diff --git a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.cpp b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.cpp
index a54b6b0b2e..309d119e41 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.cpp
@@ -16,33 +16,6 @@
 #include "AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.h"
 #include <AP_HAL/AP_HAL.h>
 
-
-
-extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
-
-/*
-   The constructor also initialises the rangefinder. Note that this
-   constructor is not called until detect() returns true, so we
-   already know that we should setup the rangefinder
-*/
-AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink::AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_State &_state, AP_RangeFinder_Params &_params) :
-    AP_RangeFinder_Backend(_state, _params)
-{
-    state.last_reading_ms = AP_HAL::millis();
-    distance_cm = 0;
-}
-
-/*
-   detect if a MAVLink rangefinder is connected. We'll detect by
-   checking a parameter.
-*/
-bool AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink::detect()
-{
-    // Assume that if the user set the RANGEFINDER_TYPE parameter to MAVLink,
-    // there is an attached MAVLink rangefinder
-    return true;
-}
-
 /*
    Set the distance based on a MAVLINK message
 */
diff --git a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.h b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.h
index 2d6a711b0f..52728b3a7c 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_RangeFinder/AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink.h
@@ -11,10 +11,11 @@ class AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink : public AP_RangeFinder_Backend
 
 public:
     // constructor
-    AP_RangeFinder_MAVLink(RangeFinder::RangeFinder_State &_state, AP_RangeFinder_Params &_params);
+    using AP_RangeFinder_Backend::AP_RangeFinder_Backend;
 
-    // static detection function
-    static bool detect();
+    // Assume that if the user set the RANGEFINDER_TYPE parameter to MAVLink,
+    // there is an attached MAVLink rangefinder
+    static bool detect() { return true; }
 
     // update state
     void update(void) override;