diff --git a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
index a1f3c46a5e..4f96db0f46 100644
--- a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
+++ b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/boards.py
@@ -253,6 +253,10 @@ class Board:
         if cfg.options.bootloader:
             # don't let bootloaders try and pull scripting in
             cfg.options.disable_scripting = True
+            if cfg.options.signed_fw:
+                env.DEFINES.update(
+                    ENABLE_HEAP = 1,
+                )
         else:
             env.DEFINES.update(
                 ENABLE_HEAP = 1,
@@ -576,6 +580,7 @@ class sitl(Board):
         cfg.define('HAL_WITH_RAMTRON', 1)
         cfg.define('AP_GENERATOR_RICHENPOWER_ENABLED', 1)
         cfg.define('AP_OPENDRONEID_ENABLED', 1)
+        cfg.define('AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE', 0)
 
         if self.with_can:
             cfg.define('HAL_NUM_CAN_IFACES', 2)
@@ -1011,6 +1016,17 @@ class chibios(Board):
         else:
             cfg.msg("Enabling -Werror", "no")
 
+        if cfg.options.signed_fw:
+            cfg.define('AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE', 1)
+            env.CFLAGS += [
+                '-DAP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE=1',
+            ]
+        else:
+            cfg.define('AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE', 0)
+            env.CFLAGS += [
+                '-DAP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE=0',
+            ]
+
         try:
             import intelhex
             env.HAVE_INTEL_HEX = True
diff --git a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/chibios.py b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/chibios.py
index 57bad93463..c49068e078 100644
--- a/Tools/ardupilotwaf/chibios.py
+++ b/Tools/ardupilotwaf/chibios.py
@@ -236,7 +236,11 @@ class set_app_descriptor(Task.Task):
     def keyword(self):
         return "app_descriptor"
     def run(self):
-        descriptor = b'\x40\xa2\xe4\xf1\x64\x68\x91\x06'
+        if self.generator.bld.env.AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE:
+            descriptor = b'\x41\xa3\xe5\xf2\x65\x69\x92\x07'
+        else:
+            descriptor = b'\x40\xa2\xe4\xf1\x64\x68\x91\x06'
+
         img = open(self.inputs[0].abspath(), 'rb').read()
         offset = img.find(descriptor)
         if offset == -1:
@@ -251,11 +255,17 @@ class set_app_descriptor(Task.Task):
         upload_tools = self.env.get_flat('UPLOAD_TOOLS')
         sys.path.append(upload_tools)
         from uploader import crc32
-        desc_len = 16
+        if self.generator.bld.env.AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE:
+            desc_len = 92
+        else:
+            desc_len = 16
         crc1 = to_unsigned(crc32(bytearray(img[:offset])))
         crc2 = to_unsigned(crc32(bytearray(img[offset+desc_len:])))
         githash = to_unsigned(int('0x' + os.environ.get('GIT_VERSION', self.generator.bld.git_head_hash(short=True)),16))
-        desc = struct.pack('<IIII', crc1, crc2, len(img), githash)
+        if self.generator.bld.env.AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE:
+            desc = struct.pack('<IIIII72s', crc1, crc2, len(img), githash, 0, bytes(bytearray([0 for i in range(72)])))
+        else:
+            desc = struct.pack('<IIII', crc1, crc2, len(img), githash)
         img = img[:offset] + desc + img[offset+desc_len:]
         Logs.info("Applying APP_DESCRIPTOR %08x%08x" % (crc1, crc2))
         open(self.inputs[0].abspath(), 'wb').write(img)
@@ -548,6 +558,10 @@ def generate_hwdef_h(env):
             env.HWDEF = os.path.join(env.SRCROOT, 'libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/%s/hwdef.dat' % env.BOARD)
         env.BOOTLOADER_OPTION=""
 
+    if env.AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE:
+        print(env.BOOTLOADER_OPTION)
+        env.BOOTLOADER_OPTION += " --signed-fw"
+        print(env.BOOTLOADER_OPTION)
     hwdef_script = os.path.join(env.SRCROOT, 'libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/scripts/chibios_hwdef.py')
     hwdef_out = env.BUILDROOT
     if not os.path.exists(hwdef_out):
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index ba8ed7b5a5..7308fe88c1 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -175,6 +175,11 @@ def options(opt):
         default=False,
         help='Configure for building a bootloader.')
 
+    g.add_option('--signed-fw',
+        action='store_true',
+        default=False,
+        help='Configure for signed firmware support.')
+
     g.add_option('--no-autoconfig',
         dest='autoconfig',
         action='store_false',
@@ -392,6 +397,10 @@ def configure(cfg):
     _set_build_context_variant(cfg.env.BOARD)
     cfg.setenv(cfg.env.BOARD)
 
+    if cfg.options.signed_fw:
+        cfg.env.AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE = True
+        cfg.options.enable_check_firmware = True
+
     cfg.env.BOARD = cfg.options.board
     cfg.env.DEBUG = cfg.options.debug
     cfg.env.COVERAGE = cfg.options.coverage