diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/dsp_main.cpp b/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/dsp_main.cpp
index d94906487f..bd381f4acb 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/dsp_main.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/dsp_main.cpp
@@ -18,15 +18,34 @@ volatile int _last_dsp_line = __LINE__;
 volatile const char *_last_dsp_file = __FILE__;
 volatile uint32_t _last_counter;
 
-static void *main_thread(void *)
+static void *main_thread(void *cmdptr)
 {
+    char *cmdline = (char *)cmdptr;
     HAP_PRINTF("Ardupilot main_thread started");
-    ArduPilot_main(0, NULL);
+
+    // break cmdline into argc/argv
+    int argc = 0;
+    for (int i=0; cmdline[i]; i++) {
+        if (cmdline[i] == '\n') argc++;
+    }
+    const char **argv = (const char **)calloc(argc+2, sizeof(char *));
+    argv[0] = &cmdline[0];
+    argc = 0;
+    for (int i=0; cmdline[i]; i++) {
+        if (cmdline[i] == '\n') {
+            cmdline[i] = 0;
+            argv[argc+1] = &cmdline[i+1];
+            argc++;
+        }
+    }
+    argv[argc] = nullptr;
+    
+    ArduPilot_main(argc, argv);
     return NULL;
 }
 
 
-uint32_t ardupilot_start()
+uint32_t ardupilot_start(const char *cmdline, int len)
 {
     HAP_PRINTF("Starting Ardupilot");
     pthread_attr_t thread_attr;
@@ -39,7 +58,7 @@ uint32_t ardupilot_start()
     param.sched_priority = APM_MAIN_PRIORITY;
     (void)pthread_attr_setschedparam(&thread_attr, &param);
 
-    pthread_create(&thread_ctx, &thread_attr, main_thread, NULL);
+    pthread_create(&thread_ctx, &thread_attr, main_thread, (void *)strdup((char*)cmdline));
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/mainapp/mainapp.cpp b/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/mainapp/mainapp.cpp
index 01ad16e8d0..c8752a03d7 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/mainapp/mainapp.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/mainapp/mainapp.cpp
@@ -108,6 +108,27 @@ static void socket_check(void)
     }
 }
 
+/*
+  encode argv/argv as a sequence separated by \n
+ */
+static char *encode_argv(int argc, const char *argv[])
+{
+    uint32_t len = 0;
+    for (int i=0; i<argc; i++) {
+        len += strlen(argv[i]) + 1;
+    }
+    char *ret = (char *)malloc(len+1);
+    char *p = ret;
+    for (int i=0; i<argc; i++) {
+        size_t slen = strlen(argv[i]);
+        strcpy(p, argv[i]);
+        p[slen] = '\n';
+        p += slen + 1;
+    }
+    *p = 0;
+    return ret;
+}
+
 /*
   main program
  */
@@ -117,8 +138,10 @@ int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
 
     printf("Starting DSP code\n");
     send_storage();
-        
-    ardupilot_start();
+
+    char *cmdline = encode_argv(argc, argv);
+    ardupilot_start(cmdline, strlen(cmdline));
+    free(cmdline);
     while (true) {
         uint64_t now = micros64();
         if (now - last_get_storage_us > 1000*1000) {
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/qurt_dsp.idl b/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/qurt_dsp.idl
index 727ecf1fd9..d813e29d50 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/qurt_dsp.idl
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_QURT/qurt_dsp.idl
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 interface ardupilot {
     // start main thread
-    uint32 start();
+    uint32 start(in sequence<char> cmdline);
 
     // a heartbeat for debugging
     uint32 heartbeat();