diff --git a/src/Autopilot/autopilot.cxx b/src/Autopilot/autopilot.cxx
index d37c38d7d..809001d61 100644
--- a/src/Autopilot/autopilot.cxx
+++ b/src/Autopilot/autopilot.cxx
@@ -93,11 +93,16 @@ void Autopilot::add_component( Component * component )
 {
   if( component == NULL ) return;
 
+  // check for duplicate name
   std::string name = component->get_name();
-  if( get_subsystem( name.c_str() ) != NULL ) {
-    SG_LOG( SG_ALL, SG_ALERT, "Duplicate autopilot component " << name << " ignored" );
-    return;
+  for( unsigned i = 0; get_subsystem( name.c_str() ) != NULL; i++ ) {
+      ostringstream buf;
+      buf <<  name << "_" << i;
+      name = buf.str();
   }
+  if( name != component->get_name() )
+    SG_LOG( SG_ALL, SG_ALERT, "Duplicate autopilot component " << component->get_name() << ", renamed to " << name );
+
   set_subsystem( name.c_str(), component );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Autopilot/autopilotgroup.cxx b/src/Autopilot/autopilotgroup.cxx
index be1572a7a..81b4d8101 100644
--- a/src/Autopilot/autopilotgroup.cxx
+++ b/src/Autopilot/autopilotgroup.cxx
@@ -177,6 +177,18 @@ void FGXMLAutopilotGroup::init()
           apName = buf.str();
         }
 
+        {
+          // check for duplicate names
+          string name = apName;
+          for( unsigned i = 0; get_subsystem( apName.c_str() ) != NULL; i++ ) {
+              ostringstream buf;
+              buf <<  apName << "_" << i;
+              apName = buf.str();
+          }
+          if( apName != name )
+            SG_LOG( SG_ALL, SG_ALERT, "Duplicate autopilot component " << name << ", renamed to " << apName );
+        }
+
         if( get_subsystem( apName.c_str() ) != NULL ) {
             SG_LOG( SG_ALL, SG_ALERT, "Duplicate autopilot configuration name " << apName << " ignored" );
             continue;