diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_SITL/UARTDriver.cpp b/libraries/AP_HAL_SITL/UARTDriver.cpp
index 9e02baca34..e38cec50bf 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_SITL/UARTDriver.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_SITL/UARTDriver.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ bool UARTDriver::_console;
 
 /* UARTDriver method implementations */
 
-void UARTDriver::begin(uint32_t baud, uint16_t rxSpace, uint16_t txSpace)
+void UARTDriver::_begin(uint32_t baud, uint16_t rxSpace, uint16_t txSpace)
 {
     if (_portNumber >= ARRAY_SIZE(_sitlState->_uart_path)) {
         AP_HAL::panic("port number out of range; you may need to extend _sitlState->_uart_path");
@@ -195,11 +195,11 @@ void UARTDriver::begin(uint32_t baud, uint16_t rxSpace, uint16_t txSpace)
     _set_nonblocking(_fd);
 }
 
-void UARTDriver::end()
+void UARTDriver::_end()
 {
 }
 
-uint32_t UARTDriver::available(void)
+uint32_t UARTDriver::_available(void)
 {
     _check_connection();
 
@@ -219,26 +219,18 @@ uint32_t UARTDriver::txspace(void)
     return _writebuffer.space();
 }
 
-bool UARTDriver::read(uint8_t &c)
-{
-    if (read(&c, 1) == 0) {
-        return false;
-    }
-    return true;
-}
-
-ssize_t UARTDriver::read(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t count)
+ssize_t UARTDriver::_read(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t count)
 {
     return _readbuffer.read(buffer, count);
 }
 
-bool UARTDriver::discard_input(void)
+bool UARTDriver::_discard_input(void)
 {
     _readbuffer.clear();
     return true;
 }
 
-void UARTDriver::flush(void)
+void UARTDriver::_flush(void)
 {
     // flush the write buffer - but don't fail and don't
     // infinitely-loop.  This is not a good definition of "flush", but
@@ -262,20 +254,7 @@ void UARTDriver::flush(void)
     }
 }
 
-// size_t UARTDriver::write(uint8_t c)
-// {
-//     if (txspace() <= 0) {
-//         return 0;
-//     }
-//     _writebuffer.write(&c, 1);
-//     return 1;
-// }
-
-size_t UARTDriver::write(uint8_t c)
-{
-    return write(&c, 1);
-}
-size_t UARTDriver::write(const uint8_t *buffer, size_t size)
+size_t UARTDriver::_write(const uint8_t *buffer, size_t size)
 {
     if (txspace() <= size) {
         size = txspace();
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_SITL/UARTDriver.h b/libraries/AP_HAL_SITL/UARTDriver.h
index a41582b23b..02878d2fd2 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_SITL/UARTDriver.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_SITL/UARTDriver.h
@@ -25,39 +25,18 @@ public:
         _listen_fd = -1;
     }
 
-    /* Implementations of UARTDriver virtual methods */
-    void begin(uint32_t b) override {
-        begin(b, 0, 0);
-    }
-    void begin(uint32_t b, uint16_t rxS, uint16_t txS) override;
-    void end() override;
-    void flush() override;
     bool is_initialized() override {
         return true;
     }
 
     ssize_t get_system_outqueue_length() const;
 
-    void set_blocking_writes(bool blocking) override
-    {
-        _nonblocking_writes = !blocking;
-    }
-
     bool tx_pending() override {
         return false;
     }
 
     /* Implementations of Stream virtual methods */
-    uint32_t available() override;
     uint32_t txspace() override;
-    bool read(uint8_t &b) override WARN_IF_UNUSED;
-    ssize_t read(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t count) override;
-
-    bool discard_input() override;
-
-    /* Implementations of Print virtual methods */
-    size_t write(uint8_t c) override;
-    size_t write(const uint8_t *buffer, size_t size) override;
 
     bool _unbuffered_writes;
 
@@ -83,7 +62,7 @@ public:
       A return value of zero means the HAL does not support this API
      */
     uint64_t receive_time_constraint_us(uint16_t nbytes) override;
-    
+
 private:
 
     int _fd;
@@ -98,7 +77,6 @@ private:
     struct sockaddr_in _listen_sockaddr;
     int _serial_port;
     static bool _console;
-    bool _nonblocking_writes;
     ByteBuffer _readbuffer{16384};
     ByteBuffer _writebuffer{16384};
 
@@ -147,6 +125,15 @@ private:
         uint32_t first_emit_micros_us;
     } logic_async_csv;
     uint16_t read_from_async_csv(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t space);
+
+protected:
+    void _begin(uint32_t b, uint16_t rxS, uint16_t txS) override;
+    size_t _write(const uint8_t *buffer, size_t size) override;
+    ssize_t _read(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t count) override;
+    uint32_t _available() override;
+    void _end() override;
+    void _flush() override;
+    bool _discard_input() override;
 };
 
 #endif