diff --git a/launch_chffrplus.sh b/launch_chffrplus.sh
index c5fedf68a8..8b213c0972 100755
--- a/launch_chffrplus.sh
+++ b/launch_chffrplus.sh
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function launch {
     ./build.py
   fi
 
-  ./sunnylink.py; ./mapd_installer.py; ./manager.py
+  ./mapd_installer.py; ./manager.py
 
   # if broken, keep on screen error
   while true; do sleep 1; done
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/sunnypilot/sunnylink_settings.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/sunnypilot/sunnylink_settings.cc
index 118aa42159..1ebaf4f14e 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/sunnypilot/sunnylink_settings.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/sunnypilot/sunnylink_settings.cc
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ SunnylinkPanel::SunnylinkPanel(QWidget* parent) : QFrame(parent) {
       sunnylinkEnabledBtn->setDescription(shame_description);
     }
 
-    auto dialog_text = tr("A reboot is required to") + " " + (enabled ? tr("start") : tr("stop")) +" "+ tr("all connections and processes from sunnylink.") + "<br/><small>"+ tr("If that's not a problem for you, you can ignore this.")+ "</small>";
-    if (ConfirmationDialog::confirm(dialog_text, tr("Reboot Now!"), this)) {
-      Hardware::reboot();
-    }
     updateLabels();
   });
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
index 5d8245acc5..9463843ab2 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ void Sidebar::updateState(const UIState &s) {
   setProperty("pandaStatus", QVariant::fromValue(pandaStatus));
   
   ItemStatus sunnylinkStatus;
+  auto sl_dongle_id = getSunnylinkDongleId();
   auto last_sunnylink_ping_str = params.get("LastSunnylinkPingTime");
   auto last_sunnylink_ping = std::stoull(last_sunnylink_ping_str.empty() ? "0" : last_sunnylink_ping_str);
   auto current_nanos = nanos_since_boot();
@@ -162,6 +163,8 @@ void Sidebar::updateState(const UIState &s) {
   auto sunnylink_enabled = params.getBool("SunnylinkEnabled");
   if (!sunnylink_enabled) {
     sunnylinkStatus = ItemStatus{{tr("SUNNYLINK"), tr("DISABLED")}, disabled_color};
+  } else if(!sl_dongle_id.has_value()) {
+    sunnylinkStatus = ItemStatus{{tr("SUNNYLINK"), tr("REGIST...")}, progress_color};
   } else if (last_sunnylink_ping == 0) {
     sunnylinkStatus = ItemStatus{{tr("SUNNYLINK"), tr("OFFLINE")}, warning_color};
   } else {
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
index be2c34cae0..9012f25135 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ protected:
   const QRect home_btn = QRect(60, 860, 180, 180);
   const QRect settings_btn = QRect(50, 35, 200, 117);
   const QColor good_color = QColor(255, 255, 255);
+  const QColor progress_color = QColor(3, 132, 252);
   const QColor warning_color = QColor(218, 202, 37);
   const QColor danger_color = QColor(201, 34, 49);
   const QColor disabled_color = QColor(128, 128, 128);
diff --git a/system/athena/manage_athenad.py b/system/athena/manage_athenad.py
index fb514bc1ca..7158cd9220 100755
--- a/system/athena/manage_athenad.py
+++ b/system/athena/manage_athenad.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def main():
 
 def manage_athenad(dongle_id_param, pid_param, process_name, target):
   params = Params()
-  dongle_id = params.get(dongle_id_param).decode('utf-8')
+  dongle_id = params.get(dongle_id_param, encoding='utf-8')
   build_metadata = get_build_metadata()
 
   cloudlog.bind_global(dongle_id=dongle_id,
diff --git a/system/athena/sunnylinkd.py b/system/athena/sunnylinkd.py
index 67ae8a95af..529d1b2059 100755
--- a/system/athena/sunnylinkd.py
+++ b/system/athena/sunnylinkd.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import os
 import threading
 import time
 
+from openpilot.common.api.sunnylink import UNREGISTERED_SUNNYLINK_DONGLE_ID
 from openpilot.system.athena.athenad import ws_send, jsonrpc_handler, \
   recv_queue, UploadQueueCache, upload_queue, cur_upload_items, backoff, ws_manage, log_handler
 from jsonrpc import dispatcher
@@ -52,6 +53,10 @@ def handle_long_poll(ws: WebSocket, exit_event: threading.Event | None) -> None:
     thread.start()
   try:
     while not end_event.wait(0.1):
+      if not params.get_bool("SunnylinkEnabled"):
+        cloudlog.warning("Exiting sunnylinkd.handle_long_poll as SunnylinkEnabled is False")
+        break
+
       sm.update(0)
       if exit_event is not None and exit_event.is_set():
         end_event.set()
@@ -185,12 +190,16 @@ def main(exit_event: threading.Event = None):
   except Exception:
     cloudlog.exception("failed to set core affinity")
 
+  while params.get_bool("SunnylinkEnabled") and not params.get("SunnylinkDongleId", encoding='utf-8') not in (None, UNREGISTERED_SUNNYLINK_DONGLE_ID):
+    cloudlog.info("Waiting for sunnylink registration to complete")
+    time.sleep(10)
+
   UploadQueueCache.initialize(upload_queue)
 
   ws_uri = SUNNYLINK_ATHENA_HOST
   conn_start = None
   conn_retries = 0
-  while exit_event is None or not exit_event.is_set():
+  while (exit_event is None or not exit_event.is_set()) and params.get_bool("SunnylinkEnabled"):
     try:
       if conn_start is None:
         conn_start = time.monotonic()
@@ -221,6 +230,10 @@ def main(exit_event: threading.Event = None):
 
     time.sleep(backoff(conn_retries))
 
+  if not params.get_bool("SunnylinkEnabled"):
+    cloudlog.debug("Reached end of sunnylinkd.main while SunnylinkEnabled is False so will wait for 60 seconds before exiting")
+    time.sleep(60)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   main()
diff --git a/system/manager/manager.py b/system/manager/manager.py
index 07ebe0d38f..f3269ee4c3 100755
--- a/system/manager/manager.py
+++ b/system/manager/manager.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import traceback
 from cereal import custom
 import cereal.messaging as messaging
 import openpilot.system.sentry as sentry
+from openpilot.common.api.sunnylink import UNREGISTERED_SUNNYLINK_DONGLE_ID
 from openpilot.common.params import Params, ParamKeyType
 from openpilot.common.text_window import TextWindow
 from openpilot.system.hardware import HARDWARE, PC
@@ -105,7 +106,8 @@ def manager_init() -> None:
     ("OsmDownloadedDate", "0"),
     ("OSMDownloadProgress", "{}"),
     ("SidebarTemperatureOptions", "0"),
-    ("SunnylinkEnabled", "0"),
+    ("SunnylinkEnabled", "0" if (build_metadata.release_channel or build_metadata.release_sp_channel) else "1"),
+    ("SunnylinkDongleId", f"{UNREGISTERED_SUNNYLINK_DONGLE_ID}"),
     ("CustomDrivingModel", "0"),
     ("DrivingModelGeneration", "4"),
     ("LastSunnylinkPingTime", "0"),
diff --git a/system/manager/process_config.py b/system/manager/process_config.py
index 3ac3e1648b..5e709eae52 100644
--- a/system/manager/process_config.py
+++ b/system/manager/process_config.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
 
 from cereal import car
+from openpilot.common.api.sunnylink import UNREGISTERED_SUNNYLINK_DONGLE_ID
 from openpilot.common.params import Params
 from openpilot.system.hardware import PC, TICI
 from openpilot.selfdrive.sunnypilot import get_model_generation
@@ -47,6 +48,17 @@ def model_use_nav(started, params, CP: car.CarParams) -> bool:
   custom_model, model_gen = get_model_generation(params)
   return started and custom_model and model_gen not in (0, 4)
 
+
+def use_sunnylink(started, params, CP: car.CarParams) -> bool:
+  is_sunnylink_enabled = params.get_bool("SunnylinkEnabled")
+  is_registered = params.get("SunnylinkDongleId", encoding='utf-8') not in (None, UNREGISTERED_SUNNYLINK_DONGLE_ID)
+  return is_sunnylink_enabled and is_registered
+
+def sunnylink_need_register(started, params, CP: car.CarParams) -> bool:
+  is_sunnylink_enabled = params.get_bool("SunnylinkEnabled")
+  is_registered = params.get("SunnylinkDongleId", encoding='utf-8') not in (None, UNREGISTERED_SUNNYLINK_DONGLE_ID)
+  return is_sunnylink_enabled and not is_registered
+
 procs = [
   DaemonProcess("manage_athenad", "system.athena.manage_athenad", "AthenadPid"),
 
@@ -102,17 +114,16 @@ procs = [
   NativeProcess("bridge", "cereal/messaging", ["./bridge"], notcar),
   PythonProcess("webrtcd", "system.webrtc.webrtcd", notcar),
   PythonProcess("webjoystick", "tools.bodyteleop.web", notcar),
+
+  # Sunnylink <3
+  DaemonProcess("manage_sunnylinkd", "system.athena.manage_sunnylinkd", "SunnylinkdPid"),
+  PythonProcess("sunnylink_registration", "system.manager.sunnylink", sunnylink_need_register),
 ]
 
-if Params().get_bool("SunnylinkEnabled"):
-  if os.path.exists("../athena/manage_sunnylinkd.py"):
-    procs += [
-      DaemonProcess("manage_sunnylinkd", "system.athena.manage_sunnylinkd", "SunnylinkdPid"),
-    ]
-  if os.path.exists("../loggerd/sunnylink_uploader.py"):
-    procs += [
-      PythonProcess("sunnylink_uploader", "system.loggerd.sunnylink_uploader", always_run),
-    ]
+if os.path.exists("../loggerd/sunnylink_uploader.py"):
+  procs += [
+    PythonProcess("sunnylink_uploader", "system.loggerd.sunnylink_uploader", use_sunnylink),
+  ]
 
 if os.path.exists("./gitlab_runner.sh") and not PC:
   # Only devs!
diff --git a/system/manager/sunnylink.py b/system/manager/sunnylink.py
index b329132bc2..9c396d25ea 100755
--- a/system/manager/sunnylink.py
+++ b/system/manager/sunnylink.py
@@ -2,17 +2,15 @@
 
 from openpilot.common.api.sunnylink import SunnylinkApi
 from openpilot.common.params import Params
-from openpilot.common.spinner import Spinner
 from openpilot.system.version import is_prebuilt
+import time
 
 
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-  spinner = Spinner()
+def main():
   extra_args = {}
 
   if not Params().get_bool("SunnylinkEnabled"):
     print("Sunnylink is not enabled. Exiting.")
-    spinner.close()
     exit(0)
 
   if not is_prebuilt():
@@ -21,6 +19,13 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
       "timeout": 60
     }
 
-  sunnylink_id = SunnylinkApi(None).register_device(spinner, **extra_args)
+  sunnylink_id = SunnylinkApi(None).register_device(None, **extra_args)
   print(f"SunnyLinkId: {sunnylink_id}")
-  spinner.close()
+
+  # Set the last ping time to the current time since we just registered
+  last_ping = int(time.monotonic() * 1e9)
+  Params().put("LastSunnylinkPingTime", str(last_ping))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  main()