diff --git a/src/dmx/hal.c b/src/dmx/hal.c
index 6ad43d32c..8a59887e3 100644
--- a/src/dmx/hal.c
+++ b/src/dmx/hal.c
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ static bool DMX_ISR_ATTR dmx_timer_isr(
       driver->flags &= ~DMX_FLAGS_DRIVER_IS_IN_BREAK;
 
       // Reset the alarm for the end of the DMX mark-after-break
-      dmx_timer_set_alarm(timer, driver->break_len + driver->mab_len);
+      dmx_timer_set_alarm(timer, driver->mab_len, false);
     } else {
       // Write data to the UART
       size_t write_size = driver->tx_size;
@@ -882,7 +882,8 @@ size_t dmx_receive(dmx_port_t dmx_num, dmx_packet_t *packet,
       // Set an early timeout with the hardware timer
       taskENTER_CRITICAL(DMX_SPINLOCK(dmx_num));
       dmx_timer_set_counter(timer, elapsed);
-      dmx_timer_set_alarm(timer, RDM_PACKET_SPACING_CONTROLLER_NO_RESPONSE);
+      dmx_timer_set_alarm(timer, RDM_PACKET_SPACING_CONTROLLER_NO_RESPONSE,
+                          false);
       dmx_timer_start(timer);
       taskEXIT_CRITICAL(DMX_SPINLOCK(dmx_num));
     }
@@ -893,16 +894,11 @@ size_t dmx_receive(dmx_port_t dmx_num, dmx_packet_t *packet,
     dmx_timer_stop(timer);
     driver->task_waiting = NULL;
     taskEXIT_CRITICAL(DMX_SPINLOCK(dmx_num));
-
     if (!notified) {
       xTaskNotifyStateClear(xTaskGetCurrentTaskHandle());
       xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(driver->mux);
       return packet_size;
     }
-    taskENTER_CRITICAL(DMX_SPINLOCK(dmx_num));
-    driver->flags &= ~DMX_FLAGS_DRIVER_HAS_DATA;
-    packet_size = driver->head;
-    taskEXIT_CRITICAL(DMX_SPINLOCK(dmx_num));
   } else if (!(driver_flags & DMX_FLAGS_DRIVER_HAS_DATA)) {
     // Fail early if there is no data available and this function cannot block
     xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(driver->mux);
@@ -910,6 +906,13 @@ size_t dmx_receive(dmx_port_t dmx_num, dmx_packet_t *packet,
   }
 
   // Parse DMX data packet
+  taskENTER_CRITICAL(DMX_SPINLOCK(dmx_num));
+  driver->flags &= ~DMX_FLAGS_DRIVER_HAS_DATA;
+  packet_size = driver->head;
+  taskEXIT_CRITICAL(DMX_SPINLOCK(dmx_num));
+  if (packet_size == -1) {
+    packet_size = 0;
+  }
   if (packet != NULL) {
     taskENTER_CRITICAL(DMX_SPINLOCK(dmx_num));
     packet->sc = packet_size > 0 ? driver->data[0] : -1;
@@ -1158,7 +1161,7 @@ size_t dmx_send(dmx_port_t dmx_num, size_t size) {
   elapsed = dmx_timer_get_micros_since_boot() - driver->last_slot_ts;
   if (elapsed < timeout) {
     dmx_timer_set_counter(timer, elapsed);
-    dmx_timer_set_alarm(timer, timeout);
+    dmx_timer_set_alarm(timer, timeout, false);
     dmx_timer_start(timer);
     driver->task_waiting = xTaskGetCurrentTaskHandle();
   }
@@ -1166,6 +1169,7 @@ size_t dmx_send(dmx_port_t dmx_num, size_t size) {
 
   // Block if an alarm was set
   if (elapsed < timeout) {
+    // FIXME: clean up this section
     bool notified = xTaskNotifyWait(0, ULONG_MAX, NULL, pdDMX_MS_TO_TICKS(23));
     if (!notified) {
       dmx_timer_stop(timer);
@@ -1249,7 +1253,7 @@ size_t dmx_send(dmx_port_t dmx_num, size_t size) {
     driver->flags |=
         (DMX_FLAGS_DRIVER_IS_IN_BREAK | DMX_FLAGS_DRIVER_IS_SENDING);
     dmx_timer_set_counter(timer, 0);
-    dmx_timer_set_alarm(timer, driver->break_len);
+    dmx_timer_set_alarm(timer, driver->break_len, true);
     dmx_timer_start(timer);
 
     dmx_uart_invert_tx(uart, 1);
diff --git a/src/dmx/timer.c b/src/dmx/timer.c
index 70a4ba198..23fff836c 100644
--- a/src/dmx/timer.c
+++ b/src/dmx/timer.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ dmx_timer_handle_t dmx_timer_init(dmx_port_t dmx_num, void *isr_handle,
       .counter_dir = TIMER_COUNT_UP,
       .counter_en = false,
       .alarm_en = true,
-      .auto_reload = false,
+      .auto_reload = true,
   };
   esp_err_t err = timer_init(timer->group, timer->idx, &timer_config);
   if (err) {
@@ -95,15 +95,15 @@ void DMX_ISR_ATTR dmx_timer_set_counter(dmx_timer_handle_t timer,
 }
 
 void DMX_ISR_ATTR dmx_timer_set_alarm(dmx_timer_handle_t timer,
-                                      uint64_t alarm) {
+                                      uint64_t alarm, bool auto_reload) {
 #if ESP_IDF_VERSION_MAJOR >= 5
   const gptimer_alarm_config_t alarm_config = {
       .alarm_count = alarm,
       .reload_count = 0,
-      .flags.auto_reload_on_alarm = false};
+      .flags.auto_reload_on_alarm = auto_reload};
   gptimer_set_alarm_action(timer->gptimer_handle, &alarm_config);
 #else
-  timer_set_alarm_value(timer->group, timer->idx, alarm);
+  timer_group_set_alarm_value_in_isr(timer->group, timer->idx, alarm);
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dmx/timer.h b/src/dmx/timer.h
index 4de519443..52c2224a8 100644
--- a/src/dmx/timer.h
+++ b/src/dmx/timer.h
@@ -83,8 +83,11 @@ void dmx_timer_set_counter(dmx_timer_handle_t timer, uint64_t counter);
  *
  * @param timer A handle to the DMX timer.
  * @param alarm The alarm value to which to set the DMX timer.
+ * @param auto_reload Set to true to automatically reload the alarm when the
+ * alarm is triggered.
  */
-void dmx_timer_set_alarm(dmx_timer_handle_t timer, uint64_t alarm);
+void dmx_timer_set_alarm(dmx_timer_handle_t timer, uint64_t alarm,
+                         bool auto_reload);
 
 /**
  * @brief Starts the DMX timer.