diff --git a/wpilibc/src/main/native/cpp/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.cpp b/wpilibc/src/main/native/cpp/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.cpp
index b99b79228e..0d32fe3b90 100644
--- a/wpilibc/src/main/native/cpp/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.cpp
+++ b/wpilibc/src/main/native/cpp/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.cpp
@@ -11,12 +11,7 @@
 using namespace frc::sysid;
 
 SysIdRoutineLog::SysIdRoutineLog(std::string_view logName)
-    : m_logName(logName),
-      m_state(wpi::log::StringLogEntry{
-          frc::DataLogManager::GetLog(),
-          fmt::format("sysid-test-state{}", logName)}) {
-  m_state.Append(StateEnumToString(State::kNone));
-}
+    : m_logName(logName) {}
 
 SysIdRoutineLog::MotorLog::MotorLog(std::string_view motorName,
                                     std::string_view logName,
@@ -45,6 +40,12 @@ SysIdRoutineLog::MotorLog SysIdRoutineLog::Motor(std::string_view motorName) {
 }
 
 void SysIdRoutineLog::RecordState(State state) {
+  if (!m_stateInitialized) {
+    m_state =
+        wpi::log::StringLogEntry{frc::DataLogManager::GetLog(),
+                                 fmt::format("sysid-test-state{}", m_logName)};
+    m_stateInitialized = true;
+  }
   m_state.Append(StateEnumToString(state));
 }
 
diff --git a/wpilibc/src/main/native/include/frc/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.h b/wpilibc/src/main/native/include/frc/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.h
index 7da22f4dc7..3c7544a673 100644
--- a/wpilibc/src/main/native/include/frc/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.h
+++ b/wpilibc/src/main/native/include/frc/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.h
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ class SysIdRoutineLog {
  private:
   LogEntries m_logEntries;
   std::string m_logName;
+  bool m_stateInitialized;
   wpi::log::StringLogEntry m_state;
 };
 }  // namespace frc::sysid
diff --git a/wpilibj/src/main/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.java b/wpilibj/src/main/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.java
index dac100fac0..a8d7d940e8 100644
--- a/wpilibj/src/main/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.java
+++ b/wpilibj/src/main/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/sysid/SysIdRoutineLog.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 public class SysIdRoutineLog {
   private final Map<String, Map<String, DoubleLogEntry>> m_logEntries = new HashMap<>();
   private final String m_logName;
-  private final StringLogEntry m_state;
+  private StringLogEntry m_state;
 
   /**
    * Create a new logging utility for a SysId test routine.
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ public class SysIdRoutineLog {
    */
   public SysIdRoutineLog(String logName) {
     m_logName = logName;
-    m_state = new StringLogEntry(DataLogManager.getLog(), "sysid-test-state-" + logName);
-    m_state.append(State.kNone.toString());
   }
 
   /** Possible state of a SysId routine. */
@@ -221,6 +219,9 @@ public class SysIdRoutineLog {
    * @param state The current state of the SysId test routine.
    */
   public void recordState(State state) {
+    if (m_state == null) {
+      m_state = new StringLogEntry(DataLogManager.getLog(), "sysid-test-state-" + m_logName);
+    }
     m_state.append(state.toString());
   }
 }