diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/common.h b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/common.h
index dbc5b55680..e1ae0dc117 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/common.h
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/common.h
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ struct parameters {
 	float arsp_thr{2.0f};                   ///< Airspeed fusion threshold. A value of zero will deactivate airspeed fusion
 
 	// synthetic sideslip fusion
+	int32_t beta_fusion_enabled{0};
 	float beta_innov_gate{5.0f};            ///< synthetic sideslip innovation consistency gate size in standard deviation (STD)
 	float beta_noise{0.3f};                 ///< synthetic sideslip noise (rad)
 	const float beta_avg_ft_us{150000.0f};  ///< The average time between synthetic sideslip measurements (uSec)
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/control.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/control.cpp
index fc259a51b1..0235dbdcd3 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/control.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/control.cpp
@@ -570,30 +570,31 @@ void Ekf::controlAirDataFusion()
 
 void Ekf::controlBetaFusion()
 {
-	if (_control_status.flags.fake_pos) {
-		return;
-	}
+	_control_status.flags.fuse_beta = _params.beta_fusion_enabled && _control_status.flags.fixed_wing
+		&& _control_status.flags.in_air && !_control_status.flags.fake_pos;
 
-	// Perform synthetic sideslip fusion at regular intervals when in-air and sideslip fuson had been enabled externally:
-	const bool beta_fusion_time_triggered = isTimedOut(_aid_src_sideslip.time_last_fuse, _params.beta_avg_ft_us);
+	if (_control_status.flags.fuse_beta) {
 
-	if (beta_fusion_time_triggered &&
-	    _control_status.flags.fuse_beta &&
-	    _control_status.flags.in_air) {
-		updateSideslip(_aid_src_sideslip);
-		_innov_check_fail_status.flags.reject_sideslip = _aid_src_sideslip.innovation_rejected;
+		// Perform synthetic sideslip fusion at regular intervals when in-air and sideslip fusion had been enabled externally:
+		const bool beta_fusion_time_triggered = isTimedOut(_aid_src_sideslip.time_last_fuse, _params.beta_avg_ft_us);
 
-		// If starting wind state estimation, reset the wind states and covariances before fusing any data
-		if (!_control_status.flags.wind) {
-			// activate the wind states
-			_control_status.flags.wind = true;
-			// reset the timeout timers to prevent repeated resets
-			_aid_src_sideslip.time_last_fuse = _imu_sample_delayed.time_us;
-			resetWind();
-		}
+		if (beta_fusion_time_triggered) {
 
-		if (Vector2f(Vector2f(_state.vel) - _state.wind_vel).longerThan(7.f)) {
-			fuseSideslip(_aid_src_sideslip);
+			updateSideslip(_aid_src_sideslip);
+			_innov_check_fail_status.flags.reject_sideslip = _aid_src_sideslip.innovation_rejected;
+
+			// If starting wind state estimation, reset the wind states and covariances before fusing any data
+			if (!_control_status.flags.wind) {
+				// activate the wind states
+				_control_status.flags.wind = true;
+				// reset the timeout timers to prevent repeated resets
+				_aid_src_sideslip.time_last_fuse = _imu_sample_delayed.time_us;
+				resetWind();
+			}
+
+			if (Vector2f(Vector2f(_state.vel) - _state.wind_vel).longerThan(7.f)) {
+				fuseSideslip(_aid_src_sideslip);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/estimator_interface.h b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/estimator_interface.h
index 69cb788907..23bee11ca0 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/estimator_interface.h
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/estimator_interface.h
@@ -132,9 +132,6 @@ public:
 	// set vehicle is fixed wing status
 	void set_is_fixed_wing(bool is_fixed_wing) { _control_status.flags.fixed_wing = is_fixed_wing; }
 
-	// set flag if synthetic sideslip measurement should be fused
-	void set_fuse_beta_flag(bool fuse_beta) { _control_status.flags.fuse_beta = (fuse_beta && _control_status.flags.in_air); }
-
 	// set flag if static pressure rise due to ground effect is expected
 	// use _params.gnd_effect_deadzone to adjust for expected rise in static pressure
 	// flag will clear after GNDEFFECT_TIMEOUT uSec
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF2.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF2.cpp
index b5ef696ad1..bf4de3456f 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF2.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF2.cpp
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ EKF2::EKF2(bool multi_mode, const px4::wq_config_t &config, bool replay_mode):
 	_param_ekf2_ev_pos_y(_params->ev_pos_body(1)),
 	_param_ekf2_ev_pos_z(_params->ev_pos_body(2)),
 	_param_ekf2_arsp_thr(_params->arsp_thr),
+	_param_ekf2_fuse_beta(_params->beta_fusion_enabled),
 	_param_ekf2_tau_vel(_params->vel_Tau),
 	_param_ekf2_tau_pos(_params->pos_Tau),
 	_param_ekf2_gbias_init(_params->switch_on_gyro_bias),
@@ -532,9 +533,6 @@ void EKF2::Run()
 			if (_status_sub.copy(&vehicle_status)) {
 				const bool is_fixed_wing = (vehicle_status.vehicle_type == vehicle_status_s::VEHICLE_TYPE_FIXED_WING);
 
-				// only fuse synthetic sideslip measurements if conditions are met
-				_ekf.set_fuse_beta_flag(is_fixed_wing && (_param_ekf2_fuse_beta.get() == 1));
-
 				// let the EKF know if the vehicle motion is that of a fixed wing (forward flight only relative to wind)
 				_ekf.set_is_fixed_wing(is_fixed_wing);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF2.hpp b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF2.hpp
index 652e3f6b6f..08bf9d30b1 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF2.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF2.hpp
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ private:
 		// control of airspeed and sideslip fusion
 		(ParamExtFloat<px4::params::EKF2_ARSP_THR>)
 		_param_ekf2_arsp_thr, 	///< A value of zero will disabled airspeed fusion. Any positive value sets the minimum airspeed which will be used (m/sec)
-		(ParamInt<px4::params::EKF2_FUSE_BETA>)
+		(ParamExtInt<px4::params::EKF2_FUSE_BETA>)
 		_param_ekf2_fuse_beta,		///< Controls synthetic sideslip fusion, 0 disables, 1 enables
 
 		// output predictor filter time constants