diff --git a/src/templates/template_module/template_module.cpp b/src/templates/template_module/template_module.cpp
index ef185cfe2e..c528ebd3c3 100644
--- a/src/templates/template_module/template_module.cpp
+++ b/src/templates/template_module/template_module.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include <uORB/topics/parameter_update.h>
 #include <uORB/topics/sensor_combined.h>
 
+ModuleBase::Descriptor TemplateModule::desc{task_spawn, custom_command, print_usage};
 
 int TemplateModule::print_status()
 {
@@ -52,14 +53,14 @@ int TemplateModule::print_status()
 int TemplateModule::custom_command(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	/*
-	if (!is_running()) {
+	if (!is_running(desc)) {
 		print_usage("not running");
 		return 1;
 	}
 
 	// additional custom commands can be handled like this:
 	if (!strcmp(argv[0], "do-something")) {
-		get_instance()->do_something();
+		get_instance<TemplateModule>(desc)->do_something();
 		return 0;
 	}
 	 */
diff --git a/src/templates/template_module/template_module.h b/src/templates/template_module/template_module.h
index a6f51d6cb0..017a60922d 100644
--- a/src/templates/template_module/template_module.h
+++ b/src/templates/template_module/template_module.h
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ using namespace time_literals;
 extern "C" __EXPORT int template_module_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 
 
-class TemplateModule : public ModuleBase<TemplateModule>, public ModuleParams
+class TemplateModule : public ModuleBase, public ModuleParams
 {
 public:
+	static Descriptor desc;
+
 	TemplateModule(int example_param, bool example_flag);
 
 	virtual ~TemplateModule() = default;