diff --git a/ArduCopter/GCS_Mavlink.pde b/ArduCopter/GCS_Mavlink.pde
index 107f961644..cef97ed2e6 100644
--- a/ArduCopter/GCS_Mavlink.pde
+++ b/ArduCopter/GCS_Mavlink.pde
@@ -1114,6 +1114,15 @@ void GCS_MAVLINK::handleMessage(mavlink_message_t* msg)
                 result = MAV_RESULT_UNSUPPORTED;
             }
             break;
+
+        case MAV_CMD_PREFLIGHT_REBOOT_SHUTDOWN:
+            if (packet.param1 == 1) {
+                reboot_apm();
+                result = MAV_RESULT_ACCEPTED;
+            }
+            break;
+
+
         default:
             result = MAV_RESULT_UNSUPPORTED;
             break;
diff --git a/ArduCopter/system.pde b/ArduCopter/system.pde
index 6a10d1ca47..21334eaf1e 100644
--- a/ArduCopter/system.pde
+++ b/ArduCopter/system.pde
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 static int8_t   process_logs(uint8_t argc, const Menu::arg *argv);      // in Log.pde
 static int8_t   setup_mode(uint8_t argc, const Menu::arg *argv);        // in setup.pde
 static int8_t   test_mode(uint8_t argc, const Menu::arg *argv);         // in test.cpp
+static int8_t   reboot_board(uint8_t argc, const Menu::arg *argv);
 
 // This is the help function
 // PSTR is an AVR macro to read strings from flash memory
@@ -21,9 +22,7 @@ static int8_t   main_menu_help(uint8_t argc, const Menu::arg *argv)
                          "  logs\n"
                          "  setup\n"
                          "  test\n"
-                         "  planner\n"
-                         "\n"
-                         "Move the slide switch and reset to FLY.\n"
+                         "  reboot\n"
                          "\n"));
     return(0);
 }
@@ -35,12 +34,19 @@ const struct Menu::command main_menu_commands[] PROGMEM = {
     {"logs",                process_logs},
     {"setup",               setup_mode},
     {"test",                test_mode},
+    {"reboot",              reboot_board},
     {"help",                main_menu_help},
 };
 
 // Create the top-level menu object.
 MENU(main_menu, THISFIRMWARE, main_menu_commands);
 
+static int8_t reboot_board(uint8_t argc, const Menu::arg *argv)
+{
+    reboot_apm();
+    return 0;
+}
+
 // the user wants the CLI. It never exits
 static void run_cli(FastSerial *port)
 {
@@ -681,6 +687,28 @@ uint16_t board_voltage(void)
 }
 #endif
 
+/*
+  force a software reset of the APM
+ */
+static void reboot_apm(void)
+{
+    cliSerial->printf_P(PSTR("REBOOTING\n"));
+    delay(100); // let serial flush
+    // see http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1250663814/
+    // for the method
+#if CONFIG_APM_HARDWARE == APM_HARDWARE_APM2
+    // this relies on the bootloader resetting the watchdog, which
+    // APM1 doesn't do
+    cli();
+    wdt_enable(WDTO_15MS);
+#else
+    // this works on APM1
+    void (*fn)(void) = NULL;
+    fn();
+#endif
+    while (1);
+}
+
 //
 // print_flight_mode - prints flight mode to serial port.
 //