diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
index 9f8282a89987..cfa77509b5c9 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_main.cpp
@@ -422,6 +422,8 @@ class Ekf2 final : public ModuleBase<Ekf2>, public ModuleParams, public px4::Wor
 		_param_ekf2_rng_a_igate,	///< gate size used for innovation consistency checks for range aid fusion (STD)
 
 		// vision estimate fusion
+		(ParamInt<px4::params::EKF2_EV_NOISE_MD>)
+		_param_ekf2_ev_noise_md,	///< determine source of vision observation noise
 		(ParamFloat<px4::params::EKF2_EVP_NOISE>)
 		_param_ekf2_evp_noise,	///< default position observation noise for exernal vision measurements (m)
 		(ParamFloat<px4::params::EKF2_EVV_NOISE>)
@@ -1162,8 +1164,8 @@ void Ekf2::Run()
 				ev_data.vel(1) = _ev_odom.vy;
 				ev_data.vel(2) = _ev_odom.vz;
 
-				// velocity measurement error from parameters
-				if (PX4_ISFINITE(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_X_VARIANCE])) {
+				// velocity measurement error from ev_data or parameters
+				if (!_param_ekf2_ev_noise_md.get() && PX4_ISFINITE(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_VX_VARIANCE])) {
 					ev_data.velErr = fmaxf(_param_ekf2_evv_noise.get(),
 							       sqrtf(fmaxf(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_VX_VARIANCE],
 									   fmaxf(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_VY_VARIANCE],
@@ -1180,8 +1182,8 @@ void Ekf2::Run()
 				ev_data.pos(1) = _ev_odom.y;
 				ev_data.pos(2) = _ev_odom.z;
 
-				// position measurement error from parameter
-				if (PX4_ISFINITE(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_X_VARIANCE])) {
+				// position measurement error from ev_data or parameters
+				if (!_param_ekf2_ev_noise_md.get() && PX4_ISFINITE(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_X_VARIANCE])) {
 					ev_data.posErr = fmaxf(_param_ekf2_evp_noise.get(),
 							       sqrtf(fmaxf(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_X_VARIANCE],
 									   _ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_Y_VARIANCE])));
@@ -1198,8 +1200,9 @@ void Ekf2::Run()
 			if (PX4_ISFINITE(_ev_odom.q[0])) {
 				ev_data.quat = matrix::Quatf(_ev_odom.q);
 
-				// orientation measurement error from parameters
-				if (PX4_ISFINITE(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_ROLL_VARIANCE])) {
+				// orientation measurement error from ev_data or parameters
+				if (!_param_ekf2_ev_noise_md.get()
+				    && PX4_ISFINITE(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_YAW_VARIANCE])) {
 					ev_data.angErr = fmaxf(_param_ekf2_eva_noise.get(),
 							       sqrtf(_ev_odom.pose_covariance[_ev_odom.COVARIANCE_MATRIX_YAW_VARIANCE]));
 
diff --git a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_params.c b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_params.c
index 5ea2aa8d3e48..7b615af9703d 100644
--- a/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_params.c
+++ b/src/modules/ekf2/ekf2_params.c
@@ -701,6 +701,16 @@ PARAM_DEFINE_FLOAT(EKF2_RNG_GATE, 5.0f);
  */
 PARAM_DEFINE_FLOAT(EKF2_MIN_RNG, 0.1f);
 
+/**
+ * Whether to set the external vision observation noise from the parameter or from vision message
+ *
+ * If set to true the observation noise is set from the parameters directly, if set to false the measurement noise is taken from the vision message and the parameter are used as a lower bound.
+ *
+ * @boolean
+ * @group EKF2
+ */
+PARAM_DEFINE_INT32(EKF2_EV_NOISE_MD, 0);
+
 /**
  * Measurement noise for vision position observations used when the vision system does not supply error estimates
  *