diff --git a/ROMFS/px4fmu_common/init.d/rcS b/ROMFS/px4fmu_common/init.d/rcS
index 24b2a299af..c9e6a27cac 100644
--- a/ROMFS/px4fmu_common/init.d/rcS
+++ b/ROMFS/px4fmu_common/init.d/rcS
@@ -83,9 +83,12 @@ then
 	param select $PARAM_FILE
 	if param load
 	then
-		echo "[init] Params loaded: $PARAM_FILE"
+		echo "[param] Loaded: $PARAM_FILE"
 	else
-		echo "[init] ERROR: Params loading failed: $PARAM_FILE"
+		echo "[param] FAILED loading $PARAM_FILE"
+		if param reset
+		then
+		fi
 	fi
 
 	#
@@ -280,9 +283,11 @@ then
 	nshterm /dev/ttyACM0 &
 
 	#
-	# Start the datamanager
+	# Start the datamanager (and do not abort boot if it fails)
 	#
-	dataman start
+	if dataman start
+	then
+	fi
 
 	#
 	# Start the Commander (needs to be this early for in-air-restarts)
diff --git a/Tools/px_uploader.py b/Tools/px_uploader.py
index cd7884f6d2..d8f4884bc0 100755
--- a/Tools/px_uploader.py
+++ b/Tools/px_uploader.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class uploader(object):
 
         def __init__(self, portname, baudrate):
                 # open the port, keep the default timeout short so we can poll quickly
-                self.port = serial.Serial(portname, baudrate, timeout=0.5)
+                self.port = serial.Serial(portname, baudrate, timeout=2.0)
                 self.otp = b''
                 self.sn = b''
 
diff --git a/src/drivers/px4io/px4io.cpp b/src/drivers/px4io/px4io.cpp
index d93009c47d..32069cf09b 100644
--- a/src/drivers/px4io/px4io.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/px4io/px4io.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,15 @@ public:
 	 */
 	virtual int		init();
 
+	/**
+	 * Initialize the PX4IO class.
+	 *
+	 * Retrieve relevant initial system parameters. Initialize PX4IO registers.
+	 *
+	 * @param disable_rc_handling set to true to forbid override / RC handling on IO
+	 */
+	int			init(bool disable_rc_handling);
+
 	/**
 	 * Detect if a PX4IO is connected.
 	 *
@@ -579,6 +588,12 @@ PX4IO::detect()
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+PX4IO::init(bool rc_handling_disabled) {
+	_rc_handling_disabled = rc_handling_disabled;
+	return init();
+}
+
 int
 PX4IO::init()
 {
@@ -778,6 +793,11 @@ PX4IO::init()
 		if (_rc_handling_disabled) {
 			ret = io_disable_rc_handling();
 
+			if (ret != OK) {
+				log("failed disabling RC handling");
+				return ret;
+			}
+
 		} else {
 			/* publish RC config to IO */
 			ret = io_set_rc_config();
@@ -1175,6 +1195,7 @@ PX4IO::io_set_arming_state()
 int
 PX4IO::disable_rc_handling()
 {
+	_rc_handling_disabled = true;
 	return io_disable_rc_handling();
 }
 
@@ -2613,24 +2634,25 @@ start(int argc, char *argv[])
 		errx(1, "driver alloc failed");
 	}
 
-	if (OK != g_dev->init()) {
-		delete g_dev;
-		g_dev = nullptr;
-		errx(1, "driver init failed");
-	}
+	bool rc_handling_disabled = false;
 
 	/* disable RC handling on request */
 	if (argc > 1) {
 		if (!strcmp(argv[1], "norc")) {
 
-			if (g_dev->disable_rc_handling())
-				warnx("Failed disabling RC handling");
+			rc_handling_disabled = true;
 
 		} else {
 			warnx("unknown argument: %s", argv[1]);
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (OK != g_dev->init(rc_handling_disabled)) {
+		delete g_dev;
+		g_dev = nullptr;
+		errx(1, "driver init failed");
+	}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_PX4FMU_V1
 	int dsm_vcc_ctl;