diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
index d704aafd4e..e3182a1167 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
@@ -468,7 +468,6 @@ void Ekf2::task_main()
 
 		// run the EKF update and output
 		if (_ekf->update()) {
-
 			// generate vehicle attitude quaternion data
 			struct vehicle_attitude_s att = {};
 			_ekf->copy_quaternion(att.q);
@@ -626,6 +625,18 @@ void Ekf2::task_main()
 					orb_publish(ORB_ID(vehicle_global_position), _vehicle_global_position_pub, &global_pos);
 				}
 			}
+		} else if (_replay_mode) {
+			// in replay mode we have to tell the replay module not to wait for an update
+			// we do this by publishing an attitude with zero timestamp
+			struct vehicle_attitude_s att = {};
+			att.timestamp = 0;
+
+			if (_att_pub == nullptr) {
+				_att_pub = orb_advertise(ORB_ID(vehicle_attitude), &att);
+
+			} else {
+				orb_publish(ORB_ID(vehicle_attitude), _att_pub, &att);
+			}
 		}
 
 		// publish estimator status
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2_replay/ekf2_replay_main.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2_replay/ekf2_replay_main.cpp
index ebe96223ff..98d933c3b6 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2_replay/ekf2_replay_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2_replay/ekf2_replay_main.cpp
@@ -436,6 +436,13 @@ void Ekf2Replay::logIfUpdated()
 	// update attitude
 	struct vehicle_attitude_s att = {};
 	orb_copy(ORB_ID(vehicle_attitude), _att_sub, &att);
+
+	// if the timestamp of the attitude is zero, then this means that the ekf did not
+	// do an update so we can ignore this message and just continue
+	if (att.timestamp == 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	memset(&log_message.body.att.q_w, 0, sizeof(log_ATT_s));
 
 	log_message.type = LOG_ATT_MSG;
@@ -695,8 +702,9 @@ void Ekf2Replay::task_main()
 
 		read_first_header = true;
 
-		if (header[0] != HEAD_BYTE1 || header[1] != HEAD_BYTE2) {
-			PX4_WARN("bad log header\n");
+		if ((header[0] != HEAD_BYTE1 || header[1] != HEAD_BYTE2)) {
+			// we assume that the log file is finished here
+			PX4_WARN("Done!");
 			_task_should_exit = true;
 			continue;
 		}