diff --git a/ArduPlane/ArduPlane.cpp b/ArduPlane/ArduPlane.cpp
index 145d880535..463f7c2f6f 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/ArduPlane.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/ArduPlane.cpp
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ void Plane::obc_fs_check(void)
 {
 #if OBC_FAILSAFE == ENABLED
     // perform OBC failsafe checks
-    obc.check(OBC_MODE(control_mode), failsafe.last_heartbeat_ms, geofence_breached(), failsafe.last_valid_rc_ms);
+    obc.check(OBC_MODE(control_mode), failsafe.last_heartbeat_ms, geofence_breached(), failsafe.AFS_last_valid_rc_ms);
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.cpp b/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
index 443f70d315..87089fcea3 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
@@ -1848,6 +1848,7 @@ void GCS_MAVLINK::handleMessage(mavlink_message_t* msg)
 
         if (hal.rcin->set_overrides(v, 8)) {
             plane.failsafe.last_valid_rc_ms = AP_HAL::millis();
+            plane.failsafe.AFS_last_valid_rc_ms =  plane.failsafe.last_valid_rc_ms;
         }
 
         // a RC override message is consiered to be a 'heartbeat' from
diff --git a/ArduPlane/Plane.h b/ArduPlane/Plane.h
index 507b5360f7..507a5ac342 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/Plane.h
+++ b/ArduPlane/Plane.h
@@ -345,6 +345,10 @@ private:
         uint32_t ch3_timer_ms;
         
         uint32_t last_valid_rc_ms;
+
+        //keeps track of the last valid rc as it relates to the AFS system
+        //Does not count rc inputs as valid if the standard failsafe is on
+        uint32_t AFS_last_valid_rc_ms;
     } failsafe;
 
     // A counter used to count down valid gps fixes to allow the gps estimate to settle
diff --git a/ArduPlane/radio.cpp b/ArduPlane/radio.cpp
index 81bc6acd91..6f8c60e77d 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/radio.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/radio.cpp
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ void Plane::read_radio()
         return;
     }
 
+    if(!failsafe.ch3_failsafe)
+    {
+        failsafe.AFS_last_valid_rc_ms = millis();
+    }
+
     failsafe.last_valid_rc_ms = millis();
 
     elevon.ch1_temp = channel_roll->read();