Fast cross direction caliper control recovery time in a sheet making machine during startup of the machine after a sheet break is achieved provided that a preselected time duration measured from the occurrence of the sheet break to the clearing of sheet break has elapsed. One or both of calender stack conditioning and conditioning of a measurement from a sensor for measuring caliper of the sheet, both with feedback CD control suspended, can be selectably performed. These operations can be performed concurrently if the selected time duration for both are identical. A closed loop change in a set of control tuning parameters of a PI controller providing feedback caliper control of actuators associated with the calender stack can be performed after either or both of the other operations are performed.