diff --git a/src/backend/opencl/OclBackend.cpp b/src/backend/opencl/OclBackend.cpp
index 5e46940d7..0ec6cc8bf 100644
--- a/src/backend/opencl/OclBackend.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/opencl/OclBackend.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "backend/opencl/OclBackend.h"
 #include "backend/opencl/OclConfig.h"
 #include "backend/opencl/OclLaunchData.h"
+#include "backend/opencl/OclWorker.h"
 #include "backend/opencl/wrappers/OclContext.h"
 #include "backend/opencl/wrappers/OclLib.h"
 #include "base/io/log/Log.h"
@@ -71,7 +72,14 @@ struct OclLaunchStatus
 public:
     inline bool started()               { m_started++; return m_started == m_threads; }
     inline size_t threads() const       { return m_threads; }
-    inline void start(size_t threads)   { m_started = 0; m_threads = threads; m_ts = Chrono::steadyMSecs(); }
+
+    inline void start(size_t threads)
+    {
+        m_started        = 0;
+        m_threads        = threads;
+        m_ts             = Chrono::steadyMSecs();
+        OclWorker::ready = false;
+    }
 
     inline void print() const
     {
@@ -309,6 +317,8 @@ void xmrig::OclBackend::start(IWorker *worker)
 
     if (d_ptr->status.started()) {
         d_ptr->status.print();
+
+        OclWorker::ready = true;
     }
 
     mutex.unlock();
diff --git a/src/backend/opencl/OclWorker.cpp b/src/backend/opencl/OclWorker.cpp
index bd4f9126d..7b92fc72c 100644
--- a/src/backend/opencl/OclWorker.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/opencl/OclWorker.cpp
@@ -47,8 +47,10 @@ namespace xmrig {
 
 
 static constexpr uint32_t kReserveCount = 32768;
+std::atomic<bool> OclWorker::ready;
 
 
+static inline bool isReady()                         { return !Nonce::isPaused() && OclWorker::ready; }
 static inline uint32_t roundSize(uint32_t intensity) { return kReserveCount / intensity + 1; }
 
 
@@ -104,7 +106,7 @@ void xmrig::OclWorker::start()
     cl_uint results[0x100];
 
     while (Nonce::sequence(Nonce::OPENCL) > 0) {
-        if (Nonce::isPaused()) {
+        if (!isReady()) {
             if (m_interleave) {
                 m_interleave->setResumeCounter(0);
             }
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ void xmrig::OclWorker::start()
             do {
                 std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(200));
             }
-            while (Nonce::isPaused() && Nonce::sequence(Nonce::OPENCL) > 0);
+            while (!isReady() && Nonce::sequence(Nonce::OPENCL) > 0);
 
             if (Nonce::sequence(Nonce::OPENCL) == 0) {
                 break;
@@ -164,7 +166,7 @@ void xmrig::OclWorker::consumeJob()
 
 void xmrig::OclWorker::storeStats(uint64_t t)
 {
-    if (Nonce::isPaused()) {
+    if (!isReady()) {
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/opencl/OclWorker.h b/src/backend/opencl/OclWorker.h
index dcee4f0ee..95c01d01e 100644
--- a/src/backend/opencl/OclWorker.h
+++ b/src/backend/opencl/OclWorker.h
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ public:
     OclWorker &operator=(const OclWorker &other) = delete;
     OclWorker &operator=(OclWorker &&other)      = delete;
 
+    static std::atomic<bool> ready;
+
 protected:
     bool selfTest() override;
     void start() override;