diff --git a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.cpp b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
index 65e75a7993..8963047c36 100644
--- a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
+++ b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ void GCS_MAVLINK_Rover::packetReceived(const mavlink_status_t &status, const mav
 /*
   default stream rates to 1Hz
  */
-const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
+const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters::var_info[] = {
     // @Param: RAW_SENS
     // @DisplayName: Raw sensor stream rate
     // @Description: Raw sensor stream rate to ground station
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("RAW_SENS", 0, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[0],  1),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("RAW_SENS", 0, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[0],  1),
 
     // @Param: EXT_STAT
     // @DisplayName: Extended status stream rate to ground station
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("EXT_STAT", 1, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[1],  1),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("EXT_STAT", 1, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[1],  1),
 
     // @Param: RC_CHAN
     // @DisplayName: RC Channel stream rate to ground station
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("RC_CHAN",  2, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[2],  1),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("RC_CHAN",  2, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[2],  1),
 
     // @Param: RAW_CTRL
     // @DisplayName: Raw Control stream rate to ground station
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("RAW_CTRL", 3, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[3],  1),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("RAW_CTRL", 3, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[3],  1),
 
     // @Param: POSITION
     // @DisplayName: Position stream rate to ground station
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("POSITION", 4, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[4],  1),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("POSITION", 4, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[4],  1),
 
     // @Param: EXTRA1
     // @DisplayName: Extra data type 1 stream rate to ground station
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("EXTRA1",   5, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[5],  1),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("EXTRA1",   5, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[5],  1),
 
     // @Param: EXTRA2
     // @DisplayName: Extra data type 2 stream rate to ground station
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("EXTRA2",   6, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[6],  1),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("EXTRA2",   6, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[6],  1),
 
     // @Param: EXTRA3
     // @DisplayName: Extra data type 3 stream rate to ground station
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("EXTRA3",   7, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[7],  1),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("EXTRA3",   7, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[7],  1),
 
     // @Param: PARAMS
     // @DisplayName: Parameter stream rate to ground station
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 10
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("PARAMS",   8, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[8],  10),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("PARAMS",   8, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[8],  10),
 
     // @Param: ADSB
     // @DisplayName: ADSB stream rate to ground station
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ const AP_Param::GroupInfo GCS_MAVLINK::var_info[] = {
     // @Range: 0 50
     // @Increment: 1
     // @User: Advanced
-    AP_GROUPINFO("ADSB",   9, GCS_MAVLINK, streamRates[9],  0),
+    AP_GROUPINFO("ADSB",   9, GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters, streamRates[9],  0),
 
     AP_GROUPEND
 };
@@ -1069,9 +1069,6 @@ uint64_t GCS_MAVLINK_Rover::capabilities() const
 void Rover::mavlink_delay_cb()
 {
     static uint32_t last_1hz, last_50hz, last_5s;
-    if (!gcs().chan(0).initialised) {
-        return;
-    }
 
     // don't allow potentially expensive logging calls:
     logger.EnableWrites(false);
diff --git a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.h b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.h
index affe687e67..1c6d9a8402 100644
--- a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.h
+++ b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.h
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ class GCS_MAVLINK_Rover : public GCS_MAVLINK
 {
 public:
 
+    using GCS_MAVLINK::GCS_MAVLINK;
+
 protected:
 
     uint32_t telem_delay() const override;
diff --git a/APMrover2/GCS_Rover.h b/APMrover2/GCS_Rover.h
index abb0f553ba..8ac6481a46 100644
--- a/APMrover2/GCS_Rover.h
+++ b/APMrover2/GCS_Rover.h
@@ -9,24 +9,21 @@ class GCS_Rover : public GCS
 
 public:
 
-    // return the number of valid GCS objects
-    uint8_t num_gcs() const override { return ARRAY_SIZE(_chan); };
-
     // return GCS link at offset ofs
-    GCS_MAVLINK_Rover &chan(uint8_t ofs) override {
-        if (ofs >= num_gcs()) {
+    GCS_MAVLINK_Rover *chan(const uint8_t ofs) override {
+        if (ofs > _num_gcs) {
             AP::internalerror().error(AP_InternalError::error_t::gcs_offset);
-            ofs = 0;
+            return nullptr;
         }
-        return _chan[ofs];
+        return (GCS_MAVLINK_Rover*)_chan[ofs];
     }
     // return GCS link at offset ofs
-    const GCS_MAVLINK_Rover &chan(uint8_t ofs) const override {
-        if (ofs >= num_gcs()) {
+    const GCS_MAVLINK_Rover *chan(const uint8_t ofs) const override {
+        if (ofs > _num_gcs) {
             AP::internalerror().error(AP_InternalError::error_t::gcs_offset);
-            ofs = 0;
+            return nullptr;
         }
-        return _chan[ofs];
+        return (GCS_MAVLINK_Rover*)_chan[ofs];
     }
 
     uint32_t custom_mode() const override;
@@ -39,8 +36,11 @@ public:
     bool simple_input_active() const override;
     bool supersimple_input_active() const override;
 
-private:
+protected:
 
-    GCS_MAVLINK_Rover _chan[MAVLINK_COMM_NUM_BUFFERS];
+    GCS_MAVLINK_Rover *new_gcs_mavlink_backend(GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters &params,
+                                               AP_HAL::UARTDriver &uart) override {
+        return new GCS_MAVLINK_Rover(params, uart);
+    }
 
 };
diff --git a/APMrover2/Parameters.cpp b/APMrover2/Parameters.cpp
index 1422adb978..6c20e944d3 100644
--- a/APMrover2/Parameters.cpp
+++ b/APMrover2/Parameters.cpp
@@ -252,19 +252,19 @@ const AP_Param::Info Rover::var_info[] = {
 
     // @Group: SR0_
     // @Path: GCS_Mavlink.cpp
-    GOBJECTN(_gcs._chan[0], gcs0,        "SR0_",     GCS_MAVLINK),
+    GOBJECTN(_gcs.chan_parameters[0], gcs0,        "SR0_",     GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters),
 
     // @Group: SR1_
     // @Path: GCS_Mavlink.cpp
-    GOBJECTN(_gcs._chan[1],  gcs1,       "SR1_",     GCS_MAVLINK),
+    GOBJECTN(_gcs.chan_parameters[1],  gcs1,       "SR1_",     GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters),
 
     // @Group: SR2_
     // @Path: GCS_Mavlink.cpp
-    GOBJECTN(_gcs._chan[2],  gcs2,       "SR2_",     GCS_MAVLINK),
+    GOBJECTN(_gcs.chan_parameters[2],  gcs2,       "SR2_",     GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters),
 
     // @Group: SR3_
     // @Path: GCS_Mavlink.cpp
-    GOBJECTN(_gcs._chan[3],  gcs3,       "SR3_",     GCS_MAVLINK),
+    GOBJECTN(_gcs.chan_parameters[3],  gcs3,       "SR3_",     GCS_MAVLINK_Parameters),
 
     // @Group: SERIAL
     // @Path: ../libraries/AP_SerialManager/AP_SerialManager.cpp
diff --git a/APMrover2/mode_auto.cpp b/APMrover2/mode_auto.cpp
index ded181b3fe..8a2f2e3967 100644
--- a/APMrover2/mode_auto.cpp
+++ b/APMrover2/mode_auto.cpp
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ void ModeAuto::send_guided_position_target()
         uint8_t compid;
         mavlink_channel_t chan;
         if (GCS_MAVLINK::find_by_mavtype(MAV_TYPE_ONBOARD_CONTROLLER, sysid, compid, chan)) {
-            gcs().chan(chan-MAVLINK_COMM_0).send_set_position_target_global_int(sysid, compid, guided_target.loc);
+            gcs().chan(chan-MAVLINK_COMM_0)->send_set_position_target_global_int(sysid, compid, guided_target.loc);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/APMrover2/motor_test.cpp b/APMrover2/motor_test.cpp
index 37cd638128..c4b29d185e 100644
--- a/APMrover2/motor_test.cpp
+++ b/APMrover2/motor_test.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,11 @@ void Rover::motor_test_output()
 // return true if tests can continue, false if not
 bool Rover::mavlink_motor_test_check(mavlink_channel_t chan, bool check_rc, uint8_t motor_seq, uint8_t throttle_type, int16_t throttle_value)
 {
-    GCS_MAVLINK_Rover &gcs_chan = gcs().chan(chan-MAVLINK_COMM_0);
+    GCS_MAVLINK_Rover *gcs_chan_ptr = gcs().chan(chan-MAVLINK_COMM_0);
+    if (gcs_chan_ptr == nullptr) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    GCS_MAVLINK_Rover &gcs_chan = *gcs_chan_ptr;
 
     // check board has initialised
     if (!initialised) {
diff --git a/APMrover2/system.cpp b/APMrover2/system.cpp
index b0e6046141..74ab0aaafb 100644
--- a/APMrover2/system.cpp
+++ b/APMrover2/system.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ void Rover::init_ardupilot()
     serial_manager.init();
 
     // setup first port early to allow BoardConfig to report errors
-    gcs().chan(0).setup_uart(0);
+    gcs().setup_console();
 
     // Register mavlink_delay_cb, which will run anytime you have
     // more than 5ms remaining in your call to hal.scheduler->delay