diff --git a/src/drivers/camera_trigger/camera_trigger.cpp b/src/drivers/camera_trigger/camera_trigger.cpp
index cb0d993554..bedf9bf303 100644
--- a/src/drivers/camera_trigger/camera_trigger.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/camera_trigger/camera_trigger.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ extern "C" __EXPORT int camera_trigger_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 typedef enum : int32_t {
 	CAMERA_INTERFACE_MODE_NONE = 0,
 	CAMERA_INTERFACE_MODE_RELAY,
-	CAMERA_INTERFACE_MODE_SEAGULL_MAP2_PWM
+	CAMERA_INTERFACE_MODE_SEAGULL_MAP2_PWM,
+	CAMERA_INTERFACE_MODE_MAVLINK
 } camera_interface_mode_t;
 
 class CameraTrigger
@@ -265,6 +266,11 @@ CameraTrigger::CameraTrigger() :
 
 #endif
 
+	case CAMERA_INTERFACE_MODE_MAVLINK:
+		/* start an interface that does nothing. Instead mavlink will listen to the camera_trigger uORB message */
+		_camera_interface = new CameraInterface();
+		break;
+
 	default:
 		PX4_ERR("unknown camera interface mode: %i", (int)_camera_interface_mode);
 		break;
diff --git a/src/drivers/camera_trigger/camera_trigger_params.c b/src/drivers/camera_trigger/camera_trigger_params.c
index c65fc83e0f..b95cb61e82 100644
--- a/src/drivers/camera_trigger/camera_trigger_params.c
+++ b/src/drivers/camera_trigger/camera_trigger_params.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 *
 * @value 1 GPIO
 * @value 2 Seagull MAP2 (PWM)
+* @value 3 MAVLink (forward via MAV_CMD_IMAGE_START_CAPTURE)
 *
 * @reboot_required true
 *
diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_messages.cpp b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_messages.cpp
index f749162131..6efa300213 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_messages.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_messages.cpp
@@ -1420,6 +1420,23 @@ protected:
 			/* ensure that only active trigger events are sent */
 			if (trigger.timestamp > 0) {
 				mavlink_msg_camera_trigger_send_struct(_mavlink->get_channel(), &msg);
+
+				/* send MAV_CMD_IMAGE_START_CAPTURE */
+				mavlink_command_long_t msg_cmd;
+
+				msg_cmd.target_system = mavlink_system.sysid;
+				msg_cmd.target_component = MAV_COMP_ID_CAMERA;
+				msg_cmd.command = MAV_CMD_IMAGE_START_CAPTURE;
+				msg_cmd.confirmation = 0;
+				msg_cmd.param1 = 0;
+				msg_cmd.param2 = 1;
+				msg_cmd.param3 = 0;
+				msg_cmd.param4 = NAN;
+				msg_cmd.param5 = NAN;
+				msg_cmd.param6 = NAN;
+				msg_cmd.param7 = NAN;
+
+				mavlink_msg_command_long_send_struct(_mavlink->get_channel(), &msg_cmd);
 			}
 		}
 	}