diff --git a/mk/board_qflight.mk b/mk/board_qflight.mk
index 0dcb1640ac..965efbdbdc 100644
--- a/mk/board_qflight.mk
+++ b/mk/board_qflight.mk
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ LIBSKETCH_SKEL_SO	=	$(BUILDROOT)/libqflight_skel.so
 .SUFFIXES: .o .c .cpp .so .do
 
 # build DSP object from C file
-$(BUILDROOT)/libraries/%.do: $(SKETCHBOOK)/libraries/%.c
+$(BUILDROOT)/libraries/%.do: $(SKETCHBOOK)/libraries/%.c MAV_GEN
 	$(RULEHDR)
 	$(v)$(QURT_CC) $(DSP_FLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
diff --git a/mk/build_rules.mk b/mk/build_rules.mk
index 4280081e69..6565e75931 100644
--- a/mk/build_rules.mk
+++ b/mk/build_rules.mk
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 # Build sketch objects
 #
 
-$(BUILDROOT)/%.o: $(BUILDROOT)/%.cpp $(GENERATE_TARGETS)
+$(BUILDROOT)/%.o: $(BUILDROOT)/%.cpp $(GENERATE_TARGETS) MAV_GEN
 	$(RULEHDR)
 	$(v)$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c -o $@ $< $(SKETCH_INCLUDES)
 
-$(BUILDROOT)/%.o: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags $(SRCROOT)/%.cpp $(GENERATE_TARGETS)
+$(BUILDROOT)/%.o: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags $(SRCROOT)/%.cpp $(GENERATE_TARGETS) MAV_GEN
 	$(RULEHDR)
 	$(v)$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c -o $@ $*.cpp $(SKETCH_INCLUDES)
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ $(BUILDROOT)/%.o: $(SRCROOT)/%.S
 # Build library objects from sources in the sketchbook
 #
 
-$(BUILDROOT)/libraries/%.o: $(SKETCHBOOK)/libraries/%.cpp $(GENERATE_TARGETS)
+$(BUILDROOT)/libraries/%.o: $(SKETCHBOOK)/libraries/%.cpp $(GENERATE_TARGETS) MAV_GEN
 	$(RULEHDR)
 	$(v)$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c -o $@ $< $(SLIB_INCLUDES)
 
diff --git a/mk/check_modules.sh b/mk/check_modules.sh
index 0c070f20cc..5edad928fc 100755
--- a/mk/check_modules.sh
+++ b/mk/check_modules.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 echo "Checking modules"
 
-MODULE_LIST="PX4Firmware PX4NuttX uavcan"
+MODULE_LIST="PX4Firmware PX4NuttX uavcan mavlink"
 
 NEED_INIT=0
 
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ cd $(dirname "$0")/.. || exit 1
 
 for m in $MODULE_LIST; do
     [ -d modules/$m ] || {
-        echo "module/$m missing - need module init"
+        echo "modules/$m missing - need module init"
         NEED_INIT=1
         break
     }
     [ -f modules/$m/.git ] || {
-        echo "module/$m/.git missing - need module init"
+        echo "modules/$m/.git missing - need module init"
         NEED_INIT=1
         break
     }
diff --git a/mk/mavgen.mk b/mk/mavgen.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd01f39230
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mk/mavgen.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+
+# mavlink header generation
+MAVLINK_DIR := $(SKETCHBOOK)/modules/mavlink/
+MESSAGE_DEFINITIONS := $(SKETCHBOOK)/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0
+MAVLINK_HEADERS := $(BUILDROOT)/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/include/mavlink/v1.0/
+
+.PHONY: MAV_GEN
+
+MAV_GEN: $(MAVLINK_HEADERS) CHECK_MODULES
+
+$(MAVLINK_HEADERS): $(MESSAGE_DEFINITIONS)/ardupilotmega.xml $(MESSAGE_DEFINITIONS)/common.xml
+	echo "Generating MAVLink headers..."
+	#goto mavlink module directory and run the most recent generator script
+	echo "Generating C code using mavgen.py located at" $(SKETCHBOOK)/modules/mavlink/
+	PYTHONPATH=$(MAVLINK_DIR) python $(MAVLINK_DIR)/pymavlink/tools/mavgen.py --lang=C --wire-protocol=1.0 --output=$@ $(MAVLINK_DIR)/message_definitions/v1.0/ardupilotmega.xml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mk/modules.mk b/mk/modules.mk
index 6d653aff43..29d26d8fd5 100644
--- a/mk/modules.mk
+++ b/mk/modules.mk
@@ -2,9 +2,7 @@
 # git submodule support
 
 .PHONY: CHECK_MODULES
-
-# PX4 build needs submodules
-px4-%: CHECK_MODULES
+all: CHECK_MODULES
 
 CHECK_MODULES:
 	$(v)$(MK_DIR)/check_modules.sh
diff --git a/mk/px4_targets.mk b/mk/px4_targets.mk
index ae2b3802db..92b0c59c4f 100644
--- a/mk/px4_targets.mk
+++ b/mk/px4_targets.mk
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ module_mk:
 	$(v) cmp $(SKETCHBOOK)/module.mk $(SKETCHBOOK)/module.mk.new 2>/dev/null || mv $(SKETCHBOOK)/module.mk.new $(SKETCHBOOK)/module.mk
 	$(v) rm -f $(SKETCHBOOK)/module.mk.new
 
-px4-v1: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags CHECK_MODULES $(PX4_ROOT)/Archives/px4fmu-v1.export $(SKETCHCPP) module_mk px4-io-v1
+px4-v1: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags CHECK_MODULES MAV_GEN $(PX4_ROOT)/Archives/px4fmu-v1.export $(SKETCHCPP) module_mk px4-io-v1
 	$(RULEHDR)
 	$(v) rm -f $(PX4_ROOT)/makefiles/$(PX4_V1_CONFIG_FILE)
 	$(v) cp $(PX4_V1_CONFIG_FILE) $(PX4_ROOT)/makefiles/nuttx/
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ px4-v1: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags CHECK_MODULES $(PX4_ROOT)/Archives/px4fmu-v1.exp
 	$(v) $(SKETCHBOOK)/Tools/scripts/add_git_hashes.py $(HASHADDER_FLAGS) "$(SKETCH)-v1.px4" "$(SKETCH)-v1.px4"
 	$(v) echo "PX4 $(SKETCH) Firmware is in $(SKETCH)-v1.px4"
 
-px4-v2: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags CHECK_MODULES $(PX4_ROOT)/Archives/px4fmu-v2.export $(SKETCHCPP) module_mk px4-io-v2
+px4-v2: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags CHECK_MODULES MAV_GEN $(PX4_ROOT)/Archives/px4fmu-v2.export $(SKETCHCPP) module_mk px4-io-v2
 	$(RULEHDR)
 	$(v) rm -f $(PX4_ROOT)/makefiles/$(PX4_V2_CONFIG_FILE)
 	$(v) cp $(PX4_V2_CONFIG_FILE) $(PX4_ROOT)/makefiles/nuttx/
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ px4-v2: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags CHECK_MODULES $(PX4_ROOT)/Archives/px4fmu-v2.exp
 	$(v) $(SKETCHBOOK)/Tools/scripts/add_git_hashes.py $(HASHADDER_FLAGS) "$(SKETCH)-v2.px4" "$(SKETCH)-v2.px4"
 	$(v) echo "PX4 $(SKETCH) Firmware is in $(SKETCH)-v2.px4"
 
-px4-v4: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags CHECK_MODULES $(PX4_ROOT)/Archives/px4fmu-v4.export $(SKETCHCPP) module_mk
+px4-v4: $(BUILDROOT)/make.flags CHECK_MODULES MAV_GEN $(PX4_ROOT)/Archives/px4fmu-v4.export $(SKETCHCPP) module_mk
 	$(RULEHDR)
 	$(v) rm -f $(PX4_ROOT)/makefiles/$(PX4_V4_CONFIG_FILE)
 	$(v) cp $(PX4_V4_CONFIG_FILE) $(PX4_ROOT)/makefiles/nuttx/
diff --git a/mk/sketch_sources.mk b/mk/sketch_sources.mk
index 7882cc69ca..07d64f9ea4 100644
--- a/mk/sketch_sources.mk
+++ b/mk/sketch_sources.mk
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ SKETCHLIBNAMES		:=	$(notdir $(SKETCHLIBS))
 SKETCHLIBSRCDIRS	:=	$(SKETCHLIBS) $(addsuffix /utility,$(SKETCHLIBS))
 SKETCHLIBSRCS		:=	$(wildcard $(foreach suffix,$(SRCSUFFIXES),$(addsuffix /$(suffix),$(SKETCHLIBSRCDIRS))))
 SKETCHLIBOBJS		:=	$(addsuffix .o,$(basename $(subst $(SKETCHBOOK),$(BUILDROOT),$(SKETCHLIBSRCS))))
-SKETCHLIBINCLUDES	:=	-I$(SKETCHBOOK)/libraries/
+SKETCHLIBINCLUDES	:=	-I$(SKETCHBOOK)/libraries/ -I$(BUILDROOT)/libraries/ -I$(BUILDROOT)/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/
 SKETCHLIBSRCSRELATIVE	:=	$(subst $(SKETCHBOOK)/,,$(SKETCHLIBSRCS))
 
 ifeq ($(VERBOSE),)
diff --git a/mk/targets.mk b/mk/targets.mk
index 8ebc369dd4..b6b97b650f 100644
--- a/mk/targets.mk
+++ b/mk/targets.mk
@@ -140,3 +140,4 @@ clean:
 	@rm -fr $(BUILDROOT)
 
 include $(MK_DIR)/modules.mk
+include $(MK_DIR)/mavgen.mk