diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_main.cpp b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_main.cpp
index f180b82387d4..b0220fd9c931 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_main.cpp
@@ -2879,7 +2879,7 @@ Mavlink::stream_command(int argc, char *argv[])
 		if (0 == strcmp(argv[i], "-r") && i < argc - 1) {
 			rate = strtod(argv[i + 1], nullptr);
 
-			if (rate < 0.0f) {
+			if (rate < -2.5f) {
 				err_flag = true;
 			}
 
@@ -2935,10 +2935,6 @@ Mavlink::stream_command(int argc, char *argv[])
 			return 1;
 		}
 
-		if (rate < 0.0f) {
-			rate = -2.0f; // use default rate
-		}
-
 		if (inst != nullptr) {
 			inst->configure_stream_threadsafe(stream_name, rate);
 
@@ -3054,7 +3050,7 @@ Start mavlink on UDP port 14556 and enable the HIGHRES_IMU message with 50Hz:
 #endif
 	PRINT_MODULE_USAGE_PARAM_STRING('d', nullptr, "<file:dev>", "Select Mavlink instance via Serial Device", true);
 	PRINT_MODULE_USAGE_PARAM_STRING('s', nullptr, nullptr, "Mavlink stream to configure", false);
-	PRINT_MODULE_USAGE_PARAM_FLOAT('r', -1.0f, 0.0f, 2000.0f, "Rate in Hz (0 = turn off, -1 = set to default)", false);
+	PRINT_MODULE_USAGE_PARAM_FLOAT('r', -1.0f, 0.0f, 2000.0f, "Rate in Hz (0 = turn off, -1 = default, -2 = unlimited rate)", false);
 
 	PRINT_MODULE_USAGE_COMMAND_DESCR("boot_complete",
 					 "Enable sending of messages. (Must be) called as last step in startup script.");