diff --git a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.cpp b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.cpp
index 6682a8226..c06894fc4 100644
--- a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.cpp
+++ b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.cpp
@@ -198,6 +198,19 @@ bool VeDirectFrameHandler::hexRxEvent(uint8_t inbyte) {
 	return true;		// stubbed out for future
 }
 
+bool VeDirectFrameHandler::isDataValid() {
+	if (veMap.empty()) {
+		return false;
+	}
+ 	if ((millis() - getLastUpdate()) / 1000 > _pollInterval * 5) { 
+        return false;
+	}
+    if (veMap.find("SER") == veMap.end()) {
+        return false;
+    } 
+	return true;
+}
+
 unsigned long VeDirectFrameHandler::getLastUpdate()
 {
     return _lastPoll;
diff --git a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.h b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.h
index fefbb639c..0facdd8e7 100644
--- a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.h
+++ b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class VeDirectFrameHandler {
     void setPollInterval(unsigned long interval); // set poll intervall in seconds
     void loop();                                 // main loop to read ve.direct data
     unsigned long getLastUpdate();               // timestamp of last successful frame read
+    bool isDataValid();                          // return true if data valid and not outdated
     String getPidAsString(const char* pid);      // product id as string  
     String getCsAsString(const char* cs);        // current state as string
     String getErrAsString(const char* err);      // errer state as string
diff --git a/src/MqttHandlVedirectHass.cpp b/src/MqttHandlVedirectHass.cpp
index e2e8a2497..931d30bc4 100644
--- a/src/MqttHandlVedirectHass.cpp
+++ b/src/MqttHandlVedirectHass.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectHassClass::publishConfig()
         return;
     }
     // ensure data is revieved from victron
-    if (VeDirect.veMap.find("SER") == VeDirect.veMap.end()) { 
+    if (!VeDirect.isDataValid()) { 
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp b/src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp
index b8ab99a91..0501c486f 100644
--- a/src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp
+++ b/src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp
@@ -24,26 +24,17 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectClass::loop()
         return;
     }   
 
-    String serial;
-    auto pos = VeDirect.veMap.find("SER");
-    if (pos == VeDirect.veMap.end()) {
-        MessageOutput.printf("No VeDirect Data\r\n");
+    if (!VeDirect.isDataValid()) { 
+        MessageOutput.printf("VeDirect Data not valid: Stopping publishing. Last read before %lu seconds\r\n", (millis() - VeDirect.getLastUpdate()) / 1000);
         return;
-    } 
-    else {
-        serial = pos->second;
     }
 
     if (millis() - _lastPublish > (config.Mqtt_PublishInterval * 1000)) {
-        if ((millis() - VeDirect.getLastUpdate()) / 1000 > config.Vedirect_PollInterval * 5) { // same as age critical in live view
-            MessageOutput.printf("VeDirect Data too old: Stopping publishing. Last read before %lu seconds\r\n", (millis() - VeDirect.getLastUpdate()) / 1000);
-            return;
-        }
-
         String key;
         String value;
         String mapedValue;
         bool bChanged = false;
+        String serial = VeDirect.veMap["SER"];
 
         String topic = "";
         for (auto it = VeDirect.veMap.begin(); it != VeDirect.veMap.end(); ++it) {
@@ -61,7 +52,6 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectClass::loop()
                 }
             }
 
-        
             // publish only changed key, values pairs
             if (!config.Vedirect_UpdatesOnly || (bChanged && config.Vedirect_UpdatesOnly)) {
                 topic = "victron/" + serial + "/";
diff --git a/src/WebApi_ws_vedirect_live.cpp b/src/WebApi_ws_vedirect_live.cpp
index f7ee21ced..e836c42f6 100644
--- a/src/WebApi_ws_vedirect_live.cpp
+++ b/src/WebApi_ws_vedirect_live.cpp
@@ -80,40 +80,40 @@ void WebApiWsVedirectLiveClass::loop()
 void WebApiWsVedirectLiveClass::generateJsonResponse(JsonVariant& root)
 {
     // device info
-    root[F("data_age")] = (millis() - VeDirect.getLastUpdate() ) / 1000;
-    root[F("age_critical")] = ((millis() - VeDirect.getLastUpdate()) / 1000) > Configuration.get().Vedirect_PollInterval * 5;
-    root[F("PID")] = VeDirect.getPidAsString(VeDirect.veMap["PID"].c_str());
-    root[F("SER")] = VeDirect.veMap["SER"];
-    root[F("FW")] = VeDirect.veMap["FW"];
-    root[F("LOAD")] = VeDirect.veMap["LOAD"];
-    root[F("CS")] = VeDirect.getCsAsString(VeDirect.veMap["CS"].c_str());
-    root[F("ERR")] = VeDirect.getErrAsString(VeDirect.veMap["ERR"].c_str());
-    root[F("OR")] = VeDirect.getOrAsString(VeDirect.veMap["OR"].c_str());
-    root[F("MPPT")] = VeDirect.getMpptAsString(VeDirect.veMap["MPPT"].c_str());
-    root[F("HSDS")]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["HSDS"].toInt();
-    root[F("HSDS")]["u"] = "Days";
+    root["data_age"] = (millis() - VeDirect.getLastUpdate() ) / 1000;
+    root["age_critical"] = VeDirect.isDataValid();
+    root["PID"] = VeDirect.getPidAsString(VeDirect.veMap["PID"].c_str());
+    root["SER"] = VeDirect.veMap["SER"];
+    root["FW"] = VeDirect.veMap["FW"];
+    root["LOAD"] = VeDirect.veMap["LOAD"];
+    root["CS"] = VeDirect.getCsAsString(VeDirect.veMap["CS"].c_str());
+    root["ERR"] = VeDirect.getErrAsString(VeDirect.veMap["ERR"].c_str());
+    root["OR"] = VeDirect.getOrAsString(VeDirect.veMap["OR"].c_str());
+    root["MPPT"] = VeDirect.getMpptAsString(VeDirect.veMap["MPPT"].c_str());
+    root["HSDS"]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["HSDS"].toInt();
+    root["HSDS"]["u"] = "Days";
 
     // battery info    
-    root[F("V")]["v"] = round(VeDirect.veMap["V"].toDouble() / 10.0) / 100.0;
-    root[F("V")]["u"] = "V";
-    root[F("I")]["v"] = round(VeDirect.veMap["I"].toDouble() / 10.0) / 100.0;
-    root[F("I")]["u"] = "A";
+    root["V"]["v"] = round(VeDirect.veMap["V"].toDouble() / 10.0) / 100.0;
+    root["V"]["u"] = "V";
+    root["I"]["v"] = round(VeDirect.veMap["I"].toDouble() / 10.0) / 100.0;
+    root["I"]["u"] = "A";
 
     // panel info
-    root[F("VPV")]["v"] = round(VeDirect.veMap["VPV"].toDouble() / 10.0) / 100.0;
-    root[F("VPV")]["u"] = "V";
-    root[F("PPV")]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["PPV"].toInt();
-    root[F("PPV")]["u"] = "W";
-    root[F("H19")]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H19"].toDouble() / 100.0;
-    root[F("H19")]["u"] = "kWh";
-    root[F("H20")]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H20"].toDouble() / 100.0;
-    root[F("H20")]["u"] = "kWh";
-    root[F("H21")]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H21"].toInt();
-    root[F("H21")]["u"] = "W";
-    root[F("H22")]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H22"].toDouble() / 100.0;
-    root[F("H22")]["u"] = "kWh";
-    root[F("H23")]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H23"].toInt();
-    root[F("H23")]["u"] = "W";
+    root["VPV"]["v"] = round(VeDirect.veMap["VPV"].toDouble() / 10.0) / 100.0;
+    root["VPV"]["u"] = "V";
+    root["PPV"]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["PPV"].toInt();
+    root["PPV"]["u"] = "W";
+    root["H19"]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H19"].toDouble() / 100.0;
+    root["H19"]["u"] = "kWh";
+    root["H20"]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H20"].toDouble() / 100.0;
+    root["H20"]["u"] = "kWh";
+    root["H21"]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H21"].toInt();
+    root["H21"]["u"] = "W";
+    root["H22"]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H22"].toDouble() / 100.0;
+    root["H22"]["u"] = "kWh";
+    root["H23"]["v"] = VeDirect.veMap["H23"].toInt();
+    root["H23"]["u"] = "W";
 
     if (VeDirect.getLastUpdate() > _newestVedirectTimestamp) {
         _newestVedirectTimestamp = VeDirect.getLastUpdate();