diff --git a/include/PowerMeterHttpJson.h b/include/PowerMeterHttpJson.h
index d226bbc0..a6c97a4c 100644
--- a/include/PowerMeterHttpJson.h
+++ b/include/PowerMeterHttpJson.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public:
     ~PowerMeterHttpJson();
 
     bool init() final;
-    void loop() final { } // polling is performed asynchronously
+    void loop() final;
     float getPowerTotal() const final;
     bool isDataValid() const final;
     void doMqttPublish() const final;
diff --git a/include/PowerMeterHttpSml.h b/include/PowerMeterHttpSml.h
index 823a4b76..9c49b639 100644
--- a/include/PowerMeterHttpSml.h
+++ b/include/PowerMeterHttpSml.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public:
     ~PowerMeterHttpSml();
 
     bool init() final;
-    void loop() final { } // polling is performed asynchronously
+    void loop() final;
     bool isDataValid() const final;
 
     // returns an empty string on success,
diff --git a/include/PowerMeterSerialSdm.h b/include/PowerMeterSerialSdm.h
index 941d2132..d676fcbb 100644
--- a/include/PowerMeterSerialSdm.h
+++ b/include/PowerMeterSerialSdm.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public:
     ~PowerMeterSerialSdm();
 
     bool init() final;
-    void loop() final { } // polling is performed asynchronously
+    void loop() final;
     float getPowerTotal() const final;
     bool isDataValid() const final;
     void doMqttPublish() const final;
diff --git a/include/PowerMeterSerialSml.h b/include/PowerMeterSerialSml.h
index 613dace5..abe59533 100644
--- a/include/PowerMeterSerialSml.h
+++ b/include/PowerMeterSerialSml.h
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ public:
     ~PowerMeterSerialSml();
 
     bool init() final;
-    void loop() final { } // polling is performed asynchronously
+    void loop() final;
 
 private:
     // we assume that an SML datagram is complete after no additional
diff --git a/src/PowerMeterHttpJson.cpp b/src/PowerMeterHttpJson.cpp
index a7164408..3d4431f3 100644
--- a/src/PowerMeterHttpJson.cpp
+++ b/src/PowerMeterHttpJson.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ bool PowerMeterHttpJson::init()
         return false;
     }
 
+    return true;
+}
+
+void PowerMeterHttpJson::loop()
+{
+    if (_taskHandle != nullptr) { return; }
+
     std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(_pollingMutex);
     _stopPolling = false;
     lock.unlock();
@@ -55,8 +62,6 @@ bool PowerMeterHttpJson::init()
     uint32_t constexpr stackSize = 3072;
     xTaskCreate(PowerMeterHttpJson::pollingLoopHelper, "PM:HTTP+JSON",
             stackSize, this, 1/*prio*/, &_taskHandle);
-
-    return true;
 }
 
 void PowerMeterHttpJson::pollingLoopHelper(void* context)
diff --git a/src/PowerMeterHttpSml.cpp b/src/PowerMeterHttpSml.cpp
index 7149e12a..8cfd1480 100644
--- a/src/PowerMeterHttpSml.cpp
+++ b/src/PowerMeterHttpSml.cpp
@@ -25,16 +25,7 @@ bool PowerMeterHttpSml::init()
 {
     _upHttpGetter = std::make_unique<HttpGetter>(_cfg.HttpRequest);
 
-    if (_upHttpGetter->init()) {
-        std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(_pollingMutex);
-        _stopPolling = false;
-        lock.unlock();
-
-        uint32_t constexpr stackSize = 3072;
-        xTaskCreate(PowerMeterHttpSml::pollingLoopHelper, "PM:HTTP+SML",
-                stackSize, this, 1/*prio*/, &_taskHandle);
-        return true;
-    }
+    if (_upHttpGetter->init()) { return true; }
 
     MessageOutput.printf("[PowerMeterHttpSml] Initializing HTTP getter failed:\r\n");
     MessageOutput.printf("[PowerMeterHttpSml] %s\r\n", _upHttpGetter->getErrorText());
@@ -44,6 +35,19 @@ bool PowerMeterHttpSml::init()
     return false;
 }
 
+void PowerMeterHttpSml::loop()
+{
+    if (_taskHandle != nullptr) { return; }
+
+    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(_pollingMutex);
+    _stopPolling = false;
+    lock.unlock();
+
+    uint32_t constexpr stackSize = 3072;
+    xTaskCreate(PowerMeterHttpSml::pollingLoopHelper, "PM:HTTP+SML",
+            stackSize, this, 1/*prio*/, &_taskHandle);
+}
+
 void PowerMeterHttpSml::pollingLoopHelper(void* context)
 {
     auto pInstance = static_cast<PowerMeterHttpSml*>(context);
diff --git a/src/PowerMeterSerialSdm.cpp b/src/PowerMeterSerialSdm.cpp
index fea191b5..40514427 100644
--- a/src/PowerMeterSerialSdm.cpp
+++ b/src/PowerMeterSerialSdm.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ bool PowerMeterSerialSdm::init()
             SWSERIAL_8N1, pin.powermeter_rx, pin.powermeter_tx);
     _upSdm->begin();
 
+    return true;
+}
+
+void PowerMeterSerialSdm::loop()
+{
+    if (_taskHandle != nullptr) { return; }
+
     std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(_pollingMutex);
     _stopPolling = false;
     lock.unlock();
@@ -50,8 +57,6 @@ bool PowerMeterSerialSdm::init()
     uint32_t constexpr stackSize = 3072;
     xTaskCreate(PowerMeterSerialSdm::pollingLoopHelper, "PM:SDM",
             stackSize, this, 1/*prio*/, &_taskHandle);
-
-    return true;
 }
 
 float PowerMeterSerialSdm::getPowerTotal() const
diff --git a/src/PowerMeterSerialSml.cpp b/src/PowerMeterSerialSml.cpp
index 123a10dd..a6af3ccb 100644
--- a/src/PowerMeterSerialSml.cpp
+++ b/src/PowerMeterSerialSml.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ bool PowerMeterSerialSml::init()
     _upSmlSerial->enableTx(false);
     _upSmlSerial->flush();
 
+    return true;
+}
+
+void PowerMeterSerialSml::loop()
+{
+    if (_taskHandle != nullptr) { return; }
+
     std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(_pollingMutex);
     _stopPolling = false;
     lock.unlock();
@@ -30,8 +37,6 @@ bool PowerMeterSerialSml::init()
     uint32_t constexpr stackSize = 3072;
     xTaskCreate(PowerMeterSerialSml::pollingLoopHelper, "PM:SML",
             stackSize, this, 1/*prio*/, &_taskHandle);
-
-    return true;
 }
 
 PowerMeterSerialSml::~PowerMeterSerialSml()