diff --git a/software/MATLAB/BpodStepperLive.m b/software/MATLAB/BpodStepperLive.m
index ee183c9..1fd7bb7 100644
--- a/software/MATLAB/BpodStepperLive.m
+++ b/software/MATLAB/BpodStepperLive.m
@@ -65,8 +65,7 @@
         drawnow
         set(obj.h.figure,'Visible','on')
 
-        flushinput(obj.s.Port.Port)
-        obj.s.Port.write(['L' 1], 'uint8');
+        obj.s.StreamingMode = true;
     end
 
     function update(obj,~,~)
@@ -109,9 +108,8 @@ function update(obj,~,~)
     end
 
     function delete(obj,~,~)
-        obj.s.Port.write(['L' 0], 'uint8');
         obj.s.Port.Port.BytesAvailableFcn = '';
-        flushinput(obj.s.Port.Port)
+        obj.s.StreamingMode = false;
     end
 end
 
diff --git a/software/MATLAB/BpodStepperModule.m b/software/MATLAB/BpodStepperModule.m
index 955a67d..bab39e9 100644
--- a/software/MATLAB/BpodStepperModule.m
+++ b/software/MATLAB/BpodStepperModule.m
@@ -35,12 +35,17 @@
         MaxSpeed                    % peak velocity (full steps / s)
         Position                    % absolute position
     end
+    
+    properties (Dependent, Access = {?BpodStepperLive})
+        StreamingMode
+    end
 
     properties (Access = private)
         privMaxSpeed                % private: peak velocity
         privAcceleration            % private: acceleration
         privRMScurrent              % private: RMS current
         privChopper                 % private: Chopper mode
+        privStreamingMode = false   % private: streaming mode
         CurrentFirmwareVersion = 2  % most recent firmware version
     end
 
@@ -96,8 +101,10 @@
         end
         function set.MaxSpeed(obj, newSpeed)
             obj.Port.write('V', 'uint8', newSpeed, 'uint16');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(true);
             obj.Port.write('GV', 'uint8');
             obj.privMaxSpeed = obj.Port.read(1, 'uint16');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(false);
         end
 
         function out = get.Acceleration(obj)
@@ -105,8 +112,10 @@
         end
         function set.Acceleration(obj, newAccel)
             obj.Port.write('A', 'uint8', newAccel, 'uint16');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(true);
             obj.Port.write('GA', 'uint8');
             obj.privAcceleration = obj.Port.read(1, 'uint16');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(false);
         end
 
         function out = get.RMScurrent(obj)
@@ -115,8 +124,11 @@
         function set.RMScurrent(obj, newCurrent)
             validateattributes(newCurrent,{'numeric'},...
                 {'scalar','integer','nonnegative'})
-            obj.Port.write('I', 'uint8', newCurrent, 'uint16', 'GI', 'uint8');
+            obj.Port.write('I', 'uint8', newCurrent, 'uint16');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(true);
+            obj.Port.write('GI', 'uint8');
             obj.privRMScurrent = obj.Port.read(1, 'uint16');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(false);
         end
 
         function out = get.ChopperMode(obj)
@@ -125,13 +137,18 @@
         function set.ChopperMode(obj, mode)
             validateattributes(mode,{'numeric'},...
                 {'scalar','integer','nonnegative','<=',1})
-            obj.Port.write('C', 'uint8', mode, 'uint8', 'GC', 'uint8');
+            obj.Port.write('C', 'uint8', mode, 'uint8');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(true);
+            obj.Port.write('GC', 'uint8');
             obj.privChopper = obj.Port.read(1, 'uint8');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(false);
         end
 
         function out = get.Position(obj)
+            obj.pauseStreaming(true);
             obj.Port.write('GP', 'uint8');
             out = obj.Port.read(1, 'int16');
+            obj.pauseStreaming(false);
         end
         function set.Position(obj,position)
             validateattributes(position,{'numeric'},{'scalar','integer'})
@@ -200,11 +217,13 @@ function setTarget(obj, varargin)
             end
             n   = numel(id);
             out = zeros(n,3);
+            obj.pauseStreaming(true);
             for ii = 1:n
                 obj.Port.write(['G' id(ii)], 'uint8');
                 out(ii,1)   = obj.Port.read(1, 'int32');
                 out(ii,2:3) = obj.Port.read(2, 'uint16');
             end
+            obj.pauseStreaming(false);
             out([false(n,1) out(:,2:3)==0]) = NaN;
             if nargout
                 varargout = mat2cell(out',[1 1 1],n);
@@ -261,10 +280,12 @@ function rotate(obj,dir)
                     {'2d','increasing','integer','>=',1,'<=',6})
             end
             out = zeros(1,numel(idx));
+            obj.pauseStreaming(true);
             for ii = 1:numel(idx)
                 obj.Port.write(['GR' idx(ii)], 'uint8');
                 out(ii) = obj.Port.read(1, 'uint8');
             end
+            obj.pauseStreaming(false);
             if nargout
                 varargout{1} = out;
             else
@@ -300,10 +321,12 @@ function setResistor(obj, idx, R)
                     {'2d','increasing','integer','>=',1,'<=',6},'','ID')
             end
             out = zeros(1,numel(id));
+            obj.pauseStreaming(true);
             for ii = 1:numel(id)
                 obj.Port.write(['GM' id(ii)], 'uint8');
                 out(ii) = obj.Port.read(1, 'uint8');
             end
+            obj.pauseStreaming(false);
             if nargout
                 varargout{1} = out;
             else
@@ -348,5 +371,48 @@ function delete(obj)
         function liveView(obj)
             BpodStepperLive(obj);
         end
+        
+        function out = get.StreamingMode(obj)
+            out = obj.privStreamingMode;
+        end
+        
+        function set.StreamingMode(obj,enable)
+            if xor(obj.privStreamingMode,enable)
+                if enable
+                    flushinput(obj.Port.Port)
+                    obj.Port.write(['L' 1], 'uint8');
+                else
+                    obj.Port.write(['L' 0], 'uint8');
+                    flushinput(obj.Port.Port)
+                end
+                obj.privStreamingMode = enable;
+            end
+        end
+    end
+    
+    methods (Access = private)
+        function pauseStreaming(obj,doPause)
+            persistent BytesAvailableFcn isPaused;
+            if isempty(BytesAvailableFcn)
+                BytesAvailableFcn = '';
+                isPaused = false;
+            end
+            if doPause
+                if isPaused || ~obj.privStreamingMode
+                    return
+                end
+                BytesAvailableFcn = obj.Port.Port.BytesAvailableFcn;
+                obj.Port.Port.BytesAvailableFcn = '';
+                obj.StreamingMode = false;
+                isPaused = true;
+            else
+                if ~isPaused || obj.privStreamingMode
+                    return
+                end
+                obj.Port.Port.BytesAvailableFcn = BytesAvailableFcn;
+                obj.StreamingMode = true;
+                isPaused = false;
+            end
+        end
     end
 end