Systems and methods for ring laser gyroscopes (RLGs) are provided. An RLG includes a traveling-wave resonator cavity with three or more mirrors and a gain medium positioned in the traveling-wave resonator cavity between two of the three or more mirrors. The gain medium is a solid-state gain medium or a nonlinear optical medium. The RLG further includes a first pump laser and a second pump laser to pump the gain medium in different directions and generate first and second lasing signals that traverse the traveling-wave resonator cavity in a opposite directions. The RLG further includes first and second photodetectors to measure levels of the first and second lasing signals. The RLG further includes at least one processor configured to adjust a power level of the first pump laser and/or a power level of the second pump laser based on the measured power levels of the first and second lasing signals.