diff --git a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs.h b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs.h
index 1db3f55b4e..5a30258d63 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs.h
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ struct AhrsFloat {
   struct FloatRates  body_rate;
   struct FloatRates  body_rate_d;
 
-  uint8_t status;
+  // always use status from fixed point ahrs struct for now
+  //uint8_t status;
 };
 
 extern struct Ahrs ahrs;
diff --git a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_float_cmpl_rmat.c b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_float_cmpl_rmat.c
index 5979a38246..1209262542 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_float_cmpl_rmat.c
+++ b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_float_cmpl_rmat.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static inline void compute_body_orientation_and_rates(void);
 struct AhrsFloatCmplRmat ahrs_impl;
 
 void ahrs_init(void) {
-  ahrs_float.status = AHRS_UNINIT;
+  ahrs.status = AHRS_UNINIT;
 
   /* Initialises IMU alignement */
   struct FloatEulers body_to_imu_euler =
diff --git a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_float_dcm.c b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_float_dcm.c
index 3ca1a0f63d..834555d776 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_float_dcm.c
+++ b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_float_dcm.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ void ahrs_update_fw_estimator( void )
 
 
 void ahrs_init(void) {
-  ahrs_float.status = AHRS_UNINIT;
+  ahrs.status = AHRS_UNINIT;
 
   /*
    * Initialises our IMU alignement variables
diff --git a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_infrared.c b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_infrared.c
index af839921de..48febeef86 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_infrared.c
+++ b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_infrared.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 
 void ahrs_init(void) {
-  ahrs_float.status = AHRS_UNINIT;
+  ahrs.status = AHRS_UNINIT;
 
   /* set ltp_to_body to zero */
   FLOAT_QUAT_ZERO(ahrs_float.ltp_to_body_quat);
diff --git a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_sim.c b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_sim.c
index 0133a66beb..ea399730a0 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_sim.c
+++ b/sw/airborne/subsystems/ahrs/ahrs_sim.c
@@ -58,7 +58,9 @@ void update_attitude_from_sim(void) {
 
 
 void ahrs_init(void) {
-  ahrs_float.status = AHRS_UNINIT;
+  //ahrs_float.status = AHRS_UNINIT;
+  // set to running for now and only use ahrs.status, not ahrs_float.status
+  ahrs.status = AHRS_RUNNING;
 
   /* set ltp_to_body to zero */
   FLOAT_QUAT_ZERO(ahrs_float.ltp_to_body_quat);