diff --git a/Tools/sitl_run.sh b/Tools/sitl_run.sh
index 703d03ed2e..6cd7eca6fe 100755
--- a/Tools/sitl_run.sh
+++ b/Tools/sitl_run.sh
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ then
 		if [[ -n "$HEADLESS" ]]; then
 			echo "not running gazebo gui"
 		else
+			# gzserver needs to be running to avoid a race. Since the launch
+			# is putting it into the background we need to avoid it by backing off
+			sleep 3
 			gzclient --verbose &
 			GUI_PID=`echo $!`
 		fi
diff --git a/posix-configs/SITL/init/ekf2/standard_vtol b/posix-configs/SITL/init/ekf2/standard_vtol
index 534574360a..3ef67b6471 100644
--- a/posix-configs/SITL/init/ekf2/standard_vtol
+++ b/posix-configs/SITL/init/ekf2/standard_vtol
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ fw_att_control start
 mixer load /dev/pwm_output0 ROMFS/sitl/mixers/standard_vtol_sitl.main.mix
 mavlink start -u 14556 -r 2000000
 mavlink start -u 14557 -r 2000000 -m onboard -o 14540
-mavlink stream -r 20 -s EXTENDED_SYS_STATE -u 14540
+mavlink stream -r 20 -s EXTENDED_SYS_STATE -u 14557
 mavlink stream -r 80 -s POSITION_TARGET_LOCAL_NED -u 14556
 mavlink stream -r 80 -s LOCAL_POSITION_NED -u 14556
 mavlink stream -r 80 -s GLOBAL_POSITION_INT -u 14556
diff --git a/src/platforms/posix/px4_layer/px4_posix_tasks.cpp b/src/platforms/posix/px4_layer/px4_posix_tasks.cpp
index 38ba7b8f82..ee845b5fce 100644
--- a/src/platforms/posix/px4_layer/px4_posix_tasks.cpp
+++ b/src/platforms/posix/px4_layer/px4_posix_tasks.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 
 #define MAX_CMD_LEN 100
 
-#define PX4_MAX_TASKS 100
+#define PX4_MAX_TASKS 50
 #define SHELL_TASK_ID (PX4_MAX_TASKS+1)
 
 pthread_t _shell_task_id = 0;