diff --git a/src/main/fc/rc_modes.h b/src/main/fc/rc_modes.h
index 8ea87f858d..b82d91ea1a 100644
--- a/src/main/fc/rc_modes.h
+++ b/src/main/fc/rc_modes.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 #include "pg/pg.h"
 
+#define BOXID_NONE 255
+
 typedef enum {
     // ARM flag
     BOXARM = 0,
diff --git a/src/main/interface/msp_box.c b/src/main/interface/msp_box.c
index 5587fb4acb..7e6dcd68e9 100644
--- a/src/main/interface/msp_box.c
+++ b/src/main/interface/msp_box.c
@@ -269,15 +269,20 @@ void initActiveBoxIds(void)
     // Turn BOXUSERx only if pinioBox facility monitors them, as the facility is the only BOXUSERx observer.
     // Note that pinioBoxConfig can be set to monitor any box.
     for (int i = 0; i < PINIO_COUNT; i++) {
-        switch(pinioBoxConfig()->boxId[i]) {
-        case BOXUSER1:
-        case BOXUSER2:
-        case BOXUSER3:
-        case BOXUSER4:
-            BME(pinioBoxConfig()->boxId[i]);
-            break;
-        default:
-            break;
+        if (pinioBoxConfig()->permanentId[i] != PERMANENT_ID_NONE) {
+            const box_t *box = findBoxByPermanentId(pinioBoxConfig()->permanentId[i]);
+            if (box) {
+                switch(box->boxId) {
+                case BOXUSER1:
+                case BOXUSER2:
+                case BOXUSER3:
+                case BOXUSER4:
+                    BME(box->boxId);
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/main/interface/msp_box.h b/src/main/interface/msp_box.h
index 711f6ccb0c..0a9025c123 100644
--- a/src/main/interface/msp_box.h
+++ b/src/main/interface/msp_box.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ typedef struct box_s {
     const uint8_t permanentId;      // permanent ID used to identify BOX. This ID is unique for one function, DO NOT REUSE IT
 } box_t;
 
+#define PERMANENT_ID_NONE 255
+
 const box_t *findBoxByBoxId(boxId_e boxId);
 const box_t *findBoxByPermanentId(uint8_t permanentId);
 
diff --git a/src/main/interface/settings.c b/src/main/interface/settings.c
index 8ed993baa7..cd80656759 100644
--- a/src/main/interface/settings.c
+++ b/src/main/interface/settings.c
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ const clivalue_t valueTable[] = {
 #ifdef USE_PINIO
     { "pinio_config", VAR_UINT8 | MASTER_VALUE | MODE_ARRAY, .config.array.length = PINIO_COUNT, PG_PINIO_CONFIG, offsetof(pinioConfig_t, config) },
 #ifdef USE_PINIOBOX
-    { "pinio_box", VAR_INT8 | MASTER_VALUE | MODE_ARRAY, .config.array.length = PINIO_COUNT, PG_PINIOBOX_CONFIG, offsetof(pinioBoxConfig_t, boxId) },
+    { "pinio_box", VAR_UINT8 | MASTER_VALUE | MODE_ARRAY, .config.array.length = PINIO_COUNT, PG_PINIOBOX_CONFIG, offsetof(pinioBoxConfig_t, permanentId) },
 #endif
 #endif
 };
diff --git a/src/main/io/piniobox.c b/src/main/io/piniobox.c
index eb1349ff1c..36df31b07e 100644
--- a/src/main/io/piniobox.c
+++ b/src/main/io/piniobox.c
@@ -33,21 +33,20 @@
 
 #include "piniobox.h"
 
-static pinioBoxConfig_t pinioBoxRuntimeConfig;
+typedef struct pinioBoxRuntimeConfig_s {
+    uint8_t boxId[PINIO_COUNT];
+} pinioBoxRuntimeConfig_t;
+
+static pinioBoxRuntimeConfig_t pinioBoxRuntimeConfig;
 
 void pinioBoxInit(const pinioBoxConfig_t *pinioBoxConfig)
 {
     // Convert permanentId to boxId_e
 
-    pinioBoxRuntimeConfig = *pinioBoxConfig;
-
     for (int i = 0; i < PINIO_COUNT; i++) {
-        if (pinioBoxRuntimeConfig.boxId[i] >= 0) {
-            const box_t *box = findBoxByPermanentId(pinioBoxRuntimeConfig.boxId[i]);
-            if (box) {
-                pinioBoxRuntimeConfig.boxId[i] = box->boxId;
-            }
-        }
+        const box_t *box = findBoxByPermanentId(pinioBoxConfig->permanentId[i]);
+
+        pinioBoxRuntimeConfig.boxId[i] = box ? box->boxId : BOXID_NONE;
     }
 }
 
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ void pinioBoxUpdate(timeUs_t currentTimeUs)
     UNUSED(currentTimeUs);
 
     for (int i = 0; i < PINIO_COUNT; i++) {
-        if (pinioBoxRuntimeConfig.boxId[i] >= 0) {
+        if (pinioBoxRuntimeConfig.boxId[i] != BOXID_NONE) {
             pinioSet(i, getBoxIdState(pinioBoxRuntimeConfig.boxId[i]));
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/pg/piniobox.c b/src/main/pg/piniobox.c
index b4ccf4de1d..47919573c3 100644
--- a/src/main/pg/piniobox.c
+++ b/src/main/pg/piniobox.c
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@
 #include "pg/pg_ids.h"
 #include "piniobox.h"
 #include "drivers/io.h"
+#include "interface/msp_box.h"
 
-PG_REGISTER_WITH_RESET_TEMPLATE(pinioBoxConfig_t, pinioBoxConfig, PG_PINIOBOX_CONFIG, 0);
+PG_REGISTER_WITH_RESET_TEMPLATE(pinioBoxConfig_t, pinioBoxConfig, PG_PINIOBOX_CONFIG, 1);
 
 PG_RESET_TEMPLATE(pinioBoxConfig_t, pinioBoxConfig,
-    { BOXNONE, BOXNONE, BOXNONE, BOXNONE }
+    { PERMANENT_ID_NONE, PERMANENT_ID_NONE, PERMANENT_ID_NONE, PERMANENT_ID_NONE }
 );
 #endif
diff --git a/src/main/pg/piniobox.h b/src/main/pg/piniobox.h
index 5782afda21..83b5cb06ae 100644
--- a/src/main/pg/piniobox.h
+++ b/src/main/pg/piniobox.h
@@ -22,9 +22,7 @@
 #include "pg/pg.h"
 
 typedef struct pinioBoxConfig_s {
-    int8_t boxId[PINIO_COUNT];
+    uint8_t permanentId[PINIO_COUNT];
 } pinioBoxConfig_t;
 
 PG_DECLARE(pinioBoxConfig_t, pinioBoxConfig);
-
-#define BOXNONE (-1)