diff --git a/hal/include/HAL/HAL.hpp b/hal/include/HAL/HAL.hpp
index 8d5e537ae0..f8c6694618 100644
--- a/hal/include/HAL/HAL.hpp
+++ b/hal/include/HAL/HAL.hpp
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ static const size_t kMaxJoystickPOVs = 12;
 
 struct HALJoystickAxes {
   uint16_t count;
-  int16_t axes[kMaxJoystickAxes];
+  float axes[kMaxJoystickAxes];
 };
 
 struct HALJoystickPOVs {
diff --git a/hal/lib/Shared/HAL.cpp b/hal/lib/Shared/HAL.cpp
index 4f89206c02..edc4040b04 100644
--- a/hal/lib/Shared/HAL.cpp
+++ b/hal/lib/Shared/HAL.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include "FRC_NetworkCommunication/FRCComm.h"
 
+struct HALJoystickAxesInt {
+  uint16_t count;
+  int16_t axes[kMaxJoystickAxes];
+};
+
 extern "C" {
 
 int HALGetControlWord(HALControlWord* data) {
@@ -17,9 +22,26 @@ int HALGetAllianceStation(enum HALAllianceStationID* allianceStation) {
       (AllianceStationID_t*)allianceStation);
 }
 
-int HALGetJoystickAxes(uint8_t joystickNum, HALJoystickAxes* axes) {
-  return FRC_NetworkCommunication_getJoystickAxes(
-      joystickNum, (JoystickAxes_t*)axes, kMaxJoystickAxes);
+int HALGetJoystickAxes(uint8_t joystickNum, HALJoystickAxes *axes) {
+  HALJoystickAxesInt axesInt;
+  
+  int retVal = FRC_NetworkCommunication_getJoystickAxes(
+      joystickNum, (JoystickAxes_t*) &axesInt, kMaxJoystickAxes);
+  
+  // copy int values to float values
+  axes->count = axesInt.count;
+  // current scaling is -128 to 127, can easily be patched in the future by 
+  // changing this function.
+  for (unsigned int i = 0; i < axesInt.count; i++) {
+    int8_t value = axesInt.axes[i];
+    if (value < 0) {
+      axes->axes[i] = value / 128.0f;
+    } else {
+      axes->axes[i] = value / 127.0f;
+    }
+  }
+  
+  return retVal;
 }
 
 int HALGetJoystickPOVs(uint8_t joystickNum, HALJoystickPOVs* povs) {
diff --git a/wpilibc/Athena/src/DriverStation.cpp b/wpilibc/Athena/src/DriverStation.cpp
index 474dce30bd..14a962dcbc 100644
--- a/wpilibc/Athena/src/DriverStation.cpp
+++ b/wpilibc/Athena/src/DriverStation.cpp
@@ -303,14 +303,8 @@ float DriverStation::GetStickAxis(uint32_t stick, uint32_t axis) {
           "Joystick Axis missing, check if all controllers are plugged in");
     return 0.0f;
   }
-
-  int8_t value = m_joystickAxes[stick].axes[axis];
-
-  if (value < 0) {
-    return value / 128.0f;
-  } else {
-    return value / 127.0f;
-  }
+  
+  return m_joystickAxes[stick].axes[axis];
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/wpilibj/src/athena/cpp/lib/FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary.cpp b/wpilibj/src/athena/cpp/lib/FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary.cpp
index 4c403f1a67..e9ec7f2f6f 100644
--- a/wpilibj/src/athena/cpp/lib/FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary.cpp
+++ b/wpilibj/src/athena/cpp/lib/FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary.cpp
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ Java_edu_wpi_first_wpilibj_communication_FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary_NativeH
  */
 JNIEXPORT jbyte JNICALL
 Java_edu_wpi_first_wpilibj_communication_FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary_HALGetJoystickAxes(
-    JNIEnv * env, jclass, jbyte joystickNum, jshortArray axesArray) {
+    JNIEnv * env, jclass, jbyte joystickNum, jfloatArray axesArray) {
   NETCOMM_LOG(logDEBUG) << "Calling HALJoystickAxes";
   HALJoystickAxes axes;
   HALGetJoystickAxes(joystickNum, &axes);
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ Java_edu_wpi_first_wpilibj_communication_FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary_HALGetJ
     ThrowIllegalArgumentException(env, "Native array size larger then passed in java array size");
   }
 
-  env->SetShortArrayRegion(axesArray, 0, axes.count, axes.axes);
+  env->SetFloatArrayRegion(axesArray, 0, axes.count, axes.axes);
 
   return axes.count;
 }
diff --git a/wpilibj/src/athena/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/DriverStation.java b/wpilibj/src/athena/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/DriverStation.java
index 530066c4a5..d2349a0065 100644
--- a/wpilibj/src/athena/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/DriverStation.java
+++ b/wpilibj/src/athena/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/DriverStation.java
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ public class DriverStation implements RobotState.Interface {
   }
 
   private class HALJoystickAxes {
-    public short[] m_axes;
+    public float[] m_axes;
     public byte m_count;
 
     public HALJoystickAxes(int count) {
-      m_axes = new short[count];
+      m_axes = new float[count];
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/wpilibj/src/athena/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/communication/FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary.java b/wpilibj/src/athena/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/communication/FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary.java
index cb821efef8..2f1ef7f1d4 100644
--- a/wpilibj/src/athena/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/communication/FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary.java
+++ b/wpilibj/src/athena/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/communication/FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary.java
@@ -224,8 +224,8 @@ public class FRCNetworkCommunicationsLibrary extends JNIWrapper {
 
   public static int kMaxJoystickAxes = 12;
   public static int kMaxJoystickPOVs = 12;
-  
-  public static native byte HALGetJoystickAxes(byte joystickNum, short[] axesArray);
+
+  public static native byte HALGetJoystickAxes(byte joystickNum, float[] axesArray);
 
   public static native byte HALGetJoystickPOVs(byte joystickNum, short[] povsArray);