --git a/EKF/control.cpp b/EKF/control.cpp
index 01b0c4a995..435bb28498 100644
--- a/EKF/control.cpp
+++ b/EKF/control.cpp
@@ -927,7 +927,7 @@ void Ekf::checkVerticalAccelerationHealth()
 
 	// if vertical velocity and position are independent and agree, then do not require evidence of clipping if
 	// innovations are large
-	const bool bad_vert_accel = (are_vertical_pos_and_vel_independant || _clip_counter > clip_count_limit / 2) &&
+	const bool bad_vert_accel = (are_vertical_pos_and_vel_independant || _clip_counter > 0) &&
 				is_inertial_nav_falling;
 
 	if (bad_vert_accel) {
diff --git a/EKF/vel_pos_fusion.cpp b/EKF/vel_pos_fusion.cpp
index 11ae26e54b..184fe1147d 100644
--- a/EKF/vel_pos_fusion.cpp
+++ b/EKF/vel_pos_fusion.cpp
@@ -81,13 +81,24 @@ bool Ekf::fuseVerticalVelocity(const Vector3f &innov, const Vector2f &innov_gate
 	test_ratio(1) = sq(innov(2)) / (sq(innov_gate(1)) * innov_var(2));
 	_vert_vel_innov_ratio = innov(2) / sqrtf(innov_var(2));
 	_vert_vel_fuse_time_us = _time_last_imu;
-	const bool innov_check_pass = (test_ratio(1) <= 1.0f);
+	bool innov_check_pass = (test_ratio(1) <= 1.0f);
+
+	// if there is bad vertical acceleration data, then don't reject measurement,
+	// but limit innovation to prevent spikes that could destabilise the filter
+	float innovation = innov(2);
+	if (_bad_vert_accel_detected && !innov_check_pass) {
+		const float innov_limit = innov_gate(1) * sqrtf(innov_var(2));
+		innovation = math::constrain(innov(2), -innov_limit, innov_limit);
+		innov_check_pass = true;
+	} else {
+		innovation = innov(2);
+	}
 
 	if (innov_check_pass) {
 		_time_last_ver_vel_fuse = _time_last_imu;
 		_innov_check_fail_status.flags.reject_ver_vel = false;
 
-		fuseVelPosHeight(innov(2), innov_var(2), 2);
+		fuseVelPosHeight(innovation, innov_var(2), 2);
 
 		return true;
 
@@ -141,12 +152,23 @@ bool Ekf::fuseVerticalPosition(const Vector3f &innov, const Vector2f &innov_gate
 	test_ratio(1) = sq(innov(2)) / (sq(innov_gate(1)) * innov_var(2));
 	_vert_pos_innov_ratio = innov(2) / sqrtf(innov_var(2));
 	_vert_pos_fuse_time_us = _time_last_imu;
-	const bool innov_check_pass = test_ratio(1) <= 1.0f;
+	bool innov_check_pass = test_ratio(1) <= 1.0f;
+
+	// if there is bad vertical acceleration data, then don't reject measurement,
+	// but limit innovation to prevent spikes that could destabilise the filter
+	float innovation = innov(2);
+	if (_bad_vert_accel_detected && !innov_check_pass) {
+		const float innov_limit = innov_gate(1) * sqrtf(innov_var(2));
+		innovation = math::constrain(innov(2), -innov_limit, innov_limit);
+		innov_check_pass = true;
+	} else {
+		innovation = innov(2);
+	}
 
 	if (innov_check_pass) {
 		_time_last_hgt_fuse = _time_last_imu;
 		_innov_check_fail_status.flags.reject_ver_pos = false;
-		fuseVelPosHeight(innov(2), innov_var(2), 5);
+		fuseVelPosHeight(innovation, innov_var(2), 5);
 
 		return true;