diff --git a/msg/CMakeLists.txt b/msg/CMakeLists.txt
index d154039e41..148caa3d0e 100644
--- a/msg/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/msg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 set(msg_files
 	actuator_armed.msg
 	actuator_controls.msg
-	actuator_direct.msg
 	actuator_outputs.msg
 	adc_report.msg
 	airspeed.msg
diff --git a/msg/actuator_direct.msg b/msg/actuator_direct.msg
deleted file mode 100644
index 007745e90b..0000000000
--- a/msg/actuator_direct.msg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-uint64 timestamp			# time since system start (microseconds)
-uint8 NUM_ACTUATORS_DIRECT = 16
-uint32 nvalues				# number of valid values
-float32[16] values			# actuator values, from -1 to 1
diff --git a/msg/tools/uorb_rtps_message_ids.yaml b/msg/tools/uorb_rtps_message_ids.yaml
index 07aa0095bc..612d8a210f 100644
--- a/msg/tools/uorb_rtps_message_ids.yaml
+++ b/msg/tools/uorb_rtps_message_ids.yaml
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ rtps:
     id: 0
   - msg: actuator_controls
     id: 1
-  - msg: actuator_direct
-    id: 2
   - msg: actuator_outputs
     id: 3
   - msg: adc_report
diff --git a/src/drivers/uavcan/uavcan_main.cpp b/src/drivers/uavcan/uavcan_main.cpp
index b8346a220c..d33eb42084 100644
--- a/src/drivers/uavcan/uavcan_main.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/uavcan/uavcan_main.cpp
@@ -139,8 +139,6 @@ UavcanNode::~UavcanNode()
 		} while (_task != -1);
 	}
 
-	(void)orb_unsubscribe(_actuator_direct_sub);
-
 	// Removing the sensor bridges
 	_sensor_bridges.clear();
 
@@ -763,8 +761,6 @@ UavcanNode::run()
 	// XXX figure out the output count
 	_output_count = 2;
 
-	_actuator_direct_sub = orb_subscribe(ORB_ID(actuator_direct));
-
 	actuator_outputs_s outputs{};
 
 	// Set up the time synchronization
@@ -808,14 +804,6 @@ UavcanNode::run()
 	 */
 	add_poll_fd(busevent_fd);
 
-	/*
-	 * setup poll to look for actuator direct input if we are
-	 * subscribed to the topic
-	 */
-	if (_actuator_direct_sub != -1) {
-		_actuator_direct_poll_fd_num = add_poll_fd(_actuator_direct_sub);
-	}
-
 	update_params();
 
 	while (!_task_should_exit) {
@@ -886,23 +874,6 @@ UavcanNode::run()
 				}
 			}
 
-			// see if we have any direct actuator updates
-			actuator_direct_s actuator_direct{};
-
-			if (_actuator_direct_sub != -1 &&
-			    (_poll_fds[_actuator_direct_poll_fd_num].revents & POLLIN) &&
-			    orb_copy(ORB_ID(actuator_direct), _actuator_direct_sub, &actuator_direct) == OK &&
-			    !_test_in_progress) {
-
-				if (actuator_direct.nvalues > actuator_outputs_s::NUM_ACTUATOR_OUTPUTS) {
-					actuator_direct.nvalues = actuator_outputs_s::NUM_ACTUATOR_OUTPUTS;
-				}
-
-				memcpy(&outputs.output[0], &actuator_direct.values[0], actuator_direct.nvalues * sizeof(float));
-				outputs.noutputs = actuator_direct.nvalues;
-				new_output = true;
-			}
-
 			// can we mix?
 			if (_test_in_progress) {
 
diff --git a/src/drivers/uavcan/uavcan_main.hpp b/src/drivers/uavcan/uavcan_main.hpp
index 5d5c200148..ee639cf74c 100644
--- a/src/drivers/uavcan/uavcan_main.hpp
+++ b/src/drivers/uavcan/uavcan_main.hpp
@@ -65,15 +65,14 @@
 #include <uORB/Subscription.hpp>
 #include <uORB/topics/actuator_armed.h>
 #include <uORB/topics/actuator_controls.h>
-#include <uORB/topics/actuator_direct.h>
 #include <uORB/topics/actuator_outputs.h>
 #include <uORB/topics/parameter_update.h>
 #include <uORB/topics/test_motor.h>
 
 #define NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN	4
 
-// we add two to allow for actuator_direct and busevent
-#define UAVCAN_NUM_POLL_FDS (NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN+2)
+// we add 1 to allow for busevent
+#define UAVCAN_NUM_POLL_FDS (NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN+1)
 
 /**
  * A UAVCAN node.
@@ -204,10 +203,6 @@ private:
 	uORB::Subscription		_parameter_update_sub{ORB_ID(parameter_update)};
 	uORB::Subscription		_test_motor_sub{ORB_ID(test_motor)};
 
-	int				_actuator_direct_sub{-1};   ///< uORB subscription of the actuator_direct topic
-	uint8_t				_actuator_direct_poll_fd_num{0};
-
-
 	perf_counter_t			_cycle_perf;
 	perf_counter_t			_interval_perf;
 	perf_counter_t			_control_latency_perf;
diff --git a/src/drivers/uavcanesc/uavcanesc_main.hpp b/src/drivers/uavcanesc/uavcanesc_main.hpp
index 5c304c20fb..7c6fb1c040 100644
--- a/src/drivers/uavcanesc/uavcanesc_main.hpp
+++ b/src/drivers/uavcanesc/uavcanesc_main.hpp
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
 #define NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN	1
 #define UAVCAN_DEVICE_PATH	"/dev/uavcan/esc"
 
-// we add two to allow for actuator_direct and busevent
-#define UAVCAN_NUM_POLL_FDS (NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN+2)
+// we add 1 to allow for busevent
+#define UAVCAN_NUM_POLL_FDS (NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN+1)
 
 /**
  * A UAVCAN node.
diff --git a/src/drivers/uavcannode/uavcannode_main.hpp b/src/drivers/uavcannode/uavcannode_main.hpp
index 1ae9e29c6b..59ff60641c 100644
--- a/src/drivers/uavcannode/uavcannode_main.hpp
+++ b/src/drivers/uavcannode/uavcannode_main.hpp
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@
 #define NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN	1
 #define UAVCAN_DEVICE_PATH	"/dev/uavcan/node"
 
-// we add two to allow for actuator_direct and busevent
-#define UAVCAN_NUM_POLL_FDS (NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN+2)
+// we add 1 to allow for busevent
+#define UAVCAN_NUM_POLL_FDS (NUM_ACTUATOR_CONTROL_GROUPS_UAVCAN+1)
 
 /**
  * A UAVCAN node.