diff --git a/multicounter.c b/multicounter.c
index a1cf907a..266d121f 100644
--- a/multicounter.c
+++ b/multicounter.c
@@ -108,11 +108,18 @@ static int MMCCStart(void *pData, SConnection *pCon)
 }
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 static int MMCCStatus(void *pData, SConnection *pCon){
-  int status, slaveStatus, i, controlMonitor; 
-  pCounter pCountController = NULL;
+  int status, ctrStatus, i, controlMonitor; 
+  pCounter pCountController = NULL, pSlaveCounter = NULL;
   pCounter pCount = NULL;
   pMultiCounter self = NULL;
   pDummy pDum = NULL;
+  enum {
+    eIdle,
+    eBusy,
+    ePause,
+    eNoBeam,
+    eFault
+  } statusLevel;
 
   pCount = (pCounter)pData;
   if(pCount != NULL){
@@ -127,20 +134,40 @@ static int MMCCStatus(void *pData, SConnection *pCon){
 
   controlMonitor = GetControlMonitor((pCounter)pCount);
   pCountController = (pCounter)self->slaveData[controlMonitor];
-  if ( pCountController->pDriv->eMode == ePreset ) {
-    status = self->slaves[controlMonitor]->CheckCountStatus(pCountController,pCon);
-  } else {
-    status = HWIdle;
-    for(i = 0; i < self->nSlaves; i++){
-      slaveStatus = self->slaves[i]->CheckCountStatus(pCountController,pCon);
-      if (slaveStatus == HWFault) {
-        status = HWFault;
-        break;
-      } else if (slaveStatus != HWIdle) {
-        status = slaveStatus;
-        break;
+
+  /* counter states = HWIdle, HWBusy, HWPause, HWNoBeam, HWFault */
+  status = HWIdle;
+  statusLevel = eIdle;
+  for (i = 0; i < self->nSlaves; i++) {
+      pSlaveCounter = (pCounter)self->slaveData[i];
+      ctrStatus = self->slaves[i]->CheckCountStatus(pSlaveCounter,pCon);
+      if (statusLevel >= eFault)
+        continue;
+      switch (ctrStatus) {
+        case HWFault:
+          statusLevel = eFault;
+          status = HWFault;
+          break;
+        case HWNoBeam:
+          if (statusLevel < eNoBeam)
+            statusLevel = eNoBeam;
+            status = HWNoBeam;
+          break;
+        case HWPause:
+          if (statusLevel < ePause)
+            statusLevel = ePause;
+            status = HWPause;
+          break;
+        default:
+          if ( pCountController->pDriv->eMode == ePreset && i == controlMonitor && ctrStatus == HWIdle) {
+            statusLevel = eBusy; /* Allow transition to HWPause or higher */
+            status = HWIdle;
+          } else if (statusLevel < eBusy && ctrStatus != HWIdle) {
+            /* ffr: We expect !HWIdle means HWBusy, if not the existing code should handle the exception */
+            statusLevel = eBusy;
+            status = ctrStatus;
+          }
       }
-    }
   }
   if(status == HWIdle || status == HWFault){
     /*