diff --git a/device/PowerSensor/PowerSensor.ino b/device/PowerSensor/PowerSensor.ino
index 58af81b4..10b16f75 100644
--- a/device/PowerSensor/PowerSensor.ino
+++ b/device/PowerSensor/PowerSensor.ino
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ float voltageValues[PAIRS];
 float currentValues[PAIRS];
 float powerValues[PAIRS];
 float totalPower;
-bool displayEnabled = true;
+bool displayPaused = false;
 #endif
 
 const uint32_t ADC_SCANMODES[] = {LL_ADC_REG_SEQ_SCAN_DISABLE, LL_ADC_REG_SEQ_SCAN_ENABLE_2RANKS,
@@ -226,16 +226,28 @@ void serialEvent() {
       sendSingleValue = true;
       break;
     case 'S':
-      // Enable streaming of data
+      // Enable streaming of data and pause display
+#ifndef NODISPLAY
+      displayPaused = true;
+      displayMeasurementInProgress();
+#endif
       counter = 0;
       streamValues = true;
       break;
     case 'T':
-      // Disable streaming of data
+      // Disable streaming of data and unpause display
       streamValues = false;
+#ifndef NODISPLAY
+      displayPaused = false;
+      displayInitialValues();
+#endif
       break;
     case 'X':
-      // Shutdown, shuts off IO thread on host
+      // Shutdown and unpause display, shuts off IO thread on host
+#ifndef NODISPLAY
+      displayPaused = false;
+      displayInitialValues();
+#endif
       streamValues = false;
       delay(100);  // on an RPi host the stop does not arrive at the host properly unless there is a delay here
       Serial.write((const uint8_t[]) { 0xFF, 0x3F}, 2);
@@ -262,19 +274,6 @@ void serialEvent() {
       // Reset device to bootloader, enables DFU mode
       JumpToBootloader();
       break;
-#ifndef NODISPLAY
-    case 'D':
-      // toggle display
-      displayEnabled = !displayEnabled;
-      if (displayEnabled) {
-        Serial.write('L');
-        initDisplay();
-      } else {
-        deinitDisplay();
-        Serial.write('l');
-      }
-      break;
-#endif
     }
   }
 }
@@ -368,9 +367,7 @@ void setup() {
   // configure hardware (GPIO, DMA, ADC)
   configureDevice();
 #ifndef NODISPLAY
-  if (displayEnabled) {
     initDisplay();
-  }
 #endif
   Blink(1);
 }
@@ -384,7 +381,7 @@ void loop() {
   serialEvent();
   // update display if enabled
 #ifndef NODISPLAY
-  if (displayEnabled) {
+  if (!displayPaused) {
     updateDisplay();
   }
 #endif
diff --git a/device/PowerSensor/device_specific/BLACKPILL_F401CC_F411CE.hpp b/device/PowerSensor/device_specific/BLACKPILL_F401CC_F411CE.hpp
index e9f661af..1ce8308d 100644
--- a/device/PowerSensor/device_specific/BLACKPILL_F401CC_F411CE.hpp
+++ b/device/PowerSensor/device_specific/BLACKPILL_F401CC_F411CE.hpp
@@ -121,10 +121,8 @@ extern "C" void DMA2_Stream0_IRQHandler() {
       }
       level /= numSampleToAverage;
 #ifndef NODISPLAY
-      if (displayEnabled) {
-        // store in sensorValues for display purposes
-        sensorLevels[i] = level;
-      }
+      // store in sensorValues for display purposes
+      sensorLevels[i] = level;
 #endif
       // add metadata to remaining bits: 2 bytes available with 10b sensor value
       // First byte: 1 iii aaaa
diff --git a/device/PowerSensor/device_specific/DISCO_F407VG.hpp b/device/PowerSensor/device_specific/DISCO_F407VG.hpp
index 4aaf0bc3..30327e7a 100644
--- a/device/PowerSensor/device_specific/DISCO_F407VG.hpp
+++ b/device/PowerSensor/device_specific/DISCO_F407VG.hpp
@@ -115,10 +115,8 @@ extern "C" void DMA2_Stream0_IRQHandler() {
       level = __LL_ADC_MULTI_CONV_DATA_MASTER_SLAVE(LL_ADC_MULTI_SLAVE, dmaBuffer[i/2]);
     }
 #ifndef NODISPLAY
-    if (displayEnabled) {
-      // store in sensorValues for display purposes
-      sensorLevels[i] = level;
-    }
+    // store in sensorValues for display purposes
+    sensorLevels[i] = level;
 #endif
     // add metadata to remaining bits: 2 bytes available with 10b sensor value
     // First byte: 1 iii aaaa
diff --git a/device/PowerSensor/display.cpp b/device/PowerSensor/display.cpp
index 15abd9fc..4dccde9a 100644
--- a/device/PowerSensor/display.cpp
+++ b/device/PowerSensor/display.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #define OFFSET 24  // vertical offset: pixel 0 is outside of the screen
 #define OFFSET_MAIN (OFFSET + 10)
 #define OFFSET_BOTTOM (OFFSET + 65)
+#define OFFSET_PAUSE_TEXT (OFFSET + 15)
 
 #include <STM32F4_SPI_DMA.h>
 
@@ -42,8 +43,10 @@ void initDisplay() {
 #endif
   clearDisplay();
   analogWrite(TFT_BLK, 120);
+
   displayInitialValues();
 }
+
 void deinitDisplay() {
   clearDisplay();
   analogWrite(TFT_BLK, 0);
@@ -117,3 +120,15 @@ void displaySensor(const int sensorPairName, const float amp, const float volt,
   dtostrf(watt, 5, 1, buf);
   tft.drawFastNumber(buf, 5);
 }
+
+void displayMeasurementInProgress() {
+  clearDisplay();
+
+  tft.setTextColor(ST77XX_YELLOW);
+  tft.setTextSize(2);
+
+  tft.setCursor(0, OFFSET_PAUSE_TEXT);
+  tft.println("Measurement");
+  tft.println("in");
+  tft.println("progress");
+}
diff --git a/device/PowerSensor/display.hpp b/device/PowerSensor/display.hpp
index 693c9734..634dfc61 100644
--- a/device/PowerSensor/display.hpp
+++ b/device/PowerSensor/display.hpp
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ void clearDisplay();
 void displayInitialValues();
 void displaySensor(const int sensorPairName, const float amp, const float volt,
                    const float watt, const float totalWatt);
+void displayMeasurementInProgress();
diff --git a/host/include/PowerSensor.hpp b/host/include/PowerSensor.hpp
index fe5ec5e3..8539d6f4 100644
--- a/host/include/PowerSensor.hpp
+++ b/host/include/PowerSensor.hpp
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ class PowerSensor {
     void dump(const std::string dumpFileName);  // dumpFileName == 0 --> stop dumping
     void mark(char name);
     void mark(const State &startState, const State &stopState, const std::string name = 0, unsigned int tag = 0) const;
-    bool toggleDisplay();
 
     void writeSensorsToEEPROM();
     void setType(unsigned int sensorID, const std::string type);
diff --git a/host/src/PowerSensor.cc b/host/src/PowerSensor.cc
index 8ab18d69..2333cfaa 100644
--- a/host/src/PowerSensor.cc
+++ b/host/src/PowerSensor.cc
@@ -357,44 +357,18 @@ namespace PowerSensor3 {
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * @brief Toggle device display on/off
-   *
-   * @return New status of display: 1 for on, 0 for off
-   */
-  bool PowerSensor::toggleDisplay() {
-    // ensure no data is streaming to host
-    stopIOThread();
-    std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(10));
-    // drain any remaining incoming data
-    tcflush(fd, TCIFLUSH);
-
-    writeCharToDevice('D');
-    // if the display is now on, the device sends and L, else l
-    char buffer;
-    buffer = readCharFromDevice();
-    if (buffer == 'L') {
-      return true;
-    } else if (buffer == 'l') {
-      return false;
-    } else {
-      std::cerr << "Expected to receive 'l' or 'L' from device after toggling display, but got " << buffer << std::endl;
-      exit(1);
-    }
-
-    // restart IO thread
-    startIOThread();
-  }
-
   /**
    * @brief thread to continuously read sensor values from device
    *
    */
   void PowerSensor::IOThread() {
-    threadStarted.up();
     unsigned int sensorNumber, marker = 0, sensorsRead = 0;
     uint16_t level;
 
+    // wait until we can read values from the device
+    readLevelFromDevice(&sensorNumber, &level, &marker);
+    threadStarted.up();
+
     while (readLevelFromDevice(&sensorNumber, &level, &marker)) {
       std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(mutex);
 
diff --git a/host/src/psconfig.cc b/host/src/psconfig.cc
index e36ed9b7..40ab190a 100644
--- a/host/src/psconfig.cc
+++ b/host/src/psconfig.cc
@@ -178,7 +178,6 @@ void usage(char *argv[]) {
                "or unitless gain for voltage sensors (odd sensors)" << std::endl;
   std::cerr << "-o turns a sensor on (1) or off (0)" << std::endl;
   std::cerr << "-p prints configured values" << std::endl;
-  std::cerr << "-l toggles device display on/off" << std::endl;
   std::cerr << "example: " << argv[0] << " -d /dev/ttyACM0 -s 0 -t MLX10 -v 1.65 "
                "-o 1 -s 1 -t voltage0 -v 0 -n 0.95 -o 1 -p" << std::endl;
   std::cerr << "Known current sensor types: MLX10, MLX20, MLX50, MLX75." << std::endl;
@@ -192,7 +191,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   bool doPrint = false;
 
   std::cout << "psconfig version " <<  PowerSensor3::POWERSENSOR_VERSION << std::endl << std::endl;
-  for (int opt; (opt = getopt(argc, argv, "d:s:i:t:av:n:o:lph")) >= 0;) {
+  for (int opt; (opt = getopt(argc, argv, "d:s:i:t:av:n:o:ph")) >= 0;) {
     switch (opt) {
       // device select
       case 'd':
@@ -242,13 +241,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         doWriteConfig = true;
         break;
 
-      // toggle display
-      case 'l': {
-        bool displayStatus = getPowerSensor(device)->toggleDisplay();
-        std::cout << "Display is now " << (displayStatus ? "on" : "off") << "." << std::endl;
-        break;
-      }
-
       // print
       case 'p':
         doPrint = true;
diff --git a/python/PyPowerSensor.cc b/python/PyPowerSensor.cc
index 01f9aa10..52fe9fc9 100644
--- a/python/PyPowerSensor.cc
+++ b/python/PyPowerSensor.cc
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(powersensor, m) {
     .def("dump", &PowerSensor3::PowerSensor::dump,
       "Dump sensor values to file. Set filename to empty string to stop dumping", py::arg("filename"))
     .def("mark", static_cast<void (PowerSensor3::PowerSensor::*)(char)>(&PowerSensor3::PowerSensor::mark),
-      "Add given marker character to dump file", py::arg("Marker character"))
-    .def("toggle_display", &PowerSensor3::PowerSensor::toggleDisplay, "Toggle device display on/off");
+      "Add given marker character to dump file", py::arg("Marker character"));
 
   py::class_<PowerSensor3::State>(m, "State")
     .def_readonly("consumed_energy", &PowerSensor3::State::consumedEnergy,