diff --git a/src/modules/logger/log_writer.h b/src/modules/logger/log_writer.h
index 504d35b767..9635d22dad 100644
--- a/src/modules/logger/log_writer.h
+++ b/src/modules/logger/log_writer.h
@@ -150,11 +150,11 @@ public:
 	 * Indicate to the underlying backend whether future write_message() calls need a reliable
 	 * transfer. Needed for header integrity.
 	 */
-	void set_need_reliable_transfer(bool need_reliable)
+	void set_need_reliable_transfer(bool need_reliable, bool mavlink_backed_too = true)
 	{
 		if (_log_writer_file) { _log_writer_file->set_need_reliable_transfer(need_reliable); }
 
-		if (_log_writer_mavlink) { _log_writer_mavlink->set_need_reliable_transfer(need_reliable); }
+		if (_log_writer_mavlink) { _log_writer_mavlink->set_need_reliable_transfer(need_reliable && mavlink_backed_too); }
 	}
 
 	bool need_reliable_transfer() const
diff --git a/src/modules/logger/logger.cpp b/src/modules/logger/logger.cpp
index 267a5e6699..d2a6b906d7 100644
--- a/src/modules/logger/logger.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/logger/logger.cpp
@@ -1601,6 +1601,8 @@ void Logger::initialize_load_output(PrintLoadReason reason)
 
 void Logger::write_load_output()
 {
+	_writer.set_need_reliable_transfer(true, _print_load_reason != PrintLoadReason::Watchdog);
+
 	if (_print_load_reason == PrintLoadReason::Watchdog) {
 		PX4_ERR("Writing watchdog data"); // this is just that we see it easily in the log
 		write_perf_data(PrintLoadReason::Watchdog);
@@ -1611,7 +1613,6 @@ void Logger::write_load_output()
 	callback_data.logger = this;
 	callback_data.counter = 0;
 	callback_data.buffer = buffer;
-	_writer.set_need_reliable_transfer(true);
 	// TODO: maybe we should restrict the output to a selected backend (eg. when file logging is running
 	// and mavlink log is started, this will be added to the file as well)
 	print_load_buffer(buffer, sizeof(buffer), print_load_callback, &callback_data, &_load);