diff --git a/src/modules/simulator/simulator.h b/src/modules/simulator/simulator.h
index 6099339c44bd13ab966d9701fb44107aba0d8207..5aa663542c8d54be7529d99c40273338a8bdfec9 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulator/simulator.h
+++ b/src/modules/simulator/simulator.h
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ private:
 
 	void handle_message(mavlink_message_t *msg);
 	void handle_message_distance_sensor(const mavlink_message_t *msg);
+	void handle_message_hil_gps(const mavlink_message_t *msg);
 	void handle_message_hil_sensor(const mavlink_message_t *msg);
 	void handle_message_hil_state_quaternion(const mavlink_message_t *msg);
 	void handle_message_landing_target(const mavlink_message_t *msg);
diff --git a/src/modules/simulator/simulator_mavlink.cpp b/src/modules/simulator/simulator_mavlink.cpp
index aa3f3a853d6807a18757904969068c01dbdf9c61..f13661f48e57a86994ccad066b24533f434e1bd2 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulator/simulator_mavlink.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/simulator/simulator_mavlink.cpp
@@ -310,14 +310,7 @@ void Simulator::handle_message(mavlink_message_t *msg)
 		break;
 
 	case MAVLINK_MSG_ID_HIL_GPS:
-		mavlink_hil_gps_t gps_sim;
-		mavlink_msg_hil_gps_decode(msg, &gps_sim);
-
-		if (_publish) {
-			//PX4_WARN("FIXME:  Need to publish GPS topic.  Not done yet.");
-		}
-
-		update_gps(&gps_sim);
+		handle_message_hil_gps(msg);
 		break;
 
 	case MAVLINK_MSG_ID_RC_CHANNELS:
@@ -351,6 +344,18 @@ void Simulator::handle_message_distance_sensor(const mavlink_message_t *msg)
 	publish_distance_topic(&dist);
 }
 
+void Simulator::handle_message_hil_gps(const mavlink_message_t *msg)
+{
+	mavlink_hil_gps_t gps_sim;
+	mavlink_msg_hil_gps_decode(msg, &gps_sim);
+
+	if (_publish) {
+		//PX4_WARN("FIXME:  Need to publish GPS topic.  Not done yet.");
+	}
+
+	update_gps(&gps_sim);
+}
+
 void Simulator::handle_message_hil_sensor(const mavlink_message_t *msg)
 {
 	mavlink_hil_sensor_t imu;