diff --git a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/LightSheetManagerPlugin.java b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/LightSheetManagerPlugin.java
index 34b515b..30f8393 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/LightSheetManagerPlugin.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/LightSheetManagerPlugin.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public class LightSheetManagerPlugin implements MenuPlugin, SciJavaPlugin {
     public static final String copyright = "Applied Scientific Instrumentation (ASI), 2022-2026";
     public static final String description = "A plugin to control various types of light sheet microscopes.";
     public static final String menuName = "Light Sheet Manager";
-    public static final String version = "0.7.3";
+    public static final String version = "0.7.4";
 
     private Studio studio_;
     private LightSheetManager model_;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngine.java b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngine.java
index cb469ba..e74fb0f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngine.java
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ public abstract class AcquisitionEngine implements AcquisitionManager, MMAcquist
     private final ExecutorService acquisitionExecutor_ = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor(
             r -> new Thread(r, "Acquisition Thread"));
     protected volatile Acquisition currentAcquisition_ = null; // TODO: consider making a getter rather than protected?
-    // true once setup() succeeds and run() is about to begin; the end-of-run save only runs when this is true
-    protected boolean acquisitionStarted_ = false;
 
     private final AutofocusAdapter autofocus_;
 
@@ -158,8 +156,6 @@ public Future<?> requestRun(boolean speedTest) {
                     studio_.logs().showError(e, "Error during acquisition setup");
                     return; // early exit => stop acquisition
                 }
-                // setup succeeded and we are about to run; end-of-run work (the save) is now valid
-                acquisitionStarted_ = true;
                 run(); // run the acquisition and block until complete
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 studio_.logs().showError(e);
@@ -172,10 +168,9 @@ public Future<?> requestRun(boolean speedTest) {
                     // must ALWAYS run: if currentAcquisition_ is left set, every future
                     // acquisition is rejected until the plugin restarts
                     currentAcquisition_ = null;
-                    // free the datastore at acq end so a large store isn't kept in memory; matches MM's AcqEngJAdapter.onAcquisitionEnded
+                    // free the datastore so a large store isn't kept in memory (matches MM's
+                    // AcqEngJAdapter.onAcquisitionEnded); also what the save guard checks to skip aborted/empty runs
                     datastore_ = null;
-                    // reset for the next run; must be here (always runs), not in finish() which can throw
-                    acquisitionStarted_ = false;
                     // LSM-ACQ-STOP in the innermost finally: fires on completion, error, abort, throwing finish()
                     if (runId != -1) {
                         final long elapsedMs = (System.nanoTime() - startNs) / 1_000_000L;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineDispim.java b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineDispim.java
index 65df9d8..2a4505e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineDispim.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineDispim.java
@@ -564,9 +564,9 @@ void finish() {
 
         // TODO: execute any end-acquisition runnables
 
-        // don't save if the run never started or produced no images
-        if (acquisitionStarted_ && acqSettings_.isSavingImagesDuringAcquisition()
-                && datastore_.getNumImages() > 0) {
+        // save only if this run created a store with images
+        if (acqSettings_.isSavingImagesDuringAcquisition()
+                && datastore_ != null && datastore_.getNumImages() > 0) {
             final String savePath = FileUtils.createUniquePath(
                     acqSettings_.saveDirectory(), acqSettings_.saveNamePrefix());
             try {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineScape.java b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineScape.java
index f7b8d50..aaad5a6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineScape.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/micromanager/lightsheetmanager/model/acquisitions/AcquisitionEngineScape.java
@@ -789,9 +789,9 @@ void finish() {
 
         // TODO: execute any end-acquisition runnables
 
-        // don't save if the run never started or produced no images
-        if (acquisitionStarted_ && acqSettings_.isSavingImagesDuringAcquisition()
-                && datastore_.getNumImages() > 0) {
+        // save only if this run created a store with images
+        if (acqSettings_.isSavingImagesDuringAcquisition()
+                && datastore_ != null && datastore_.getNumImages() > 0) {
             final String savePath = FileUtils.createUniquePath(
                     acqSettings_.saveDirectory(), acqSettings_.saveNamePrefix());
             try {