diff --git a/msg/vehicle_odometry.msg b/msg/vehicle_odometry.msg
index 138f34b8a2..52db320e49 100644
--- a/msg/vehicle_odometry.msg
+++ b/msg/vehicle_odometry.msg
@@ -15,7 +15,15 @@ uint8 COVARIANCE_MATRIX_ROLLRATE_VARIANCE=15
 uint8 COVARIANCE_MATRIX_PITCHRATE_VARIANCE=18
 uint8 COVARIANCE_MATRIX_YAWRATE_VARIANCE=20
 
-# Position in NED earth-fixed frame (meters). NaN if invalid/unknown
+# Position and linear velocity frame of reference constants
+uint8 LOCAL_FRAME_NED=0         # NED earth-fixed frame
+uint8 LOCAL_FRAME_ENU=1         # ENU earth-fixed frame
+uint8 LOCAL_FRAME_OTHER=2       # Not aligned with the std frames of reference
+
+# Position and linear velocity local frame of reference
+uint8 local_frame
+
+# Position in meters. Frame of reference defined by local_frame. NaN if invalid/unknown
 float32 x			# North position
 float32 y			# East position
 float32 z			# Down position
@@ -30,7 +38,7 @@ float32[4] q			# Quaternion rotation from NED earth-fixed frame to XYZ body fram
 # If orientation covariance invalid/unknown, 16th cell is NaN
 float32[21] pose_covariance
 
-# Velocity in NED earth-fixed frame (meters/sec). NaN if invalid/unknown
+# Velocity in meters/sec. Frame of reference defined by local_frame. NaN if invalid/unknown
 float32 vx 			# North velocity
 float32 vy			# East velocity
 float32 vz			# Down velocity
diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
index 9bbaac5f17..b1fbb8236b 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
@@ -1175,6 +1175,12 @@ MavlinkReceiver::handle_message_vision_position_estimate(mavlink_message_t *msg)
 	matrix::Quatf q(matrix::Eulerf(ev.roll, ev.pitch, ev.yaw));
 	q.copyTo(visual_odom.q);
 
+	// TODO:
+	// - add a MAV_FRAME_*_OTHER to the Mavlink MAV_FRAME enum IOT define
+	// a frame of reference which is not aligned with NED or ENU
+	// - add usage on the estimator side
+	visual_odom.local_frame = visual_odom.LOCAL_FRAME_NED;
+
 	const size_t URT_SIZE = sizeof(visual_odom.pose_covariance) / sizeof(visual_odom.pose_covariance[0]);
 	static_assert(URT_SIZE == (sizeof(ev.covariance) / sizeof(ev.covariance[0])),
 		      "Odometry Pose Covariance matrix URT array size mismatch");
@@ -1216,6 +1222,12 @@ MavlinkReceiver::handle_message_odometry(mavlink_message_t *msg)
 	matrix::Quatf q(odom.q);
 	q.copyTo(odometry.q);
 
+	// TODO:
+	// - add a MAV_FRAME_*_OTHER to the Mavlink MAV_FRAME enum IOT define
+	// a frame of reference which is not aligned with NED or ENU
+	// - add usage on the estimator side
+	odometry.local_frame = odometry.LOCAL_FRAME_NED;
+
 	const size_t POS_URT_SIZE = sizeof(odometry.pose_covariance) / sizeof(odometry.pose_covariance[0]);
 	const size_t VEL_URT_SIZE = sizeof(odometry.velocity_covariance) / sizeof(odometry.velocity_covariance[0]);
 	static_assert(POS_URT_SIZE == (sizeof(odom.pose_covariance) / sizeof(odom.pose_covariance[0])),
@@ -1235,7 +1247,7 @@ MavlinkReceiver::handle_message_odometry(mavlink_message_t *msg)
 		/* get quaternion from the msg quaternion itself and build DCM matrix from it */
 		Rbl = matrix::Dcmf(matrix::Quatf(odometry.q)).I();
 
-		/* the linear velocities needs to be transformed to the local NED frame */
+		/* the linear velocities needs to be transformed to the local NED frame */\
 		matrix::Vector3<float> linvel_local(Rbl * matrix::Vector3<float>(odom.vx, odom.vy, odom.vz));
 		odometry.vx = linvel_local(0);
 		odometry.vy = linvel_local(1);
diff --git a/src/modules/simulator/simulator_mavlink.cpp b/src/modules/simulator/simulator_mavlink.cpp
index dc52ca3dc8..b6e1aa8642 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulator/simulator_mavlink.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/simulator/simulator_mavlink.cpp
@@ -1157,6 +1157,8 @@ int Simulator::publish_odometry_topic(mavlink_message_t *odom_mavlink)
 		matrix::Quatf q(odom_msg.q[0], odom_msg.q[1], odom_msg.q[2], odom_msg.q[3]);
 		q.copyTo(odom.q);
 
+		odom.local_frame = odom.LOCAL_FRAME_NED;
+
 		static_assert(POS_URT_SIZE == (sizeof(odom_msg.pose_covariance) / sizeof(odom_msg.pose_covariance[0])),
 			      "Odometry Pose Covariance matrix URT array size mismatch");
 
@@ -1195,6 +1197,8 @@ int Simulator::publish_odometry_topic(mavlink_message_t *odom_mavlink)
 		matrix::Quatf q(matrix::Eulerf(ev.roll, ev.pitch, ev.yaw));
 		q.copyTo(odom.q);
 
+		odom.local_frame = odom.LOCAL_FRAME_NED;
+
 		static_assert(POS_URT_SIZE == (sizeof(ev.covariance) / sizeof(ev.covariance[0])),
 			      "Vision Position Estimate Pose Covariance matrix URT array size mismatch");