For improved real-time process control we integrated a novel optical in-situ monitoring system in a vertical reactor for hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) growth of gallium nitride (GaN) bulk crystals. The in-situ monitoring system consists of a fiber-optical interferometric sensor in combination with an optimized differential measuring head. The system only needs one small optical path perpendicular to the center of the layer stack typically consisting of sapphire as substrate and GaN. It can handle sample distances up to 1 m without difficulty. The in-situ monitoring system is simultaneously measuring the optical layer thicknesses of the GaN/sapphire layer stack and the absolute change of the distance between the measuring head and the backside of the layer stack. From this data it is possible to calculate the thickness of the growing GaN up to a thickness of about 1000 mu m and the absolute change in curvature of the layer stack. The performance of the in-situ monitoring system is shown and discussed based on the measured interference signals recorded during a short-time and a long-Lime HVPE growth run. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.