diff --git a/EKF/common.h b/EKF/common.h
index 40332488ec..6948f71125 100644
--- a/EKF/common.h
+++ b/EKF/common.h
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ struct parameters {
 	float switch_on_gyro_bias{0.1f};	// 1-sigma gyro bias uncertainty at switch on (rad/sec)
 	float switch_on_accel_bias{0.2f};	// 1-sigma accelerometer bias uncertainty at switch on (m/s**2)
 	float initial_tilt_err{0.1f};		// 1-sigma tilt error after initial alignment using gravity vector (rad)
+	float initial_wind_uncertainty{1.0f};	// 1-sigma initial uncertainty in wind velocity (m/s)
 
 	// position and velocity fusion
 	float gps_vel_noise{5.0e-1f};		// observation noise for gps velocity fusion (m/sec)
diff --git a/EKF/covariance.cpp b/EKF/covariance.cpp
index d6c8f0b9fb..e7f72a553c 100644
--- a/EKF/covariance.cpp
+++ b/EKF/covariance.cpp
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ void Ekf::initialiseCovariance()
 	}
 
 	// wind
-	P[22][22] = 1.0f;
-	P[23][23] = 1.0f;
+	P[22][22] = sq(_params.initial_wind_uncertainty);
+	P[23][23] = sq(_params.initial_wind_uncertainty);
 
 }
 
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ void Ekf::predictCovariance()
 	float wind_vel_sig;
 
 	// Don't continue to grow wind velocity state variances if they are becoming too large or we are not using wind velocity states as this can make the covariance matrix badly conditioned
-	if (_control_status.flags.wind && (P[22][22] + P[23][23]) < 2.0f) {
+	if (_control_status.flags.wind && (P[22][22] + P[23][23]) < 2.0f * sq(_params.initial_wind_uncertainty)) {
 		wind_vel_sig = dt * math::constrain(_params.wind_vel_p_noise, 0.0f, 1.0f);
 
 	} else {