diff --git a/src/systemcmds/topic_listener/generate_listener.py b/src/systemcmds/topic_listener/generate_listener.py
index 496fbb2b1c..103a816f3b 100755
--- a/src/systemcmds/topic_listener/generate_listener.py
+++ b/src/systemcmds/topic_listener/generate_listener.py
@@ -25,72 +25,26 @@ raw_messes = [raw_messages.remove(x) for x in raw_messages if 'gps_inject_data'
 raw_messes = [raw_messages.remove(x) for x in raw_messages if 'gps_dump' in x]
 
 for index,m in enumerate(raw_messages):
-	temp_list_floats = []
-	temp_list_uint64 = []
-	temp_list_bool = []
-	if("pwm_input" not in m and "position_setpoint" not in m):
-		temp_list = []
-		topic_list = []
-		f = open(m,'r')
-		for line in f.readlines():
-			items = re.split('\s+', line.strip())
+	topic_list = []
+	f = open(m,'r')
+	for line in f.readlines():
+		items = re.split('\s+', line.strip())
 
-			if ('float32[' in items[0]):
-				num_floats = int(items[0].split("[")[1].split("]")[0])
-				temp_list.append(("float_array",items[1],num_floats))
-			elif ('float64[' in items[0]):
-				num_floats = int(items[0].split("[")[1].split("]")[0])
-				temp_list.append(("double_array",items[1],num_floats))
-			elif ('uint64[' in items[0]):
-				num_floats = int(items[0].split("[")[1].split("]")[0])
-				temp_list.append(("uint64_array",items[1],num_floats))
-			elif ('uint16[' in items[0]):
-				num_floats = int(items[0].split("[")[1].split("]")[0])
-				temp_list.append(("uint16_array",items[1],num_floats))
-			elif ('int32[' in items[0]):
-				num_floats = int(items[0].split("[")[1].split("]")[0])
-				temp_list.append(("int32_array",items[1],num_floats))
-			elif ('int16[' in items[0]):
-				num_floats = int(items[0].split("[")[1].split("]")[0])
-				temp_list.append(("int16_array",items[1],num_floats))
-			elif(items[0] == "float32"):
-				temp_list.append(("float",items[1]))
-			elif(items[0] == "float64"):
-				temp_list.append(("double",items[1]))
-			elif(items[0] == "uint64") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("uint64",items[1]))
-			elif(items[0] == "uint32") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("uint32",items[1]))
-			elif(items[0] == "uint16") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("uint16",items[1]))
-			elif(items[0] == "int64") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("int64",items[1]))
-			elif(items[0] == "int32") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("int32",items[1]))
-			elif(items[0] == "int16") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("int16",items[1]))
-			elif (items[0] == "bool") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("bool",items[1]))
-			elif (items[0] == "uint8") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("uint8",items[1]))
-			elif (items[0] == "int8") and len(line.split('=')) == 1:
-				temp_list.append(("int8",items[1]))
-			elif '# TOPICS' == ' '.join(items[:2]):
-				for topic in items[2:]:
-					topic_list.append(topic)
+		if '# TOPICS' == ' '.join(items[:2]):
+			for topic in items[2:]:
+				topic_list.append(topic)
 
-		f.close()
+	f.close()
 
-		(m_head, m_tail) = os.path.split(m)
-		message = m_tail.split('.')[0]
+	(m_head, m_tail) = os.path.split(m)
+	message = m_tail.split('.')[0]
 
-		if len(topic_list) == 0:		
-			topic_list.append(message)
+	if len(topic_list) == 0:
+		topic_list.append(message)
 
-		for topic in topic_list:
-			messages.append(message)
-			topics.append(topic)
-			message_elements.append(temp_list)
+	for topic in topic_list:
+		messages.append(message)
+		topics.append(topic)
 
 num_messages = len(messages);
 
@@ -199,9 +153,9 @@ print("}\n")
 
 for index, (m, t) in enumerate(zip(messages, topics)):
 	print("void listen_%s(unsigned num_msgs, unsigned topic_instance) {" % t)
-	print("\tint sub = orb_subscribe_multi(ORB_ID(%s), topic_instance);" % t)
 	print("\torb_id_t ID = ORB_ID(%s);" % t)
-	print("\t%s_s container = {};" % m)
+	print("\tif (orb_exists(ID, topic_instance) != 0) { printf(\"never published\\n\"); return; }")
+	print("\tint sub = orb_subscribe_multi(ORB_ID(%s), topic_instance);" % t)
 	print("\tbool updated = false;")
 	print("\tunsigned i = 0;")
 	print("\thrt_abstime start_time = hrt_absolute_time();")
@@ -212,6 +166,7 @@ for index, (m, t) in enumerate(zip(messages, topics)):
 	print("\t\t\tstart_time = hrt_absolute_time();")
 	print("\t\t\ti++;")
 	print("\t\tprintf(\"\\nTOPIC: %s instance %%d #%%d\\n\", topic_instance, i);" % t)
+	print("\t\t%s_s container = {};" % m)
 	print("\t\torb_copy(ID, sub, &container);")
 	print("\t\tprint_message(container);")
 	print("\t\t} else {")