diff --git a/franka_control/launch/franka_control.launch b/franka_control/launch/franka_control.launch
index df7b1437e..20f6ad7f5 100644
--- a/franka_control/launch/franka_control.launch
+++ b/franka_control/launch/franka_control.launch
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@
   <arg name="robot" default="panda" doc="choose your robot. Possible values: [panda, fr3]"/>
   <arg name="arm_id" default="$(arg robot)" />
   <arg name="load_gripper" default="true" />
+  <arg name="load_description" default="true" />
   <arg name="xacro_args" default="" />
 
-  <param name="robot_description" command="$(find xacro)/xacro $(find franka_description)/robots/$(arg robot)/$(arg robot).urdf.xacro hand:=$(arg load_gripper) arm_id:=$(arg arm_id) $(arg xacro_args)"/>
+  <param name="robot_description" if="$(arg load_description)" command="$(find xacro)/xacro $(find franka_description)/robots/$(arg robot)/$(arg robot).urdf.xacro hand:=$(arg load_gripper) arm_id:=$(arg arm_id) $(arg xacro_args)"/>
 
   <include file="$(find franka_gripper)/launch/franka_gripper.launch" if="$(arg load_gripper)">
     <arg name="robot_ip" value="$(arg robot_ip)" />
diff --git a/franka_gazebo/launch/panda.launch b/franka_gazebo/launch/panda.launch
index f9baa6976..e5ae6f4fa 100644
--- a/franka_gazebo/launch/panda.launch
+++ b/franka_gazebo/launch/panda.launch
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
   <arg name="rviz"        default="false" doc="Should RVIz be launched?" />
 
   <!-- Robot Customization -->
+  <arg name="load_description"  default="true"  doc="Whether to load robot description" />
   <arg name="arm_id"      default="panda" doc="Name of the robot to spawn" />
   <arg name="use_gripper" default="true"  doc="Should a franka hand be mounted on the flange?" />
   <arg name="controller"  default=" "     doc="Which example controller should be started? (One of {cartesian_impedance,model,force,joint_position,joint_velocity}_example_controller)" />
@@ -55,5 +56,4 @@
     <arg name="interactive_marker" value="$(arg interactive_marker)" />
 
   </include>
-
 </launch>