diff --git a/src/FirmwarePlugin/APM/ArduSubFirmwarePlugin.cc b/src/FirmwarePlugin/APM/ArduSubFirmwarePlugin.cc
index 8adf5ca3ddb2c7b7f92df6959edc9ed30460f860..9bd1445e51adf1402b199109f3c6469a05925d35 100644
--- a/src/FirmwarePlugin/APM/ArduSubFirmwarePlugin.cc
+++ b/src/FirmwarePlugin/APM/ArduSubFirmwarePlugin.cc
@@ -57,3 +57,8 @@ bool ArduSubFirmwarePlugin::supportsThrottleModeCenterZero(void)
 {
     return false;
 }
+
+bool ArduSubFirmwarePlugin::supportsManualControl(void)
+{
+    return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/FirmwarePlugin/APM/ArduSubFirmwarePlugin.h b/src/FirmwarePlugin/APM/ArduSubFirmwarePlugin.h
index e5d01b2ad512601fb1e19f7b4fef4a654990552b..15ec48c76139a35feed2ffddbbec443acdac749c 100644
--- a/src/FirmwarePlugin/APM/ArduSubFirmwarePlugin.h
+++ b/src/FirmwarePlugin/APM/ArduSubFirmwarePlugin.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ public:
 
     bool supportsThrottleModeCenterZero(void);
 
+    bool supportsManualControl(void);
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/FirmwarePlugin/FirmwarePlugin.cc b/src/FirmwarePlugin/FirmwarePlugin.cc
index f615f73f2fa145bd53ab8431befbc6b320a0670b..7e96cbbe01011eab8aea4cc289cfce72f2dedcac 100644
--- a/src/FirmwarePlugin/FirmwarePlugin.cc
+++ b/src/FirmwarePlugin/FirmwarePlugin.cc
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ bool FirmwarePlugin::supportsThrottleModeCenterZero(void)
     return true;
 }
 
+bool FirmwarePlugin::supportsManualControl(void)
+{
+    return false;
+}
+
 bool FirmwarePlugin::adjustIncomingMavlinkMessage(Vehicle* vehicle, mavlink_message_t* message)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(vehicle);
diff --git a/src/FirmwarePlugin/FirmwarePlugin.h b/src/FirmwarePlugin/FirmwarePlugin.h
index 59fe8d9fffd156347b9fc2eeb76771ffe3238236..aa73597fd940edf382f3668a752e8264231d0c3c 100644
--- a/src/FirmwarePlugin/FirmwarePlugin.h
+++ b/src/FirmwarePlugin/FirmwarePlugin.h
@@ -133,6 +133,10 @@ public:
     /// throttle.
     virtual bool supportsThrottleModeCenterZero(void);
 
+    /// Returns true if the firmware supports the use of the MAVlink "MANUAL_CONTROL" message.
+    /// By default, this returns false unless overridden in the firmware plugin.
+    virtual bool supportsManualControl(void);
+
     /// Called before any mavlink message is processed by Vehicle such that the firmwre plugin
     /// can adjust any message characteristics. This is handy to adjust or differences in mavlink
     /// spec implementations such that the base code can remain mavlink generic.
diff --git a/src/FirmwarePlugin/PX4/PX4FirmwarePlugin.cc b/src/FirmwarePlugin/PX4/PX4FirmwarePlugin.cc
index 92535305d54d06fe43a71d991dd3f4acb47b22ad..847f9ae44297c20763fbec8bcd75938f064673f8 100644
--- a/src/FirmwarePlugin/PX4/PX4FirmwarePlugin.cc
+++ b/src/FirmwarePlugin/PX4/PX4FirmwarePlugin.cc
@@ -170,6 +170,11 @@ int PX4FirmwarePlugin::manualControlReservedButtonCount(void)
     return 0;   // 0 buttons reserved for rc switch simulation
 }
 
+bool PX4FirmwarePlugin::supportsManualControl(void)
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
 bool PX4FirmwarePlugin::isCapable(const Vehicle *vehicle, FirmwareCapabilities capabilities)
 {
     if(vehicle->multiRotor()) {
diff --git a/src/FirmwarePlugin/PX4/PX4FirmwarePlugin.h b/src/FirmwarePlugin/PX4/PX4FirmwarePlugin.h
index 13d8b420200069f75b5069580ebfb258d39dc979..f85058403563e32375240c499f90d89027584c6e 100644
--- a/src/FirmwarePlugin/PX4/PX4FirmwarePlugin.h
+++ b/src/FirmwarePlugin/PX4/PX4FirmwarePlugin.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ public:
     void        guidedModeChangeAltitude        (Vehicle* vehicle, double altitudeRel) final;
     bool        isGuidedMode                    (const Vehicle* vehicle) const;
     int         manualControlReservedButtonCount(void) final;
+    bool        supportsManualControl           (void) final;
     void        initializeVehicle               (Vehicle* vehicle) final;
     bool        sendHomePositionToVehicle       (void) final;
     void        addMetaDataToFact               (QObject* parameterMetaData, Fact* fact, MAV_TYPE vehicleType) final;
diff --git a/src/Vehicle/Vehicle.cc b/src/Vehicle/Vehicle.cc
index 00963e03e45e595fa553b6f6837ca182b01253e5..53ce31129a1f606be843c07c9fdbc789f707cfe2 100644
--- a/src/Vehicle/Vehicle.cc
+++ b/src/Vehicle/Vehicle.cc
@@ -1517,15 +1517,7 @@ bool Vehicle::vtol(void) const
 
 bool Vehicle::supportsManualControl(void) const
 {
-    // PX4 Firmware supports manual control message
-    if ( px4Firmware() ) {
-        return true;
-    }
-    // ArduSub supports manual control message (identified by APM + Submarine type)
-    if ( apmFirmware() && vehicleType() == MAV_TYPE_SUBMARINE ) {
-        return true;
-    }
-    return false;
+    return _firmwarePlugin->supportsManualControl();
 }
 
 bool Vehicle::supportsThrottleModeCenterZero(void) const