A magnetic bearing system allows a movable body to be positioned to a point of substantial equilibrium in an axial direction after a system shutdown. A sensor measures the axial position of the movable body to produce an displacement output. That output is then adjusted to account for a sensor offset. The adjustment is stored and can be used to position the movable body during regular operation of the system or when the system reboots or restarts. The adjusted displacement output is converted into a force for positioning the movable body. The movable body may be a rotor in a heart pump apparatus.