diff --git a/EKF/control.cpp b/EKF/control.cpp
index 47d74ff260..5185239f77 100644
--- a/EKF/control.cpp
+++ b/EKF/control.cpp
@@ -1244,8 +1244,9 @@ void Ekf::controlMagFusion()
 			_control_status.flags.update_mag_states_only = (_params.mag_fusion_type == MAG_FUSE_TYPE_AUTOFW)
 					&& _control_status.flags.fixed_wing;
 
-			// For the first 10 seconds after switching to 3-axis fusion we allow the magnetic field state estimates to stabilise
-			_flt_mag_align_converging = ((_imu_sample_delayed.time_us - _flt_mag_align_start_time) < (uint64_t)1e7);
+			// For the first 5 seconds after switching to 3-axis fusion we allow the magnetic field state estimates to stabilise
+			// before they are used to constrain heading drift
+			_flt_mag_align_converging = ((_imu_sample_delayed.time_us - _flt_mag_align_start_time) < (uint64_t)5e6);
 
 			if (!_control_status.flags.update_mag_states_only && _control_status_prev.flags.update_mag_states_only) {
 				// When re-commencing use of magnetometer to correct vehicle states
@@ -1296,12 +1297,6 @@ void Ekf::controlMagFusion()
 				fuseDeclination();
 			}
 
-			if (_flt_mag_align_converging && !_control_status.flags.fixed_wing) {
-				_control_status.flags.mag_hdg = true;
-				fuseHeading();
-				_control_status.flags.mag_hdg = false;
-			}
-
 		} else if (_control_status.flags.mag_hdg && _control_status.flags.yaw_align) {
 			// fusion of an Euler yaw angle from either a 321 or 312 rotation sequence
 			fuseHeading();