diff --git a/src/voice_engine/main/source/channel.cc b/src/voice_engine/main/source/channel.cc
index a031b9d8a3..c89cdaab43 100644
--- a/src/voice_engine/main/source/channel.cc
+++ b/src/voice_engine/main/source/channel.cc
@@ -824,6 +824,15 @@ WebRtc_Word32 Channel::GetAudioFrame(const WebRtc_Word32 id,
     WEBRTC_TRACE(kTraceStream, kTraceVoice, VoEId(_instanceId,_channelId),
                  "Channel::GetAudioFrame(id=%d)", id);
 
+    // TODO(zakkhoyt): temporary logs for tracking down an issue. Remove when
+    // Checking to ensure receive VAD is enabled
+    if (!_audioCodingModule.ReceiveVADStatus())
+    {  
+        WEBRTC_TRACE(kTraceWarning, kTraceVoice,
+                     VoEId(_instanceId,_channelId),
+                     "VAD is currently disabled");
+    }
+
     // Get 10ms raw PCM data from the ACM (mixer limits output frequency)
     if (_audioCodingModule.PlayoutData10Ms(
         audioFrame._frequencyInHz, (AudioFrame&)audioFrame) == -1)
@@ -832,6 +841,10 @@ WebRtc_Word32 Channel::GetAudioFrame(const WebRtc_Word32 id,
                      VoEId(_instanceId,_channelId),
                      "Channel::GetAudioFrame() PlayoutData10Ms() failed!");
     }
+    
+    // TODO(zakkhoyt): temporary logs for tracking down an issue. Remove when
+    // possible.
+    assert(audioFrame._vadActivity != AudioFrame::kVadUnknown);
 
     if (_RxVadDetection)
     {
@@ -1401,8 +1414,6 @@ Channel::Init()
         // out-of-band Dtmf tones are played out by default
         (_audioCodingModule.SetDtmfPlayoutStatus(true) == -1) ||
 #endif
-        // enable RX VAD by default (improves output mixing)
-        (_audioCodingModule.SetReceiveVADStatus(true) == -1) ||
         (_audioCodingModule.InitializeSender() == -1))
     {
         _engineStatisticsPtr->SetLastError(
@@ -1411,6 +1422,18 @@ Channel::Init()
         return -1;
     }
 
+    // TODO(zakkhoyt): temporary logs for tracking down an issue. Remove when
+    // possible.
+    // enable RX VAD by default (improves output mixing)
+    if (_audioCodingModule.SetReceiveVADStatus(true) == -1)
+    {
+        _engineStatisticsPtr->SetLastError(
+            VE_AUDIO_CODING_MODULE_ERROR, kTraceError,
+            "Channel::Init() unable to initialize the ACM - 1. "
+            "ACM failed to SetReceiveVADStatus");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     // --- RTP/RTCP module initialization
 
     // Ensure that RTCP is enabled by default for the created channel.