diff --git a/generator/C/include_v0.9/protocol.h b/generator/C/include_v0.9/protocol.h
index 712fea68d..be4312596 100644
--- a/generator/C/include_v0.9/protocol.h
+++ b/generator/C/include_v0.9/protocol.h
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@
 #define MAVLINK_END_UART_SEND(chan, length)
 #endif
 
+/*
+  to get warnings when any WIP message is used, add this:
+  #define MAVLINK_WIP __attribute__((warning("MAVLink work in progress")))
+*/
+#ifndef MAVLINK_WIP
+#define MAVLINK_WIP
+#endif
+
 #ifdef MAVLINK_SEPARATE_HELPERS
 #define MAVLINK_HELPER
 #else
diff --git a/generator/C/include_v1.0/protocol.h b/generator/C/include_v1.0/protocol.h
index 34749d9ba..d211790c3 100644
--- a/generator/C/include_v1.0/protocol.h
+++ b/generator/C/include_v1.0/protocol.h
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@
 #define MAVLINK_END_UART_SEND(chan, length)
 #endif
 
+/*
+  to get warnings when any WIP message is used, add this:
+  #define MAVLINK_WIP __attribute__((warning("MAVLink work in progress")))
+*/
+#ifndef MAVLINK_WIP
+#define MAVLINK_WIP
+#endif
+
 /* option to provide alternative implementation of mavlink_helpers.h */
 #ifdef MAVLINK_SEPARATE_HELPERS
 
diff --git a/generator/C/include_v2.0/protocol.h b/generator/C/include_v2.0/protocol.h
index d9227303f..dfbbe6ea3 100644
--- a/generator/C/include_v2.0/protocol.h
+++ b/generator/C/include_v2.0/protocol.h
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@
 #define MAVLINK_END_UART_SEND(chan, length)
 #endif
 
+/*
+  to get warnings when any WIP message is used, add this:
+  #define MAVLINK_WIP __attribute__((warning("MAVLink work in progress")))
+*/
+#ifndef MAVLINK_WIP
+#define MAVLINK_WIP
+#endif
+
 /* option to provide alternative implementation of mavlink_helpers.h */
 #ifdef MAVLINK_SEPARATE_HELPERS
 
diff --git a/generator/mavgen_c.py b/generator/mavgen_c.py
index 5d61394d3..eea1c4265 100644
--- a/generator/mavgen_c.py
+++ b/generator/mavgen_c.py
@@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ def generate_main_h(directory, xml):
 
 def generate_message_h(directory, m):
     '''generate per-message header for a XML file'''
+    if m.wip:
+        m.MSG_ATTRIBUTE = 'MAVLINK_WIP\n'
+    else:
+        m.MSG_ATTRIBUTE = ''
     f = open(os.path.join(directory, 'mavlink_msg_%s.h' % m.name_lower), mode='w')
     t.write(f, '''
 #pragma once
@@ -221,7 +225,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
 }}
  * @return length of the message in bytes (excluding serial stream start sign)
  */
-static inline uint16_t mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_pack(uint8_t system_id, uint8_t component_id, mavlink_message_t* msg,
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline uint16_t mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_pack(uint8_t system_id, uint8_t component_id, mavlink_message_t* msg,
                               ${{arg_fields: ${array_const}${type} ${array_prefix}${name},}})
 {
 #if MAVLINK_NEED_BYTE_SWAP || !MAVLINK_ALIGNED_FIELDS
@@ -254,7 +258,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
 }}
  * @return length of the message in bytes (excluding serial stream start sign)
  */
-static inline uint16_t mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_pack_chan(uint8_t system_id, uint8_t component_id, uint8_t chan,
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline uint16_t mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_pack_chan(uint8_t system_id, uint8_t component_id, uint8_t chan,
                                mavlink_message_t* msg,
                                    ${{arg_fields:${array_const}${type} ${array_prefix}${name},}})
 {
@@ -286,7 +290,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
  * @param msg The MAVLink message to compress the data into
  * @param ${name_lower} C-struct to read the message contents from
  */
-static inline uint16_t mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_encode(uint8_t system_id, uint8_t component_id, mavlink_message_t* msg, const mavlink_${name_lower}_t* ${name_lower})
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline uint16_t mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_encode(uint8_t system_id, uint8_t component_id, mavlink_message_t* msg, const mavlink_${name_lower}_t* ${name_lower})
 {
     return mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_pack(system_id, component_id, msg,${{arg_fields: ${name_lower}->${name},}});
 }
@@ -300,7 +304,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
  * @param msg The MAVLink message to compress the data into
  * @param ${name_lower} C-struct to read the message contents from
  */
-static inline uint16_t mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_encode_chan(uint8_t system_id, uint8_t component_id, uint8_t chan, mavlink_message_t* msg, const mavlink_${name_lower}_t* ${name_lower})
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline uint16_t mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_encode_chan(uint8_t system_id, uint8_t component_id, uint8_t chan, mavlink_message_t* msg, const mavlink_${name_lower}_t* ${name_lower})
 {
     return mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_pack_chan(system_id, component_id, chan, msg,${{arg_fields: ${name_lower}->${name},}});
 }
@@ -314,7 +318,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
  */
 #ifdef MAVLINK_USE_CONVENIENCE_FUNCTIONS
 
-static inline void mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_send(mavlink_channel_t chan,${{arg_fields: ${array_const}${type} ${array_prefix}${name},}})
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline void mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_send(mavlink_channel_t chan,${{arg_fields: ${array_const}${type} ${array_prefix}${name},}})
 {
 #if MAVLINK_NEED_BYTE_SWAP || !MAVLINK_ALIGNED_FIELDS
     char buf[MAVLINK_MSG_ID_${name}_LEN];
@@ -338,7 +342,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
  * @param chan MAVLink channel to send the message
  * @param struct The MAVLink struct to serialize
  */
-static inline void mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_send_struct(mavlink_channel_t chan, const mavlink_${name_lower}_t* ${name_lower})
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline void mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_send_struct(mavlink_channel_t chan, const mavlink_${name_lower}_t* ${name_lower})
 {
 #if MAVLINK_NEED_BYTE_SWAP || !MAVLINK_ALIGNED_FIELDS
     mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_send(chan,${{arg_fields: ${name_lower}->${name},}});
@@ -355,7 +359,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
   is usually the receive buffer for the channel, and allows a reply to an
   incoming message with minimum stack space usage.
  */
-static inline void mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_send_buf(mavlink_message_t *msgbuf, mavlink_channel_t chan, ${{arg_fields: ${array_const}${type} ${array_prefix}${name},}})
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline void mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_send_buf(mavlink_message_t *msgbuf, mavlink_channel_t chan, ${{arg_fields: ${array_const}${type} ${array_prefix}${name},}})
 {
 #if MAVLINK_NEED_BYTE_SWAP || !MAVLINK_ALIGNED_FIELDS
     char *buf = (char *)msgbuf;
@@ -385,7 +389,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
  *
  * @return ${units} ${description}
  */
-static inline ${return_type} mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_get_${name}(const mavlink_message_t* msg${get_arg})
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline ${return_type} mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_get_${name}(const mavlink_message_t* msg${get_arg})
 {
     return _MAV_RETURN_${type}${array_tag}(msg, ${array_return_arg} ${wire_offset});
 }
@@ -397,7 +401,7 @@ def generate_message_h(directory, m):
  * @param msg The message to decode
  * @param ${name_lower} C-struct to decode the message contents into
  */
-static inline void mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_decode(const mavlink_message_t* msg, mavlink_${name_lower}_t* ${name_lower})
+${MSG_ATTRIBUTE}static inline void mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_decode(const mavlink_message_t* msg, mavlink_${name_lower}_t* ${name_lower})
 {
 #if MAVLINK_NEED_BYTE_SWAP || !MAVLINK_ALIGNED_FIELDS
 ${{ordered_fields:    ${decode_left}mavlink_msg_${name_lower}_get_${name}(msg${decode_right});