diff --git a/ArduCopterMega/ArduCopterMega.pde b/ArduCopterMega/ArduCopterMega.pde
index 715fa46572..e9fe2e8fb4 100644
--- a/ArduCopterMega/ArduCopterMega.pde
+++ b/ArduCopterMega/ArduCopterMega.pde
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ void medium_loop()
 			medium_loopCounter++;
 
 
-			if(Serial1.available() > 0){
+			if(GPS_disabled == false){
 				update_GPS();
 			}
 
@@ -785,7 +785,6 @@ void update_GPS(void)
 	update_GPS_light();
 
     if (g_gps->new_data && g_gps->fix) {
-		GPS_disabled = false;
 
 		// XXX We should be sending GPS data off one of the regular loops so that we send
 		// no-GPS-fix data too
diff --git a/ArduCopterMega/system.pde b/ArduCopterMega/system.pde
index f698fd3f79..6e87090688 100644
--- a/ArduCopterMega/system.pde
+++ b/ArduCopterMega/system.pde
@@ -254,8 +254,20 @@ void startup_ground(void)
 	// -------------------
 	init_commands();
 
-    // clear out the GPS buffer
-	Serial1.flush();
+    byte counter = 4;
+    GPS_disabled = true;
+
+    // Read in the GPS
+	for (byte counter = 0; ; counter++) {
+		g_gps->update();
+		if (g_gps->status() != 0){
+			break;
+		}
+		if (counter >= 4) {
+			GPS_disabled = true;
+			break;
+	    }
+	}
 
 	gcs.send_text_P(SEVERITY_LOW,PSTR("\n\n Ready to FLY."));
 }