diff --git a/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS.cpp b/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS.cpp
index 356f72c84c..efc2e12f90 100644
--- a/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS.cpp
+++ b/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ const MAV_MISSION_TYPE GCS_MAVLINK::supported_mission_types[] = {
  */
 void GCS::send_textv(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, va_list arg_list)
 {
-    char text[MAVLINK_MSG_STATUSTEXT_FIELD_TEXT_LEN+1];
-    hal.util->vsnprintf(text, sizeof(text), fmt, arg_list);
     uint8_t mask = GCS_MAVLINK::active_channel_mask() | GCS_MAVLINK::streaming_channel_mask();
     if (!update_send_has_been_called) {
         // we have not yet initialised the streaming-channel-mask,
@@ -46,7 +44,7 @@ void GCS::send_textv(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, va_list arg_list)
         // it to all channels:
         mask = (1<<_num_gcs)-1;
     }
-    send_statustext(severity, mask, text);
+    send_textv(severity, fmt, arg_list, mask);
 }
 
 void GCS::send_text(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, ...)
diff --git a/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS.h b/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS.h
index fbc7e476e6..5c345748db 100644
--- a/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS.h
+++ b/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS.h
@@ -838,8 +838,8 @@ public:
 
     void send_text(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, ...) FMT_PRINTF(3, 4);
     void send_textv(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, va_list arg_list);
-    virtual void send_statustext(MAV_SEVERITY severity, uint8_t dest_bitmask, const char *text);
-    void service_statustext(void);
+    virtual void send_textv(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, va_list arg_list, uint8_t mask);
+
     virtual GCS_MAVLINK *chan(const uint8_t ofs) = 0;
     virtual const GCS_MAVLINK *chan(const uint8_t ofs) const = 0;
     // return the number of valid GCS objects
@@ -938,6 +938,7 @@ private:
 
     void update_sensor_status_flags();
 
+    void service_statustext(void);
 #if HAL_MEM_CLASS <= HAL_MEM_CLASS_192 || CONFIG_HAL_BOARD == HAL_BOARD_SITL
     static const uint8_t _status_capacity = 5;
 #else
diff --git a/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS_Common.cpp b/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS_Common.cpp
index 500ba3dd5d..14aaf78cae 100644
--- a/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS_Common.cpp
+++ b/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS_Common.cpp
@@ -600,12 +600,10 @@ void GCS_MAVLINK::handle_param_value(const mavlink_message_t &msg)
 
 void GCS_MAVLINK::send_text(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, ...) const
 {
-    char text[MAVLINK_MSG_STATUSTEXT_FIELD_TEXT_LEN+1];
     va_list arg_list;
     va_start(arg_list, fmt);
-    hal.util->vsnprintf(text, sizeof(text), fmt, arg_list);
+    gcs().send_textv(severity, fmt, arg_list, (1<<chan));
     va_end(arg_list);
-    gcs().send_statustext(severity, (1<<chan), text);
 }
 
 void GCS_MAVLINK::handle_radio_status(const mavlink_message_t &msg, bool log_radio)
@@ -1762,13 +1760,14 @@ void GCS_MAVLINK::send_ahrs()
 /*
     send a statustext text string to specific MAVLink bitmask
 */
-void GCS::send_statustext(MAV_SEVERITY severity, uint8_t dest_bitmask, const char *text)
+void GCS::send_textv(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, va_list arg_list, uint8_t dest_bitmask)
 {
+    char text[MAVLINK_MSG_STATUSTEXT_FIELD_TEXT_LEN+1];
+    if (hal.util->vsnprintf(text, sizeof(text), fmt, arg_list) > MAVLINK_MSG_STATUSTEXT_FIELD_TEXT_LEN+1) {
 #if CONFIG_HAL_BOARD == HAL_BOARD_SITL
-    if (strlen(text) > MAVLINK_MSG_STATUSTEXT_FIELD_TEXT_LEN) {
         AP_HAL::panic("Statustext (%s) too long", text);
-    }
 #endif
+    }
 
     AP_Logger *logger = AP_Logger::get_singleton();
     if (logger != nullptr) {
diff --git a/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS_Dummy.h b/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS_Dummy.h
index 8322f4f157..057c3f6b79 100644
--- a/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS_Dummy.h
+++ b/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/GCS_Dummy.h
@@ -85,7 +85,10 @@ private:
         return (GCS_MAVLINK_Dummy *)_chan[ofs];
     };
 
-    void send_statustext(MAV_SEVERITY severity, uint8_t dest_bitmask, const char *text) override { hal.console->printf("TOGCS: %s\n", text); }
+    void send_textv(MAV_SEVERITY severity, const char *fmt, va_list arg_list, uint8_t dest_bitmask) override {
+        hal.console->printf("TOGCS: ");
+        hal.console->vprintf(fmt, arg_list);
+    }
 
     MAV_TYPE frame_type() const override { return MAV_TYPE_FIXED_WING; }
     uint32_t custom_mode() const override { return 3; } // magic number