diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1434b43961..491c2c7ed2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ project(px4)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
 add_definitions(-D__PX4_ROS)
 add_definitions(-D__EXPORT=)
+add_definitions(-DMAVLINK_DIALECT=common)
 
 ## Find catkin macros and libraries
 ## if COMPONENTS list like find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS xyz)
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS
   gazebo_msgs
   sensor_msgs
   mav_msgs
+  libmavconn
 )
 find_package(Eigen REQUIRED)
 
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ generate_messages(
 catkin_package(
   INCLUDE_DIRS src/include
   LIBRARIES px4
-  CATKIN_DEPENDS message_runtime roscpp rospy std_msgs
+  CATKIN_DEPENDS message_runtime roscpp rospy std_msgs libmavconn
   DEPENDS system_lib
 )
 
diff --git a/package.xml b/package.xml
index 6662003907..96d622a682 100644
--- a/package.xml
+++ b/package.xml
@@ -44,10 +44,12 @@
   <build_depend>rospy</build_depend>
   <build_depend>std_msgs</build_depend>
   <build_depend>eigen</build_depend>
+  <build_depend>libmavconn</build_depend>
   <run_depend>roscpp</run_depend>
   <run_depend>rospy</run_depend>
   <run_depend>std_msgs</run_depend>
   <run_depend>eigen</run_depend>
+  <run_depend>libmavconn</run_depend>
 
 
   <!-- The export tag contains other, unspecified, tags -->
diff --git a/src/platforms/ros/nodes/mavlink/mavlink.cpp b/src/platforms/ros/nodes/mavlink/mavlink.cpp
index e64e576bde..b6413c3b4e 100644
--- a/src/platforms/ros/nodes/mavlink/mavlink.cpp
+++ b/src/platforms/ros/nodes/mavlink/mavlink.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ using namespace px4;
 Mavlink::Mavlink() :
 	_n()
 {
+
+	_link = mavconn::MAVConnInterface::open_url("udp://localhost:14551@localhost:14552");
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
diff --git a/src/platforms/ros/nodes/mavlink/mavlink.h b/src/platforms/ros/nodes/mavlink/mavlink.h
index 2723df35c4..5b39468870 100644
--- a/src/platforms/ros/nodes/mavlink/mavlink.h
+++ b/src/platforms/ros/nodes/mavlink/mavlink.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 */
 
 #include "ros/ros.h"
+#include <mavconn/interface.h>
 
 namespace px4
 {
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ public:
 protected:
 
 	ros::NodeHandle _n;
+	mavconn::MAVConnInterface::Ptr _link;
 };
 
 }