diff --git a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.pde b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.pde
index cee23a0ddf..0d7d671550 100644
--- a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.pde
+++ b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.pde
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ static NOINLINE void send_attitude(mavlink_channel_t chan)
         omega.z);
 }
 
-static NOINLINE void send_extended_status1(mavlink_channel_t chan, uint16_t packet_drops)
+static NOINLINE void send_extended_status1(mavlink_channel_t chan)
 {
     uint32_t control_sensors_present;
     uint32_t control_sensors_enabled;
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ static bool telemetry_delayed(mavlink_channel_t chan)
 
 
 // try to send a message, return false if it won't fit in the serial tx buffer
-static bool mavlink_try_send_message(mavlink_channel_t chan, enum ap_message id, uint16_t packet_drops)
+bool GCS_MAVLINK::try_send_message(enum ap_message id)
 {
     int16_t payload_space = comm_get_txspace(chan) - MAVLINK_NUM_NON_PAYLOAD_BYTES;
 
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ static bool mavlink_try_send_message(mavlink_channel_t chan, enum ap_message id,
 
     case MSG_EXTENDED_STATUS1:
         CHECK_PAYLOAD_SIZE(SYS_STATUS);
-        send_extended_status1(chan, packet_drops);
+        send_extended_status1(chan);
         CHECK_PAYLOAD_SIZE(POWER_STATUS);
         gcs[chan-MAVLINK_COMM_0].send_power_status();
         break;
@@ -666,84 +666,6 @@ static bool mavlink_try_send_message(mavlink_channel_t chan, enum ap_message id,
     return true;
 }
 
-
-#define MAX_DEFERRED_MESSAGES MSG_RETRY_DEFERRED
-static struct mavlink_queue {
-    enum ap_message deferred_messages[MAX_DEFERRED_MESSAGES];
-    uint8_t next_deferred_message;
-    uint8_t num_deferred_messages;
-} mavlink_queue[MAVLINK_COMM_NUM_BUFFERS];
-
-// send a message using mavlink
-static void mavlink_send_message(mavlink_channel_t chan, enum ap_message id, uint16_t packet_drops)
-{
-    uint8_t i, nextid;
-    struct mavlink_queue *q = &mavlink_queue[(uint8_t)chan];
-
-    // see if we can send the deferred messages, if any
-    while (q->num_deferred_messages != 0) {
-        if (!mavlink_try_send_message(chan,
-                                      q->deferred_messages[q->next_deferred_message],
-                                      packet_drops)) {
-            break;
-        }
-        q->next_deferred_message++;
-        if (q->next_deferred_message == MAX_DEFERRED_MESSAGES) {
-            q->next_deferred_message = 0;
-        }
-        q->num_deferred_messages--;
-    }
-
-    if (id == MSG_RETRY_DEFERRED) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    // this message id might already be deferred
-    for (i=0, nextid = q->next_deferred_message; i < q->num_deferred_messages; i++) {
-        if (q->deferred_messages[nextid] == id) {
-            // its already deferred, discard
-            return;
-        }
-        nextid++;
-        if (nextid == MAX_DEFERRED_MESSAGES) {
-            nextid = 0;
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (q->num_deferred_messages != 0 ||
-        !mavlink_try_send_message(chan, id, packet_drops)) {
-        // can't send it now, so defer it
-        if (q->num_deferred_messages == MAX_DEFERRED_MESSAGES) {
-            // the defer buffer is full, discard
-            return;
-        }
-        nextid = q->next_deferred_message + q->num_deferred_messages;
-        if (nextid >= MAX_DEFERRED_MESSAGES) {
-            nextid -= MAX_DEFERRED_MESSAGES;
-        }
-        q->deferred_messages[nextid] = id;
-        q->num_deferred_messages++;
-    }
-}
-
-void mavlink_send_text(mavlink_channel_t chan, gcs_severity severity, const char *str)
-{
-    if (telemetry_delayed(chan)) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (severity == SEVERITY_LOW) {
-        // send via the deferred queuing system
-        mavlink_statustext_t *s = &gcs[chan-MAVLINK_COMM_0].pending_status;
-        s->severity = (uint8_t)severity;
-        strncpy((char *)s->text, str, sizeof(s->text));
-        mavlink_send_message(chan, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
-    } else {
-        // send immediately
-        mavlink_msg_statustext_send(chan, severity, str);
-    }
-}
-
 /*
   default stream rates to 1Hz
  */
@@ -873,9 +795,6 @@ GCS_MAVLINK::update(void)
         }
     }
 
-    // Update packet drops counter
-    packet_drops += status.packet_rx_drop_count;
-
     if (!waypoint_receiving) {
         return;
     }
@@ -1026,12 +945,6 @@ GCS_MAVLINK::data_stream_send(void)
 
 
 
-void
-GCS_MAVLINK::send_message(enum ap_message id)
-{
-    mavlink_send_message(chan,id, packet_drops);
-}
-
 void GCS_MAVLINK::handle_guided_request(AP_Mission::Mission_Command &cmd)
 {
     guided_WP = cmd.content.location;
@@ -1516,11 +1429,11 @@ void gcs_send_text_fmt(const prog_char_t *fmt, ...)
 #if LOGGING_ENABLED == ENABLED
     DataFlash.Log_Write_Message(gcs[0].pending_status.text);
 #endif
-    mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_0, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
+    gcs[0].send_message(MSG_STATUSTEXT);
     for (uint8_t i=1; i<num_gcs; i++) {
         if (gcs[i].initialised) {
             gcs[i].pending_status = gcs[0].pending_status;
-            mavlink_send_message((mavlink_channel_t)i, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
+            gcs[i].send_message(MSG_STATUSTEXT);
         }
     }
 }