diff --git a/flight/CopterControl/Makefile b/flight/CopterControl/Makefile
index 7a1653c0e..631a0e7c9 100644
--- a/flight/CopterControl/Makefile
+++ b/flight/CopterControl/Makefile
@@ -412,6 +412,9 @@ ifeq ($(USE_I2C), YES)
 CDEFS += -DUSE_I2C
 endif
 
+# Declare all non-optional modules as built-in to force inclusion
+CDEFS += ${foreach MOD, ${MODULES}, -DMODULE_$(MOD)_BUILTIN }
+
 # Place project-specific -D and/or -U options for
 # Assembler with preprocessor here.
 #ADEFS = -DUSE_IRQ_ASM_WRAPPER
diff --git a/flight/Modules/Altitude/altitude.c b/flight/Modules/Altitude/altitude.c
index da90b7f7c..87a4240b6 100644
--- a/flight/Modules/Altitude/altitude.c
+++ b/flight/Modules/Altitude/altitude.c
@@ -92,7 +92,9 @@ int32_t AltitudeStart()
  */
 int32_t AltitudeInitialize()
 {
-
+#ifdef MODULE_Altitude_BUILTIN
+	altitudeEnabled = 1;
+#else
 	HwSettingsInitialize();
 	uint8_t optionalModules[HWSETTINGS_OPTIONALMODULES_NUMELEM];
 	HwSettingsOptionalModulesGet(optionalModules);
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ int32_t AltitudeInitialize()
 	} else {
 		altitudeEnabled = 0;
 	}
+#endif
 
 	// init down-sampling data
 	alt_ds_temp = 0;
diff --git a/flight/Modules/CameraStab/camerastab.c b/flight/Modules/CameraStab/camerastab.c
index 770ff7ab6..0c5b189d9 100644
--- a/flight/Modules/CameraStab/camerastab.c
+++ b/flight/Modules/CameraStab/camerastab.c
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ int32_t CameraStabInitialize(void)
 	static UAVObjEvent ev;
 
 	bool cameraStabEnabled;
+
+#ifdef MODULE_CameraStab_BUILTIN
+	cameraStabEnabled = true;
+#else
 	uint8_t optionalModules[HWSETTINGS_OPTIONALMODULES_NUMELEM];
 
 	HwSettingsInitialize();
@@ -84,6 +88,7 @@ int32_t CameraStabInitialize(void)
 		cameraStabEnabled = true;
 	else
 		cameraStabEnabled = false;
+#endif
 
 	if (cameraStabEnabled) {
 
diff --git a/flight/Modules/ComUsbBridge/ComUsbBridge.c b/flight/Modules/ComUsbBridge/ComUsbBridge.c
index 984a53944..678e7039d 100644
--- a/flight/Modules/ComUsbBridge/ComUsbBridge.c
+++ b/flight/Modules/ComUsbBridge/ComUsbBridge.c
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ static int32_t comUsbBridgeInitialize(void)
 	usart_port = PIOS_COM_BRIDGE;
 	vcp_port = PIOS_COM_VCP;
 
+#ifdef MODULE_ComUsbBridge_BUILTIN
+	bridge_enabled = true;
+#else
 	HwSettingsInitialize();
 	uint8_t optionalModules[HWSETTINGS_OPTIONALMODULES_NUMELEM];
 
@@ -104,6 +107,7 @@ static int32_t comUsbBridgeInitialize(void)
 		bridge_enabled = true;
 	else
 		bridge_enabled = false;
+#endif
 
 	if (bridge_enabled) {
 		com2usb_buf = pvPortMalloc(BRIDGE_BUF_LEN);
diff --git a/flight/Modules/Fault/Fault.c b/flight/Modules/Fault/Fault.c
index 0ac3748a6..868330739 100644
--- a/flight/Modules/Fault/Fault.c
+++ b/flight/Modules/Fault/Fault.c
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ static uint8_t active_fault;
 
 static int32_t fault_initialize(void)
 {
+#ifdef MODULE_Fault_BUILTIN
+	module_enabled = true;
+#else
 	HwSettingsInitialize();
 	uint8_t optionalModules[HWSETTINGS_OPTIONALMODULES_NUMELEM];
 
@@ -50,6 +53,7 @@ static int32_t fault_initialize(void)
 	} else {
 		module_enabled = false;
 	}
+#endif
 
 	/* Do this outside the module_enabled test so that it
 	 * can be changed even when the module has been disabled.
diff --git a/flight/Modules/GPS/GPS.c b/flight/Modules/GPS/GPS.c
index bc8f92c17..1f93d6dba 100644
--- a/flight/Modules/GPS/GPS.c
+++ b/flight/Modules/GPS/GPS.c
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ int32_t GPSInitialize(void)
 {
 	gpsPort = PIOS_COM_GPS;
 
+#ifdef MODULE_GPS_BUILTIN
+	gpsEnabled = true;
+#else
 	HwSettingsInitialize();
 	uint8_t optionalModules[HWSETTINGS_OPTIONALMODULES_NUMELEM];
 
@@ -130,6 +133,7 @@ int32_t GPSInitialize(void)
 		gpsEnabled = true;
 	else
 		gpsEnabled = false;
+#endif
 
 	if (gpsPort && gpsEnabled) {
 		GPSPositionInitialize();
diff --git a/flight/OpenPilot/Makefile b/flight/OpenPilot/Makefile
index 940c1f117..2130bf283 100644
--- a/flight/OpenPilot/Makefile
+++ b/flight/OpenPilot/Makefile
@@ -369,6 +369,9 @@ ifeq ($(ENABLE_AUX_UART), YES)
 CDEFS += -DPIOS_ENABLE_AUX_UART
 endif
 
+# Declare all non-optional modules as built-in to force inclusion
+CDEFS += ${foreach MOD, ${MODULES}, -DMODULE_$(MOD)_BUILTIN }
+
 # Place project-specific -D and/or -U options for
 # Assembler with preprocessor here.
 #ADEFS = -DUSE_IRQ_ASM_WRAPPER