diff --git a/boards/mro/x21/init/rc.board_defaults b/boards/mro/x21/init/rc.board_defaults
index 02b6710a55..d2d3276bcd 100644
--- a/boards/mro/x21/init/rc.board_defaults
+++ b/boards/mro/x21/init/rc.board_defaults
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@
 # mRo x21 specific board defaults
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+# to minimize cpu usage on older boards limit inner loop to 400 Hz by default
+if param compare IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 0
+then
+	param set IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 400
+fi
 
 if [ $AUTOCNF = yes ]
 then
 
-	# to minimize cpu usage on older boards limit inner loop to 400 Hz
-	param set IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 400
-
 fi
diff --git a/boards/px4/fmu-v2/init/rc.board_defaults b/boards/px4/fmu-v2/init/rc.board_defaults
index 9429bc258e..76ee1950b1 100644
--- a/boards/px4/fmu-v2/init/rc.board_defaults
+++ b/boards/px4/fmu-v2/init/rc.board_defaults
@@ -22,10 +22,13 @@ then
 fi
 unset BL_FILE
 
+# to minimize cpu usage on older boards limit inner loop to 400 Hz by default
+if param compare IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 0
+then
+	param set IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 400
+fi
+
 if [ $AUTOCNF = yes ]
 then
 
-	# to minimize cpu usage on older boards limit inner loop to 400 Hz
-	param set IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 400
-
 fi
diff --git a/boards/px4/fmu-v3/init/rc.board_defaults b/boards/px4/fmu-v3/init/rc.board_defaults
index e3edb16267..98ac408a7e 100644
--- a/boards/px4/fmu-v3/init/rc.board_defaults
+++ b/boards/px4/fmu-v3/init/rc.board_defaults
@@ -22,10 +22,13 @@ then
 fi
 unset BL_FILE
 
+# to minimize cpu usage on older boards limit inner loop to 400 Hz by default
+if param compare IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 0
+then
+	param set IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 400
+fi
+
 if [ $AUTOCNF = yes ]
 then
 
-	# to minimize cpu usage on older boards limit inner loop to 400 Hz
-	param set IMU_GYRO_RATEMAX 400
-
 fi