diff --git a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.cpp b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
index 057972f1da..d2dfeb1e06 100644
--- a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
+++ b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.cpp
@@ -1070,6 +1070,19 @@ void GCS_MAVLINK_Rover::handleMessage(mavlink_message_t* msg)
     }  // end switch
 }  // end handle mavlink
 
+uint64_t GCS_MAVLINK_Rover::capabilities() const
+{
+    return (MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_MISSION_FLOAT |
+            MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_PARAM_FLOAT |
+            MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_MISSION_INT |
+            MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_COMMAND_INT |
+            MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_SET_POSITION_TARGET_LOCAL_NED |
+            MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_SET_POSITION_TARGET_GLOBAL_INT |
+            MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_SET_ATTITUDE_TARGET |
+            MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_COMPASS_CALIBRATION |
+            GCS_MAVLINK::capabilities());
+}
+
 /*
  *  a delay() callback that processes MAVLink packets. We set this as the
  *  callback in long running library initialisation routines to allow
diff --git a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.h b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.h
index 4fd0344062..97efcc98c3 100644
--- a/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.h
+++ b/APMrover2/GCS_Mavlink.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ protected:
 
     bool set_home_to_current_location(bool lock) override;
     bool set_home(const Location& loc, bool lock) override;
+    uint64_t capabilities() const override;
 
     void send_nav_controller_output() const override;
 
diff --git a/APMrover2/Rover.h b/APMrover2/Rover.h
index acf018ee69..ff938b792c 100644
--- a/APMrover2/Rover.h
+++ b/APMrover2/Rover.h
@@ -396,9 +396,6 @@ private:
     void balancebot_pitch_control(float &throttle);
     bool is_balancebot() const;
 
-    // capabilities.cpp
-    void init_capabilities(void);
-
     // commands_logic.cpp
     void update_mission(void);
 
diff --git a/APMrover2/capabilities.cpp b/APMrover2/capabilities.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 7bef67ef98..0000000000
--- a/APMrover2/capabilities.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#include "Rover.h"
-
-void Rover::init_capabilities(void)
-{
-    hal.util->set_capabilities(MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_MISSION_FLOAT |
-                               MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_PARAM_FLOAT |
-                               MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_MISSION_INT |
-                               MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_COMMAND_INT |
-                               MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_SET_POSITION_TARGET_LOCAL_NED |
-                               MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_SET_POSITION_TARGET_GLOBAL_INT |
-                               MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_SET_ATTITUDE_TARGET |
-                               MAV_PROTOCOL_CAPABILITY_COMPASS_CALIBRATION);
-}
diff --git a/APMrover2/system.cpp b/APMrover2/system.cpp
index 557daccf79..6bbba0ef3b 100644
--- a/APMrover2/system.cpp
+++ b/APMrover2/system.cpp
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ void Rover::init_ardupilot()
                         AP::fwversion().fw_string,
                         (unsigned)hal.util->available_memory());
 
-    init_capabilities();
-
     //
     // Check the EEPROM format version before loading any parameters from EEPROM.
     //