diff --git a/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/mlat-client b/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/mlat-client
index b13fc82..09eb8ae 100755
--- a/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/mlat-client
+++ b/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/mlat-client
@@ -77,20 +77,20 @@ GPSD=0
 if grep -qs "gpsd" <<< "$ULTRAFEEDER_CONFIG" || grep -qs "gpsd" <<< "$ULTRAFEEDER_NET_CONNECTOR"; then
     GPSD=1
     LOCATION_PERSIST=/var/globe_history/gpsd_last_location
-    if [[ -f "$LOCATION_PERSIST" ]] && { grep -qs "gpsd" <<< "$ULTRAFEEDER_CONFIG" || grep -qs "gpsd" <<< "$ULTRAFEEDER_NET_CONNECTOR"; }; then
+    if [[ -f "$LOCATION_PERSIST" ]]; then
         read new_lat new_lon new_alt < "$LOCATION_PERSIST"
-        "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "Using last known GPSD location for startup: $new_lat,$new_lon (alt: $new_alt)"
-    else
-        # wait for gpsd to continue with startup
-        "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "GPSD configured, no location set, no persistent location found, waiting for gpsd to provide location data"
-        while ! check_gpsd; do
-            sleep "${GPSD_CHECK_INTERVAL:-30}" & wait $!
-        done
-        "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "GPSD has provided location data"
     fi
     # initialize "old" location for gpsd movement detection
-    old_lat="$new_lat"
-    old_lon="$new_lon"
+    # use zero island as starting point if location persist does not exit
+    old_lat=${new_lat:-0}
+    old_lon=${new_lon:-0}
+
+    # wait for gpsd to continue with startup
+    "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "GPSD configured, waiting for gpsd to provide location data"
+    while ! check_gpsd; do
+        sleep "${GPSD_CHECK_INTERVAL:-30}" & wait $!
+    done
+    "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "GPSD has provided location data"
 
     GPSD_MIN_DISTANCE="${GPSD_MIN_DISTANCE:-20}"
     # enforce gpsd min distance is no larger than 40m
@@ -284,6 +284,12 @@ do
     # shellcheck disable=SC2048,SC2086
     execstring="$(echo ${MLAT_CMD} ${MLAT_PARAM[*]} | xargs)"
 
+    if (( GPSD == 1 )); then
+        # when GPSD is active, just write the pid array, mlat-client will be started by the gpsd checking logic later
+        # use a long random PID so that it's detected as "not running"
+        pid_array["${RANDOM}${RANDOM}${RANDOM}"]="${MLAT_PARAM[*]}"
+        continue
+    fi
 
     # stagger by 15 second so they don't all start at the same time
     sleep "${MLAT_STARTUP_STAGGER:-15}" & wait $!
@@ -311,20 +317,28 @@ sleep 5 & wait $!
 # Now iterate over all MLAT-client instances and check if they are still running:
 while true
 do
-    if check_gpsd; then
+    if (( GPSD == 1 )); then
+        if ! check_gpsd; then
+            # don't do mlat client restarts if GPSD is configured but not providing a position
+            sleep "${GPSD_CHECK_INTERVAL}" & wait $!
+            continue
+        fi
+
         distance="$(distance "$old_lat" "$old_lon" "$new_lat" "$new_lon")"
         if ! [[ -f "$LOCATION_PERSIST" ]]; then
             echo "$new_lat" "$new_lon" "$new_alt" > "$LOCATION_PERSIST"
         fi
         if (( ${distance%%.*} > ${GPSD_MIN_DISTANCE:-20} )); then
 
+            msg="Receiver moved ${distance%%.*} meters"
+
             # kill the mlat-client instances so they get restarted with the new GPS coords
             if pkill -f "/usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/mlat-client" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-                "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "Receiver moved ${distance%%.*} meters - Stopping all mlat-clients"
-            else
-                "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "Receiver moved ${distance%%.*} meters"
+                msg+=" - Stopping all mlat-clients"
             fi
 
+            "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "${msg}"
+
             old_lat="$new_lat"
             old_lon="$new_lon"
 
@@ -338,6 +352,8 @@ do
             # no movement during the checking interval, allow mlat-clients to be restarted
             (( no_movement += ${GPSD_CHECK_INTERVAL:-30} )) || true
             if (( no_movement < no_movement_required )); then
+                msg="Receiver moved less than ${GPSD_MIN_DISTANCE} meters, $(( no_movement_required - no_movement )) seconds remaining before starting mlat-clients"
+                "${s6wrap[@]}" --args echo "${msg}"
                 sleep "${GPSD_CHECK_INTERVAL:-30}" & wait $!
                 continue
             elif (( no_movement / ${GPSD_CHECK_INTERVAL:-30} == no_movement_required / ${GPSD_CHECK_INTERVAL:-30} )); then