diff --git a/ur_bringup/launch/ur_control.launch.py b/ur_bringup/launch/ur_control.launch.py
index e2cccc14f..7f672aaf2 100644
--- a/ur_bringup/launch/ur_control.launch.py
+++ b/ur_bringup/launch/ur_control.launch.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ def launch_setup(context, *args, **kwargs):
     activate_joint_controller = LaunchConfiguration("activate_joint_controller")
     launch_rviz = LaunchConfiguration("launch_rviz")
     headless_mode = LaunchConfiguration("headless_mode")
+    simulated_robot = LaunchConfiguration("simulated_robot")
     launch_dashboard_client = LaunchConfiguration("launch_dashboard_client")
     use_tool_communication = LaunchConfiguration("use_tool_communication")
     tool_parity = LaunchConfiguration("tool_parity")
@@ -145,6 +146,9 @@ def launch_setup(context, *args, **kwargs):
             "headless_mode:=",
             headless_mode,
             " ",
+            "simulated_robot:=",
+            simulated_robot,
+            " ",
             "use_tool_communication:=",
             use_tool_communication,
             " ",
@@ -449,6 +453,13 @@ def generate_launch_description():
             description="Enable headless mode for robot control",
         )
     )
+    declared_arguments.append(
+        DeclareLaunchArgument(
+            "simulated_robot",
+            default_value="false",
+            description="Determine whether robot is simulated or real",
+        )
+    )
     declared_arguments.append(
         DeclareLaunchArgument(
             "initial_joint_controller",
diff --git a/ur_robot_driver/launch/ur_control.launch.py b/ur_robot_driver/launch/ur_control.launch.py
index a0db12cb5..47105f0b5 100644
--- a/ur_robot_driver/launch/ur_control.launch.py
+++ b/ur_robot_driver/launch/ur_control.launch.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ def launch_setup(context, *args, **kwargs):
     activate_joint_controller = LaunchConfiguration("activate_joint_controller")
     launch_rviz = LaunchConfiguration("launch_rviz")
     headless_mode = LaunchConfiguration("headless_mode")
+    simulated_robot = LaunchConfiguration("simulated_robot")
     launch_dashboard_client = LaunchConfiguration("launch_dashboard_client")
     use_tool_communication = LaunchConfiguration("use_tool_communication")
     tool_parity = LaunchConfiguration("tool_parity")
@@ -145,6 +146,9 @@ def launch_setup(context, *args, **kwargs):
             "headless_mode:=",
             headless_mode,
             " ",
+            "simulated_robot:=",
+            simulated_robot,
+            " ",
             "use_tool_communication:=",
             use_tool_communication,
             " ",
@@ -441,6 +445,13 @@ def generate_launch_description():
             description="Enable headless mode for robot control",
         )
     )
+    declared_arguments.append(
+        DeclareLaunchArgument(
+            "simulated_robot",
+            default_value="false",
+            description="Determine whether the robot is simulated or real",
+        )
+    )
     declared_arguments.append(
         DeclareLaunchArgument(
             "initial_joint_controller",
diff --git a/ur_robot_driver/src/hardware_interface.cpp b/ur_robot_driver/src/hardware_interface.cpp
index e2df89158..02518f013 100644
--- a/ur_robot_driver/src/hardware_interface.cpp
+++ b/ur_robot_driver/src/hardware_interface.cpp
@@ -377,10 +377,13 @@ URPositionHardwareInterface::on_activate(const rclcpp_lifecycle::State& previous
   RCLCPP_INFO(rclcpp::get_logger("URPositionHardwareInterface"), "Initializing driver...");
   registerUrclLogHandler();
   try {
+    bool simulated_robot = false;
+    simulated_robot = (info_.hardware_parameters["simulated_robot"] == "true") ||
+                      (info_.hardware_parameters["simulated_robot"] == "True");
     ur_driver_ = std::make_unique<urcl::UrDriver>(
         robot_ip, script_filename, output_recipe_filename, input_recipe_filename,
         std::bind(&URPositionHardwareInterface::handleRobotProgramState, this, std::placeholders::_1), headless_mode,
-        std::move(tool_comm_setup), (uint32_t)reverse_port, (uint32_t)script_sender_port, servoj_gain,
+        std::move(tool_comm_setup), calibration_checksum, simulated_robot, (uint32_t)reverse_port, (uint32_t)script_sender_port, servoj_gain,
         servoj_lookahead_time, non_blocking_read_);
   } catch (urcl::ToolCommNotAvailable& e) {
     RCLCPP_FATAL_STREAM(rclcpp::get_logger("URPositionHardwareInterface"), "See parameter use_tool_communication");
@@ -394,18 +397,6 @@ URPositionHardwareInterface::on_activate(const rclcpp_lifecycle::State& previous
               calibration_checksum.c_str());
   // check calibration
   // https://github.com/UniversalRobots/Universal_Robots_ROS_Driver/blob/c3378599d5fa73a261328b326392e847f312ab6b/ur_robot_driver/src/hardware_interface.cpp#L296-L309
-  if (ur_driver_->checkCalibration(calibration_checksum)) {
-    RCLCPP_INFO(rclcpp::get_logger("URPositionHardwareInterface"), "Calibration checked successfully.");
-  } else {
-    RCLCPP_ERROR_STREAM(rclcpp::get_logger("URPositionHardwareInterface"),
-
-                        "The calibration parameters of the connected robot don't match the ones from the given "
-                        "kinematics config file. Please be aware that this can lead to critical inaccuracies of tcp "
-                        "positions. Use the ur_calibration tool to extract the correct calibration from the robot and "
-                        "pass that into the description. See "
-                        "[https://github.com/UniversalRobots/Universal_Robots_ROS2_Driver/blob/main/ur_calibration/"
-                        "README.md] for details.");
-  }
 
   ur_driver_->startRTDECommunication();
 
diff --git a/ur_robot_driver/test/robot_driver.py b/ur_robot_driver/test/robot_driver.py
index ea5c2b62f..c8c983c2a 100755
--- a/ur_robot_driver/test/robot_driver.py
+++ b/ur_robot_driver/test/robot_driver.py
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ def generate_test_description():
             "launch_rviz": "false",
             "initial_joint_controller": "scaled_joint_trajectory_controller",
             "headless_mode": "true",
+            "simulated_robot": "true",
             "launch_dashboard_client": "false",
             "start_joint_controller": "false",
         }.items(),