diff --git a/src/modules/mc_pos_control/mc_pos_control_main.cpp b/src/modules/mc_pos_control/mc_pos_control_main.cpp
index a7aa08b64f..74a848ba80 100644
--- a/src/modules/mc_pos_control/mc_pos_control_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mc_pos_control/mc_pos_control_main.cpp
@@ -1211,12 +1211,22 @@ MulticopterPositionControl::reset_setpoint_to_nan(vehicle_local_position_setpoin
 bool
 MulticopterPositionControl::use_obstacle_avoidance()
 {
-	/* check that external obstacle avoidance is sending data and that the first point is valid */
-	return (MPC_OBS_AVOID.get()
-		&& (hrt_elapsed_time((hrt_abstime *)&_traj_wp_avoidance.timestamp) < TRAJECTORY_STREAM_TIMEOUT_US)
-		&& (_traj_wp_avoidance.waypoints[vehicle_trajectory_waypoint_s::POINT_0].point_valid == true)
-		&& ((_vehicle_status.nav_state == vehicle_status_s::NAVIGATION_STATE_AUTO_MISSION) ||
-		    (_vehicle_status.nav_state == vehicle_status_s::NAVIGATION_STATE_AUTO_RTL)));
+	if (MPC_OBS_AVOID.get()) {
+		const bool avoidance_data_timeout = hrt_elapsed_time((hrt_abstime *)&_traj_wp_avoidance.timestamp) > TRAJECTORY_STREAM_TIMEOUT_US;
+		const bool avoidance_point_valid = _traj_wp_avoidance.waypoints[vehicle_trajectory_waypoint_s::POINT_0].point_valid == true;
+		const bool in_mission = _vehicle_status.nav_state == vehicle_status_s::NAVIGATION_STATE_AUTO_MISSION;
+		const bool in_rtl = _vehicle_status.nav_state == vehicle_status_s::NAVIGATION_STATE_AUTO_RTL;
+
+		// switch to hold mode to stop when we loose external avoidance data during a mission
+		if (avoidance_data_timeout && in_mission) {
+			send_vehicle_cmd_do(vehicle_status_s::NAVIGATION_STATE_AUTO_LOITER);
+		}
+
+		if ((in_mission || in_rtl) && !avoidance_data_timeout && avoidance_point_valid) {
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
 }
 
 void