diff --git a/src/modules/mc_att_control/mc_att_control.hpp b/src/modules/mc_att_control/mc_att_control.hpp
index d19bb03458c48fbed922550766b05b21d81b778d..bd860ad7932dd8cbdc0081c0480c35c21012f411 100644
--- a/src/modules/mc_att_control/mc_att_control.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/mc_att_control/mc_att_control.hpp
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ private:
 	struct sensor_correction_s		_sensor_correction {};	/**< sensor thermal corrections */
 	struct sensor_bias_s			_sensor_bias {};	/**< sensor in-run bias corrections */
 	struct vehicle_land_detected_s		_vehicle_land_detected {};
-	struct landing_gear_s 			_landing_gear_state {};
+	struct landing_gear_s 			_landing_gear {};
 
 	MultirotorMixer::saturation_status _saturation_status{};
 
diff --git a/src/modules/mc_att_control/mc_att_control_main.cpp b/src/modules/mc_att_control/mc_att_control_main.cpp
index 3b2b39b9b83f85ede2b7d4adc8fb00b4b4ef574e..a00b5920f77efe5fa4808487e77f21333eac32c1 100644
--- a/src/modules/mc_att_control/mc_att_control_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mc_att_control/mc_att_control_main.cpp
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ MulticopterAttitudeControl::landing_gear_state_poll()
 	orb_check(_landing_gear_sub, &updated);
 
 	if (updated) {
-		orb_copy(ORB_ID(landing_gear), _landing_gear_sub, &_landing_gear_state);
+		orb_copy(ORB_ID(landing_gear), _landing_gear_sub, &_landing_gear);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ MulticopterAttitudeControl::generate_attitude_setpoint(float dt, bool reset_yaw_
 
 	attitude_setpoint.thrust_body[2] = -throttle_curve(_manual_control_sp.z);
 
-	_landing_gear_state.landing_gear = get_landing_gear_state();
+	_landing_gear.landing_gear = get_landing_gear_state();
 
 	attitude_setpoint.timestamp = landing_gear.timestamp = hrt_absolute_time();
 	orb_publish_auto(ORB_ID(vehicle_attitude_setpoint), &_vehicle_attitude_setpoint_pub, &attitude_setpoint, nullptr, ORB_PRIO_DEFAULT);
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ MulticopterAttitudeControl::publish_actuator_controls()
 	_actuators.control[1] = (PX4_ISFINITE(_att_control(1))) ? _att_control(1) : 0.0f;
 	_actuators.control[2] = (PX4_ISFINITE(_att_control(2))) ? _att_control(2) : 0.0f;
 	_actuators.control[3] = (PX4_ISFINITE(_thrust_sp)) ? _thrust_sp : 0.0f;
-	_actuators.control[7] = (float)_landing_gear_state.landing_gear;
+	_actuators.control[7] = (float)_landing_gear.landing_gear;
 	_actuators.timestamp = hrt_absolute_time();
 	_actuators.timestamp_sample = _sensor_gyro.timestamp;
 
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ MulticopterAttitudeControl::run()
 	_sensor_correction_sub = orb_subscribe(ORB_ID(sensor_correction));
 	_sensor_bias_sub = orb_subscribe(ORB_ID(sensor_bias));
 	_vehicle_land_detected_sub = orb_subscribe(ORB_ID(vehicle_land_detected));
-	_landing_gear_sub =  orb_subscribe(ORB_ID(landing_gear));
+	_landing_gear_sub = orb_subscribe(ORB_ID(landing_gear));
 
 	/* wakeup source: gyro data from sensor selected by the sensor app */
 	px4_pollfd_struct_t poll_fds = {};
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 0dc96088cd4148abae46f25fc026dcd8ac205f37..5d9f910724ccb5cf6fdd124b39dd1924cc7e61c5 100644
--- a/src/modules/mc_pos_control/mc_pos_control_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mc_pos_control/mc_pos_control_main.cpp
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ private:
 	home_position_s				_home_pos{};			/**< home position */
 	vehicle_trajectory_waypoint_s		_traj_wp_avoidance{};		/**< trajectory waypoint */
 	vehicle_trajectory_waypoint_s		_traj_wp_avoidance_desired{};	/**< desired waypoints, inputs to an obstacle avoidance module */
-	landing_gear_s _landing_gear_state{};
+	landing_gear_s _landing_gear{};
 
 	int8_t		_old_landing_gear_position;
 
@@ -597,17 +597,6 @@ MulticopterPositionControl::run()
 	parameters_update(true);
 	poll_subscriptions();
 
-	// Let's be safe and have the landing gear down by default
-	_landing_gear_state.landing_gear = landing_gear_s::LANDING_GEAR_DOWN;
-	_landing_gear_state.timestamp = hrt_absolute_time();
-
-	if (_landing_gear_pub != nullptr) {
-		orb_publish(ORB_ID(landing_gear), _landing_gear_pub, &_landing_gear_state);
-
-	} else {
-		_landing_gear_pub = orb_advertise(ORB_ID(landing_gear), &_landing_gear_state);
-	}
-
 	// setup file descriptor to poll the local position as loop wakeup source
 	px4_pollfd_struct_t poll_fd = {.fd = _local_pos_sub};
 	poll_fd.events = POLLIN;
@@ -816,14 +805,14 @@ MulticopterPositionControl::run()
 			if (_old_landing_gear_position != constraints.landing_gear
 				&& constraints.landing_gear != vehicle_constraints_s::GEAR_KEEP) {
 
-				_landing_gear_state.landing_gear = constraints.landing_gear;
-				_landing_gear_state.timestamp = hrt_absolute_time();
+				_landing_gear.landing_gear = constraints.landing_gear;
+				_landing_gear.timestamp = hrt_absolute_time();
 
 				if (_landing_gear_pub != nullptr) {
-					orb_publish(ORB_ID(landing_gear), _landing_gear_pub, &_landing_gear_state);
+					orb_publish(ORB_ID(landing_gear), _landing_gear_pub, &_landing_gear);
 
 				} else {
-					_landing_gear_pub = orb_advertise(ORB_ID(landing_gear), &_landing_gear_state);
+					_landing_gear_pub = orb_advertise(ORB_ID(landing_gear), &_landing_gear);
 				}
 			}