diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/baro_height_control.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/baro_height_control.cpp
index f3c5b0df643c..def9a885f348 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/baro_height_control.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/baro_height_control.cpp
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ void Ekf::controlBaroHeightFusion()
 
 		} else {
 			if (starting_conditions_passing) {
-				if (_params.height_sensor_ref == HeightSensor::BARO) {
+				if (_params.height_sensor_ref == static_cast<int32_t>(HeightSensor::BARO)) {
 					ECL_INFO("starting %s height fusion, resetting height", HGT_SRC_NAME);
 					_height_sensor_ref = HeightSensor::BARO;
 
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/common.h b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/common.h
index 0f23bd66fe3e..82e74236a31b 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/common.h
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/common.h
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ enum TerrainFusionMask : uint8_t {
 };
 #endif // CONFIG_EKF2_TERRAIN
 
-enum HeightSensor : uint8_t {
+enum class HeightSensor : uint8_t {
 	BARO  = 0,
 	GNSS  = 1,
 	RANGE = 2,
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ struct parameters {
 	int32_t imu_ctrl{static_cast<int32_t>(ImuCtrl::GyroBias) | static_cast<int32_t>(ImuCtrl::AccelBias)};
 
 	// measurement source control
-	int32_t height_sensor_ref{HeightSensor::BARO};
+	int32_t height_sensor_ref{static_cast<int32_t>(HeightSensor::BARO)};
 	int32_t position_sensor_ref{static_cast<int32_t>(PositionSensor::GNSS)};
 
 	int32_t sensor_interval_max_ms{10};     ///< maximum time of arrival difference between non IMU sensor updates. Sets the size of the observation buffers. (mSec)
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/ekf.h b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/ekf.h
index 26244d942eb2..b5af4f523b62 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/ekf.h
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/ekf.h
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ class Ekf final : public EstimatorInterface
 
 	float getYawVar() const;
 
-	uint8_t getHeightSensorRef() const { return _height_sensor_ref; }
+	HeightSensor getHeightSensorRef() const { return _height_sensor_ref; }
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_EKF2_AIRSPEED)
 	const auto &aid_src_airspeed() const { return _aid_src_airspeed; }
@@ -1139,7 +1139,7 @@ class Ekf final : public EstimatorInterface
 	// yaw_variance : yaw error variance (rad^2)
 	void resetQuatStateYaw(float yaw, float yaw_variance);
 
-	uint8_t _height_sensor_ref{HeightSensor::UNKNOWN};
+	HeightSensor _height_sensor_ref{HeightSensor::UNKNOWN};
 	uint8_t _position_sensor_ref{static_cast<uint8_t>(PositionSensor::GNSS)};
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_EKF2_EXTERNAL_VISION)
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/ev_height_control.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/ev_height_control.cpp
index 0a4bc00c847a..c0980a71b3c4 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/ev_height_control.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/ev_height_control.cpp
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ void Ekf::controlEvHeightFusion(const extVisionSample &ev_sample, const bool com
 	} else {
 		if (starting_conditions_passing) {
 			// activate fusion, only reset if necessary
-			if (_params.height_sensor_ref == HeightSensor::EV) {
+			if (_params.height_sensor_ref == static_cast<int32_t>(HeightSensor::EV)) {
 				ECL_INFO("starting %s fusion, resetting state", AID_SRC_NAME);
 				_information_events.flags.reset_hgt_to_ev = true;
 				resetVerticalPositionTo(measurement, measurement_var);
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/gnss_height_control.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/gnss_height_control.cpp
index 600ba088761b..0ea8e932c3e3 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/gnss_height_control.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/gnss_height_control.cpp
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ void Ekf::controlGnssHeightFusion(const gpsSample &gps_sample)
 
 		} else {
 			if (starting_conditions_passing) {
-				if (_params.height_sensor_ref == HeightSensor::GNSS) {
+				if (_params.height_sensor_ref == static_cast<int32_t>(HeightSensor::GNSS)) {
 					ECL_INFO("starting %s height fusion, resetting height", HGT_SRC_NAME);
 					_height_sensor_ref = HeightSensor::GNSS;
 
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/height_bias_estimator.hpp b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/height_bias_estimator.hpp
index 1d1b9629f51f..5cb03cbfdd13 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/height_bias_estimator.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/height_bias_estimator.hpp
@@ -39,11 +39,12 @@
 #define EKF_HEIGHT_BIAS_ESTIMATOR_HPP
 
 #include "bias_estimator.hpp"
+#include "common.h"
 
 class HeightBiasEstimator: public BiasEstimator
 {
 public:
-	HeightBiasEstimator(uint8_t sensor, const uint8_t &sensor_ref):
+	HeightBiasEstimator(HeightSensor sensor, const HeightSensor &sensor_ref):
 		BiasEstimator(0.f, 0.f),
 		_sensor(sensor),
 		_sensor_ref(sensor_ref)
@@ -68,8 +69,8 @@ class HeightBiasEstimator: public BiasEstimator
 	}
 
 private:
-	const uint8_t _sensor;
-	const uint8_t &_sensor_ref;
+	const HeightSensor _sensor;
+	const HeightSensor &_sensor_ref;
 
 	bool _is_sensor_fusion_active{false}; // TODO: replace by const ref and remove setter when migrating _control_status.flags from union to bool
 };
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/height_control.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/height_control.cpp
index 0d954663d0a9..9d07c9bc580d 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/height_control.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/EKF/height_control.cpp
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ void Ekf::checkHeightSensorRefFallback()
 
 	HeightSensor fallback_list[4];
 
-	switch (_params.height_sensor_ref) {
+	switch (static_cast<HeightSensor>(_params.height_sensor_ref)) {
 	default:
 
 	/* FALLTHROUGH */
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/test/sensor_simulator/ekf_wrapper.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/test/sensor_simulator/ekf_wrapper.cpp
index 94a9c1aca42f..482f7671eaed 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/test/sensor_simulator/ekf_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/test/sensor_simulator/ekf_wrapper.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ EkfWrapper::~EkfWrapper()
 
 void EkfWrapper::setBaroHeightRef()
 {
-	_ekf_params->height_sensor_ref = HeightSensor::BARO;
+	_ekf_params->height_sensor_ref = static_cast<int32_t>(HeightSensor::BARO);
 }
 
 void EkfWrapper::enableBaroHeightFusion()
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ bool EkfWrapper::isIntendingBaroHeightFusion() const
 
 void EkfWrapper::setGpsHeightRef()
 {
-	_ekf_params->height_sensor_ref = HeightSensor::GNSS;
+	_ekf_params->height_sensor_ref = static_cast<int32_t>(HeightSensor::GNSS);
 }
 
 void EkfWrapper::enableGpsHeightFusion()
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ bool EkfWrapper::isIntendingGpsHeightFusion() const
 
 void EkfWrapper::setRangeHeightRef()
 {
-	_ekf_params->height_sensor_ref = HeightSensor::RANGE;
+	_ekf_params->height_sensor_ref = static_cast<int32_t>(HeightSensor::RANGE);
 }
 
 void EkfWrapper::enableRangeHeightFusion()
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ bool EkfWrapper::isIntendingRangeHeightFusion() const
 
 void EkfWrapper::setExternalVisionHeightRef()
 {
-	_ekf_params->height_sensor_ref = HeightSensor::EV;
+	_ekf_params->height_sensor_ref = static_cast<int32_t>(HeightSensor::EV);
 }
 
 void EkfWrapper::enableExternalVisionHeightFusion()