diff --git a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.cpp b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.cpp
index aa12b79974..a13d3cfd8f 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.cpp
@@ -13,36 +13,13 @@
    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
-#include <AP_HAL/AP_HAL.h>
-#include "AP_RangeFinder_LightWareSerial.h"
-#include <AP_SerialManager/AP_SerialManager.h>
-#include <ctype.h>
 #include "AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.h"
 
+#include <AP_HAL/AP_HAL.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
+
 extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
 
-// constructor initialises the rangefinder
-// Note this is called after detect() returns true, so we
-// already know that we should setup the rangefinder
-AP_RangeFinder_NMEA::AP_RangeFinder_NMEA(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_State &_state,
-                                         AP_RangeFinder_Params &_params,
-                                         uint8_t serial_instance) :
-    AP_RangeFinder_Backend(_state, _params),
-    _distance_m(-1.0f)
-{
-    const AP_SerialManager &serial_manager = AP::serialmanager();
-    uart = serial_manager.find_serial(AP_SerialManager::SerialProtocol_Rangefinder, serial_instance);
-    if (uart != nullptr) {
-        uart->begin(serial_manager.find_baudrate(AP_SerialManager::SerialProtocol_Rangefinder, serial_instance));
-    }
-}
-
-// detect if a NMEA rangefinder by looking to see if the user has configured it
-bool AP_RangeFinder_NMEA::detect(uint8_t serial_instance)
-{
-    return AP::serialmanager().find_serial(AP_SerialManager::SerialProtocol_Rangefinder, serial_instance) != nullptr;
-}
-
 // update the state of the sensor
 void AP_RangeFinder_NMEA::update(void)
 {
diff --git a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.h b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.h
index 743b7e8537..ca0d44f5c9 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_NMEA.h
@@ -16,19 +16,14 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "RangeFinder.h"
-#include "RangeFinder_Backend.h"
+#include "RangeFinder_Backend_Serial.h"
 
-class AP_RangeFinder_NMEA : public AP_RangeFinder_Backend
+class AP_RangeFinder_NMEA : public AP_RangeFinder_Backend_Serial
 {
 
 public:
-    // constructor
-    AP_RangeFinder_NMEA(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_State &_state,
-                        AP_RangeFinder_Params &_params,
-                        uint8_t serial_instance);
 
-    // static detection function
-    static bool detect(uint8_t serial_instance);
+    using AP_RangeFinder_Backend_Serial::AP_RangeFinder_Backend_Serial;
 
     // update state
     void update(void) override;
@@ -60,13 +55,11 @@ private:
     // returns true if new sentence has just passed checksum test and is validated
     bool decode_latest_term();
 
-    AP_HAL::UARTDriver *uart = nullptr;     // pointer to serial uart
-
     // message decoding related members
     char _term[15];                         // buffer for the current term within the current sentence
     uint8_t _term_offset;                   // offset within the _term buffer where the next character should be placed
     uint8_t _term_number;                   // term index within the current sentence
-    float _distance_m;                      // distance in meters parsed from a term, -1 if no distance
+    float _distance_m = -1.0f;                      // distance in meters parsed from a term, -1 if no distance
     uint8_t _checksum;                      // checksum accumulator
     bool _term_is_checksum;                 // current term is the checksum
     sentence_types _sentence_type;          // the sentence type currently being processed