diff --git a/src/drivers/px4io/px4io.cpp b/src/drivers/px4io/px4io.cpp
index d212be7661..73160b2d9d 100644
--- a/src/drivers/px4io/px4io.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/px4io/px4io.cpp
@@ -1265,11 +1265,18 @@ PX4IO::io_set_rc_config()
 	if ((ichan >= 0) && (ichan < (int)_max_rc_input))
 		input_map[ichan - 1] = 3;
 
-	param_get(param_find("RC_MAP_MODE_SW"), &ichan);
+	param_get(param_find("RC_MAP_FLAPS"), &ichan);
 
 	if ((ichan >= 0) && (ichan < (int)_max_rc_input))
 		input_map[ichan - 1] = 4;
 
+	param_get(param_find("RC_MAP_MODE_SW"), &ichan);
+
+	if ((ichan >= 0) && (ichan < (int)_max_rc_input)) {
+		/* use out of normal bounds index to indicate special channel */
+		input_map[ichan - 1] = 8;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Iterate all possible RC inputs.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/modules/px4iofirmware/controls.c b/src/modules/px4iofirmware/controls.c
index 7b127759ad..0b0832d557 100644
--- a/src/modules/px4iofirmware/controls.c
+++ b/src/modules/px4iofirmware/controls.c
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ static perf_counter_t c_gather_ppm;
 
 static int _dsm_fd;
 
+static uint16_t rc_value_override = 0;
+
 bool dsm_port_input(uint16_t *rssi, bool *dsm_updated, bool *st24_updated)
 {
 	perf_begin(c_gather_dsm);
@@ -313,8 +315,14 @@ controls_tick() {
 						}
 					}
 
-					r_rc_values[mapped] = SIGNED_TO_REG(scaled);
-					assigned_channels |= (1 << mapped);
+					/* pick out override channel, indicated by mapping 8 (9 th channel, virtual) */
+					if (mapped == 8) {
+						rc_value_override = SIGNED_TO_REG(scaled);
+					} else {
+						/* normal channel */
+						r_rc_values[mapped] = SIGNED_TO_REG(scaled);
+						assigned_channels |= (1 << mapped);
+					}
 
 				}
 			}
@@ -409,7 +417,7 @@ controls_tick() {
 		 * requested override.
 		 *
 		 */
-		if ((r_status_flags & PX4IO_P_STATUS_FLAGS_RC_OK) && (REG_TO_SIGNED(r_rc_values[4]) < RC_CHANNEL_LOW_THRESH))
+		if ((r_status_flags & PX4IO_P_STATUS_FLAGS_RC_OK) && (REG_TO_SIGNED(rc_value_override) < RC_CHANNEL_LOW_THRESH))
 			override = true;
 
 		if (override) {