diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
index c8e2edecb1..cada510bf0 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
@@ -1173,8 +1173,9 @@ void Ekf2::run()
 			ev_data.quat = q;
 
 			// position measurement error from parameters. TODO : use covariances from topic
-			ev_data.posErr = fmaxf(_ev_pos_noise.get(), fmaxf(ev_pos.eph, ev_pos.epv));
+			ev_data.posErr = fmaxf(_ev_pos_noise.get(), ev_pos.eph);
 			ev_data.angErr = _ev_ang_noise.get();
+			ev_data.hgtErr = fmaxf(_ev_pos_noise.get(), ev_pos.epv);
 
 			// only set data if all positions and velocities are valid
 			if (ev_pos.xy_valid && ev_pos.z_valid && ev_pos.v_xy_valid && ev_pos.v_z_valid) {
diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
index 2759d49f2b..3e6f7d28b0 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_receiver.cpp
@@ -1253,6 +1253,10 @@ MavlinkReceiver::handle_message_vision_position_estimate(mavlink_message_t *msg)
 	vision_position.y = pos.y;
 	vision_position.z = pos.z;
 
+	//copy horizontal and vertical covariances
+	vision_position.eph = fmaxf(pos.covariance[0], pos.covariance[6]);
+	vision_position.epv = pos.covariance[11];
+
 	vision_position.xy_valid = true;
 	vision_position.z_valid = true;
 	vision_position.v_xy_valid = true;