diff --git a/ArduCopter/GCS_Mavlink.pde b/ArduCopter/GCS_Mavlink.pde
index 14e8cf1ce3..1eef88ec3f 100644
--- a/ArduCopter/GCS_Mavlink.pde
+++ b/ArduCopter/GCS_Mavlink.pde
@@ -1799,5 +1799,7 @@ static void gcs_send_text_fmt(const prog_char_t *fmt, ...)
     vsnprintf((char *)pending_status.text, sizeof(pending_status.text), fmtstr, ap);
     va_end(ap);
     mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_0, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
-    mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_1, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
+    if (gcs3.initialised) {
+        mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_1, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.pde b/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.pde
index eee368cbf2..b2f5884cba 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.pde
+++ b/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.pde
@@ -2103,5 +2103,7 @@ static void gcs_send_text_fmt(const prog_char_t *fmt, ...)
     vsnprintf((char *)pending_status.text, sizeof(pending_status.text), fmtstr, ap);
     va_end(ap);
     mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_0, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
-    mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_1, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
+    if (gcs3.initialised) {
+        mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_1, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
+    }
 }