diff --git a/rosbag2_transport/src/rosbag2_transport/recorder.cpp b/rosbag2_transport/src/rosbag2_transport/recorder.cpp
index 7e511d4097..d94d1ccb87 100644
--- a/rosbag2_transport/src/rosbag2_transport/recorder.cpp
+++ b/rosbag2_transport/src/rosbag2_transport/recorder.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class RecorderImpl
   std::shared_ptr<rosbag2_cpp::Writer> writer_;
   rosbag2_storage::StorageOptions storage_options_;
   rosbag2_transport::RecordOptions record_options_;
-  std::atomic<bool> stop_discovery_;
+  std::atomic<bool> stop_discovery_ = false;
   std::unordered_map<std::string, std::shared_ptr<rclcpp::SubscriptionBase>> subscriptions_;
 
 private:
@@ -132,14 +132,15 @@ class RecorderImpl
   rclcpp::Service<rosbag2_interfaces::srv::SplitBagfile>::SharedPtr srv_split_bagfile_;
 
   std::atomic<bool> paused_ = false;
+  std::atomic<bool> in_recording_ = false;
   std::shared_ptr<KeyboardHandler> keyboard_handler_;
   KeyboardHandler::callback_handle_t toggle_paused_key_callback_handle_ =
     KeyboardHandler::invalid_handle;
 
   // Variables for event publishing
   rclcpp::Publisher<rosbag2_interfaces::msg::WriteSplitEvent>::SharedPtr split_event_pub_;
-  bool event_publisher_thread_should_exit_ = false;
-  bool write_split_has_occurred_ = false;
+  std::atomic<bool> event_publisher_thread_should_exit_ = false;
+  std::atomic<bool> write_split_has_occurred_ = false;
   rosbag2_cpp::bag_events::BagSplitInfo bag_split_info_;
   std::mutex event_publisher_thread_mutex_;
   std::condition_variable event_publisher_thread_wake_cv_;
@@ -185,12 +186,17 @@ RecorderImpl::~RecorderImpl()
   stop();
 }
 
-
 void RecorderImpl::stop()
 {
   stop_discovery_ = true;
   if (discovery_future_.valid()) {
-    discovery_future_.wait();
+    auto status = discovery_future_.wait_for(2 * record_options_.topic_polling_interval);
+    if (status != std::future_status::ready) {
+      RCLCPP_ERROR_STREAM(
+        node->get_logger(),
+        "discovery_future_.wait_for(" << record_options_.topic_polling_interval.count() <<
+          ") return status: " << (status == std::future_status::timeout ? "timeout" : "deferred"));
+    }
   }
   paused_ = true;
   subscriptions_.clear();
@@ -204,10 +210,18 @@ void RecorderImpl::stop()
   if (event_publisher_thread_.joinable()) {
     event_publisher_thread_.join();
   }
+  in_recording_ = false;
+  RCLCPP_INFO(node->get_logger(), "Recording stopped");
 }
 
 void RecorderImpl::record()
 {
+  if (in_recording_.exchange(true)) {
+    RCLCPP_WARN_STREAM(
+      node->get_logger(),
+      "Called Recorder::record() while already in recording, dismissing request.");
+    return;
+  }
   paused_ = record_options_.start_paused;
   topic_qos_profile_overrides_ = record_options_.topic_qos_profile_overrides;
   if (record_options_.rmw_serialization_format.empty()) {
@@ -274,9 +288,8 @@ void RecorderImpl::record()
   // Start the thread that will publish events
   event_publisher_thread_ = std::thread(&RecorderImpl::event_publisher_thread_main, this);
 
-  split_event_pub_ = node->create_publisher<rosbag2_interfaces::msg::WriteSplitEvent>(
-    "events/write_split",
-    1);
+  split_event_pub_ =
+    node->create_publisher<rosbag2_interfaces::msg::WriteSplitEvent>("events/write_split", 1);
   rosbag2_cpp::bag_events::WriterEventCallbacks callbacks;
   callbacks.write_split_callback =
     [this](rosbag2_cpp::bag_events::BagSplitInfo & info) {
@@ -297,15 +310,13 @@ void RecorderImpl::record()
     discovery_future_ =
       std::async(std::launch::async, std::bind(&RecorderImpl::topics_discovery, this));
   }
+  RCLCPP_INFO(node->get_logger(), "Recording...");
 }
 
 void RecorderImpl::event_publisher_thread_main()
 {
   RCLCPP_INFO(node->get_logger(), "Event publisher thread: Starting");
-
-  bool should_exit = false;
-
-  while (!should_exit) {
+  while (!event_publisher_thread_should_exit_.load()) {
     std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(event_publisher_thread_mutex_);
     event_publisher_thread_wake_cv_.wait(
       lock,
@@ -319,10 +330,7 @@ void RecorderImpl::event_publisher_thread_main()
       message.opened_file = bag_split_info_.opened_file;
       split_event_pub_->publish(message);
     }
-
-    should_exit = event_publisher_thread_should_exit_;
   }
-
   RCLCPP_INFO(node->get_logger(), "Event publisher thread: Exiting");
 }