diff --git a/src/board_controller/openbci/ganglion.cpp b/src/board_controller/openbci/ganglion.cpp
index a21a8cd57..872789eba 100644
--- a/src/board_controller/openbci/ganglion.cpp
+++ b/src/board_controller/openbci/ganglion.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Ganglion::Ganglion (struct BrainFlowInputParams params)
         is_valid = true;
     }
     use_mac_addr = (params.mac_address.empty ()) ? false : true;
-    firmware = 0;
+    firmware = get_firmware_from_params (params);
     is_streaming = false;
     keep_alive = false;
     initialized = false;
@@ -79,6 +79,25 @@ Ganglion::~Ganglion ()
     release_session ();
 }
 
+int Ganglion::get_firmware_from_params (BrainFlowInputParams &params)
+{
+    if (params.other_info.compare ("fw:auto") == 0)
+    {
+        safe_logger (spdlog::level::info, "Autodetecting firmware version...");
+        return 0;
+    }
+    if (params.other_info.compare ("fw:2") == 0)
+    {
+        safe_logger (spdlog::level::info, "Setting firmware version to 2");
+        return 2;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        safe_logger (spdlog::level::info, "Setting firmware version to 3");
+        return 3;
+    }
+}
+
 int Ganglion::prepare_session ()
 {
     if (initialized)
@@ -678,9 +697,12 @@ int Ganglion::call_open ()
 
         res = func ((void *)&connection_params);
 
-        safe_logger (
-            spdlog::level::info, "detected firmware version {}", connection_params.firmware);
-        firmware = connection_params.firmware;
+        if (firmware == 0)
+        {
+            safe_logger (
+                spdlog::level::info, "detected firmware version {}", connection_params.firmware);
+            firmware = connection_params.firmware;
+        }
     }
     else
     {
@@ -694,9 +716,12 @@ int Ganglion::call_open ()
         safe_logger (
             spdlog::level::info, "mac address is not specified, try to find ganglion without it");
 
-        res = func ((void *)&firmware);
 
-        safe_logger (spdlog::level::info, "detected firmware version {}", firmware);
+        if (firmware == 0)
+        {
+            res = func ((void *)&firmware);
+            safe_logger (spdlog::level::info, "detected firmware version {}", firmware);
+        }
     }
     if (res != GanglionLib::CustomExitCodes::STATUS_OK)
     {
diff --git a/src/board_controller/openbci/ganglion_native.cpp b/src/board_controller/openbci/ganglion_native.cpp
index 71173bb12..636aa99de 100644
--- a/src/board_controller/openbci/ganglion_native.cpp
+++ b/src/board_controller/openbci/ganglion_native.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ GanglionNative::GanglionNative (struct BrainFlowInputParams params)
     is_streaming = false;
     start_command = "b";
     stop_command = "s";
-    firmware = 0;
+    firmware = get_firmware_from_params (params);
 }
 
 GanglionNative::~GanglionNative ()
@@ -51,6 +51,25 @@ GanglionNative::~GanglionNative ()
     release_session ();
 }
 
+int GanglionNative::get_firmware_from_params (BrainFlowInputParams &params)
+{
+    if (params.other_info.compare ("fw:auto") == 0)
+    {
+        safe_logger (spdlog::level::info, "Autodetecting firmware version...");
+        return 0;
+    }
+    if (params.other_info.compare ("fw:2") == 0)
+    {
+        safe_logger (spdlog::level::info, "Setting firmware version to 2");
+        return 2;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        safe_logger (spdlog::level::info, "Setting firmware version to 3");
+        return 3;
+    }
+}
+
 int GanglionNative::prepare_session ()
 {
     if (initialized)
@@ -167,7 +186,8 @@ int GanglionNative::prepare_session ()
             for (size_t j = 0; j < service.characteristic_count; j++)
             {
                 // Read the software revision characteristic to get the firmware version
-                if (strcmp (service.characteristics[j].uuid.value, GANGLION_SOFTWARE_REVISION) == 0)
+                if (firmware == 0 &&
+                    strcmp (service.characteristics[j].uuid.value, GANGLION_SOFTWARE_REVISION) == 0)
                 {
                     uint8_t *data;
                     size_t data_length;
diff --git a/src/board_controller/openbci/inc/ganglion.h b/src/board_controller/openbci/inc/ganglion.h
index d0e7ef3e9..d9292f550 100644
--- a/src/board_controller/openbci/inc/ganglion.h
+++ b/src/board_controller/openbci/inc/ganglion.h
@@ -67,4 +67,7 @@ class Ganglion : public Board
         double *acceleration, double *package);
     void decompress_firmware_2 (struct GanglionLib::GanglionData *data, float *last_data,
         double *acceleration, double *package);
+
+private:
+    int get_firmware_from_params (BrainFlowInputParams &params);
 };
diff --git a/src/board_controller/openbci/inc/ganglion_native.h b/src/board_controller/openbci/inc/ganglion_native.h
index 0f0f15ae8..b32a9be34 100644
--- a/src/board_controller/openbci/inc/ganglion_native.h
+++ b/src/board_controller/openbci/inc/ganglion_native.h
@@ -117,4 +117,7 @@ class GanglionNative : public BLELibBoard
 
     void decompress_firmware_3 (const uint8_t *data, double *package);
     void decompress_firmware_2 (const uint8_t *data, double *package);
+
+private:
+    int get_firmware_from_params (BrainFlowInputParams &params);
 };