diff --git a/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.cpp b/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
index f57a3122eb..af56422fdc 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
@@ -2132,6 +2132,7 @@ void Plane::mavlink_delay_cb()
     if (!gcs().chan(0).initialised || in_mavlink_delay) return;
 
     in_mavlink_delay = true;
+    DataFlash.EnableWrites(false);
 
     uint32_t tnow = millis();
     if (tnow - last_1hz > 1000) {
@@ -2150,6 +2151,7 @@ void Plane::mavlink_delay_cb()
         gcs_send_text(MAV_SEVERITY_INFO, "Initialising APM");
     }
 
+    DataFlash.EnableWrites(true);
     in_mavlink_delay = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/ArduPlane/Log.cpp b/ArduPlane/Log.cpp
index 5e0e4b902c..3784e34940 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/Log.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/Log.cpp
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ int8_t Plane::dump_log(uint8_t argc, const Menu::arg *argv)
 
 int8_t Plane::erase_logs(uint8_t argc, const Menu::arg *argv)
 {
-    in_mavlink_delay = true;
+    DataFlash.EnableWrites(false);
     do_erase_logs();
-    in_mavlink_delay = false;
+    DataFlash.EnableWrites(true);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/ArduPlane/system.cpp b/ArduPlane/system.cpp
index 39c7888c1e..6b59c62f0b 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/system.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/system.cpp
@@ -835,9 +835,6 @@ void Plane::print_comma(void)
 bool Plane::should_log(uint32_t mask)
 {
 #if LOGGING_ENABLED == ENABLED
-    if (in_mavlink_delay) {
-        return false;
-    }
     if (!(mask & g.log_bitmask)) {
         return false;
     }