diff --git a/ArduPlane/GCS.h b/ArduPlane/GCS.h
index 4ba240d06a..637a70112c 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/GCS.h
+++ b/ArduPlane/GCS.h
@@ -133,6 +133,10 @@ public:
     // see if we should send a stream now. Called at 50Hz
     bool        stream_trigger(enum streams stream_num);
 
+	// this costs us 51 bytes per instance, but means that low priority
+	// messages don't block the CPU
+    mavlink_statustext_t pending_status;
+
 private:
     void        handleMessage(mavlink_message_t * msg);
 
diff --git a/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.pde b/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.pde
index 1cb1cd9adf..b1d90d20fe 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.pde
+++ b/ArduPlane/GCS_Mavlink.pde
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@
 // use this to prevent recursion during sensor init
 static bool in_mavlink_delay;
 
-// this costs us 51 bytes, but means that low priority
-// messages don't block the CPU
-static mavlink_statustext_t pending_status;
-
 // true when we have received at least 1 MAVLink packet
 static bool mavlink_active;
 
@@ -456,10 +452,11 @@ static void NOINLINE send_current_waypoint(mavlink_channel_t chan)
 
 static void NOINLINE send_statustext(mavlink_channel_t chan)
 {
+    mavlink_statustext_t *s = (chan == MAVLINK_COMM_0?&gcs0.pending_status:&gcs3.pending_status);
     mavlink_msg_statustext_send(
         chan,
-        pending_status.severity,
-        pending_status.text);
+        s->severity,
+        s->text);
 }
 
 // are we still delaying telemetry to try to avoid Xbee bricking?
@@ -705,8 +702,9 @@ void mavlink_send_text(mavlink_channel_t chan, gcs_severity severity, const char
 
     if (severity == SEVERITY_LOW) {
         // send via the deferred queuing system
-        pending_status.severity = (uint8_t)severity;
-        strncpy((char *)pending_status.text, str, sizeof(pending_status.text));
+        mavlink_statustext_t *s = (chan == MAVLINK_COMM_0?&gcs0.pending_status:&gcs3.pending_status);
+        s->severity = (uint8_t)severity;
+        strncpy((char *)s->text, str, sizeof(s->text));
         mavlink_send_message(chan, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
     } else {
         // send immediately
@@ -2116,10 +2114,11 @@ void gcs_send_text_fmt(const prog_char_t *fmt, ...)
         if (fmtstr[i] == 0) break;
     }
     fmtstr[i] = 0;
-    pending_status.severity = (uint8_t)SEVERITY_LOW;
+    gcs0.pending_status.severity = (uint8_t)SEVERITY_LOW;
     va_start(ap, fmt);
-    vsnprintf((char *)pending_status.text, sizeof(pending_status.text), fmtstr, ap);
+    vsnprintf((char *)gcs0.pending_status.text, sizeof(gcs0.pending_status.text), fmtstr, ap);
     va_end(ap);
+    gcs3.pending_status = gcs0.pending_status;
     mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_0, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);
     if (gcs3.initialised) {
         mavlink_send_message(MAVLINK_COMM_1, MSG_STATUSTEXT, 0);