diff --git a/src/libs/actions/data-lake.ts b/src/libs/actions/data-lake.ts
index 3b60c3806..5e1409d6e 100644
--- a/src/libs/actions/data-lake.ts
+++ b/src/libs/actions/data-lake.ts
@@ -52,28 +52,21 @@ export const getDataLakeVariableData = (id: string): string | number | boolean |
   return dataLakeVariableData[id]
 }
 
-export const setDataLakeVariableData = (id: string, data: object | string | number | boolean): void => {
-  const newData = data
-  if (data === null) {
-    return
-  }
-  if (dataLakeVariableData[id] === undefined) {
-    console.trace(`Cockpit action variable with id '${id}' does not exist. Creating it.`)
-    const type_of_variable = typeof data
-    if (type_of_variable === 'object') {
-      // TODO: support strings
-    }
-    if (type_of_variable !== 'string' && type_of_variable !== 'number') {
-      console.debug(`attempting to create a variable with type ${type_of_variable}. Skipping`)
-      return
+export const setDataLakeVariableData = (
+  id: string,
+  data: object | string | number | boolean | Array<string | number>
+): void => {
+  if (data === null) return
+
+  // Handle already-flat primitive types first
+  if (typeof data === 'string' || typeof data === 'number') {
+    if (dataLakeVariableInfo[id] === undefined) {
+      createDataLakeVariable(new DataLakeVariable(id, id, typeof data === 'string' ? 'string' : 'number'))
     }
-    createDataLakeVariable(new DataLakeVariable(id, id, typeof data))
-  }
-  if (newData === undefined || typeof newData === 'object') {
+    dataLakeVariableData[id] = data
+    notifyDataLakeVariableListeners(id)
     return
   }
-  dataLakeVariableData[id] = newData
-  notifyDataLakeVariableListeners(id)
 }
 
 export const deleteDataLakeVariable = (id: string): void => {
diff --git a/src/libs/vehicle/ardupilot/ardupilot.ts b/src/libs/vehicle/ardupilot/ardupilot.ts
index 0e1835087..d458c68ff 100644
--- a/src/libs/vehicle/ardupilot/ardupilot.ts
+++ b/src/libs/vehicle/ardupilot/ardupilot.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import type { MetadataFile } from '@/types/ardupilot-metadata'
 import { type MissionLoadingCallback, type Waypoint, defaultLoadingCallback } from '@/types/mission'
 
 import * as Vehicle from '../vehicle'
+import { flattenData } from './data-flattener'
 import { defaultMessageFrequency } from './defaults'
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
@@ -296,8 +297,19 @@ export abstract class ArduPilotVehicle<Modes> extends Vehicle.AbstractVehicle<Mo
     }
 
     const messageName = mavlink_message.message.type
-    const entries = prepareMessageForDataLake(messageName, mavlink_message.message)
-    entries.forEach(([path, value]) => setDataLakeVariableData(path, value))
+
+    // Special handling for NAMED_VALUE_FLOAT messages
+    if (messageName === 'NAMED_VALUE_FLOAT') {
+      const name = (mavlink_message.message.name as string[]).join('').replace(/\0/g, '')
+      setDataLakeVariableData(`${messageName}/${name}`, mavlink_message.message.value)
+      return
+    }
+
+    // For all other messages, use the flattener
+    const flattened = flattenData(mavlink_message.message)
+    flattened.forEach(({ path, value }) => {
+      setDataLakeVariableData(path, value)
+    })
 
     // Update our internal messages
     this._messages.set(mavlink_message.message.type, { ...mavlink_message.message, epoch: new Date().getTime() })
diff --git a/src/libs/vehicle/ardupilot/data-flattener.ts b/src/libs/vehicle/ardupilot/data-flattener.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..adf7b2257
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libs/vehicle/ardupilot/data-flattener.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+/**
+ * Result of flattening a data structure
+ */
+export type FlattenedPair = {
+  /**
+   *
+   */
+  path: string
+  /**
+   *
+   */
+  value: string | number | boolean
+  /**
+   *
+   */
+  type: 'string' | 'number' | 'boolean'
+}
+
+/**
+ * Type guard to check if a value is an array of numbers
+ * @param {unknown[]} data The data to check
+ * @returns {data is number[]} True if the array contains numbers
+ */
+function isNumberArray(data: unknown[]): data is number[] {
+  return typeof data[0] === 'number'
+}
+
+/**
+ * Type guard to check if a value is an array of strings
+ * @param {unknown[]} data The data to check
+ * @returns {data is string[]} True if the array contains strings
+ */
+function isStringArray(data: unknown[]): data is string[] {
+  return typeof data[0] === 'string'
+}
+
+/**
+ * Flattens complex data structures into simple types that can be stored in the data lake
+ * @param {Record<string, unknown>} data The data to flatten
+ * @returns {FlattenedPair[]} Array of flattened path/value pairs
+ */
+export function flattenData(data: Record<string, unknown>): FlattenedPair[] {
+  if (!('type' in data)) return []
+  const messageName = data.type as string
+
+  // Special handling for NAMED_VALUE_FLOAT messages
+  if (messageName === 'NAMED_VALUE_FLOAT') {
+    const name = (data.name as string[]).join('').replace(/\0/g, '')
+    return [
+      {
+        path: `${messageName}/${name}`,
+        type: 'number',
+        value: data.value as number,
+      },
+      ...Object.entries(data)
+        .filter(([key]) => !['name', 'value', 'type'].includes(key))
+        .map(([key, value]) => ({
+          path: `${messageName}/${key}`,
+          type: typeof value as 'string' | 'number' | 'boolean',
+          value: value as string | number | boolean,
+        })),
+    ]
+  }
+
+  // For all other messages
+  return Object.entries(data)
+    .filter(([key]) => key !== 'type')
+    .flatMap(([key, value]) => {
+      if (typeof value === 'string' || typeof value === 'number' || typeof value === 'boolean') {
+        return [
+          {
+            path: `${messageName}/${key}`,
+            type: typeof value as 'string' | 'number' | 'boolean',
+            value,
+          },
+        ]
+      }
+      if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+        if (value.length === 0) return []
+        if (isNumberArray(value)) {
+          return value.map((item, index) => ({
+            path: `${messageName}/${key}/${index}`,
+            type: 'number',
+            value: item,
+          }))
+        }
+        if (isStringArray(value)) {
+          return [
+            {
+              path: `${messageName}/${key}`,
+              type: 'string',
+              value: value.join(''),
+            },
+          ]
+        }
+      }
+      return []
+    })
+}