diff --git a/master/master.c b/master/master.c
index 47ddbb61287eb4a8382943bdc965628a3df88c89..83ef7b7076025630412623310e6df5617b4c07f9 100644
--- a/master/master.c
+++ b/master/master.c
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ void ec_master_reset(ec_master_t *master /**< EtherCAT master */)
     master->stats.unmatched = 0;
     master->stats.t_last = 0;
 
-    master->mode = EC_MASTER_MODE_IDLE;
+    master->mode = EC_MASTER_MODE_ORPHANED;
 
     master->request_cb = NULL;
     master->release_cb = NULL;
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ void ec_master_freerun_stop(ec_master_t *master /**< EtherCAT master */)
     ec_master_eoe_stop(master);
 
     EC_INFO("Stopping Free-Run mode.\n");
-    master->mode = EC_MASTER_MODE_IDLE;
+    master->mode = EC_MASTER_MODE_ORPHANED;
 
     if (!cancel_delayed_work(&master->freerun_work)) {
         flush_workqueue(master->workqueue);
@@ -843,8 +843,8 @@ ssize_t ec_show_master_attribute(struct kobject *kobj, /**< kobject */
     }
     else if (attr == &attr_mode) {
         switch (master->mode) {
-            case EC_MASTER_MODE_IDLE:
-                return sprintf(buffer, "IDLE\n");
+            case EC_MASTER_MODE_ORPHANED:
+                return sprintf(buffer, "ORPHANED\n");
             case EC_MASTER_MODE_FREERUN:
                 return sprintf(buffer, "FREERUN\n");
             case EC_MASTER_MODE_RUNNING:
diff --git a/master/master.h b/master/master.h
index 1be89918aacac2602b5f36aadd13bc188d761a4d..571544ca832beff2427fc9d1aa18af5cc120f02b 100644
--- a/master/master.h
+++ b/master/master.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 
 typedef enum
 {
-    EC_MASTER_MODE_IDLE,
+    EC_MASTER_MODE_ORPHANED,
     EC_MASTER_MODE_FREERUN,
     EC_MASTER_MODE_RUNNING
 }
diff --git a/master/module.c b/master/module.c
index eeca62eaab4524ed2e6d075cf0c6bd2f4872a72a..4f84f9f3c3c3c54b5f7bcad7da1235f70a95ce9e 100644
--- a/master/module.c
+++ b/master/module.c
@@ -466,8 +466,6 @@ void ecrt_release_master(ec_master_t *master /**< EtherCAT master */)
     }
 
     ec_master_reset(master);
-
-    master->mode = EC_MASTER_MODE_IDLE;
     ec_master_freerun_start(master);
 
     module_put(master->device->module);