diff --git a/launch/demo.launch b/launch/demo.launch
index 7ed51e4efe1bafcb187e8c6bf8776b68c037f524..a8a9a8617ad8a496ac185df9ea2c059880c9278c 100644
--- a/launch/demo.launch
+++ b/launch/demo.launch
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     <param name="/use_gui" value="$(arg use_gui)"/>
     <rosparam param="/source_list">[/move_group/fake_controller_joint_states]</rosparam>
   </node>
+  <node name="joint_state_desired_publisher" pkg="topic_tools" type="relay" args="joint_states joint_states_desired" />
 
   <!-- Given the published joint states, publish tf for the robot links -->
   <node name="robot_state_publisher" pkg="robot_state_publisher" type="robot_state_publisher" respawn="true" output="screen" />
diff --git a/launch/demo_chomp.launch b/launch/demo_chomp.launch
index 78815d9dd477d64d5eef479a67256c6ea622eb33..e98de1a290b34876fbd8916697c3c115ee7767b6 100644
--- a/launch/demo_chomp.launch
+++ b/launch/demo_chomp.launch
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     <param name="/use_gui" value="$(arg use_gui)"/>
     <rosparam param="/source_list">[/move_group/fake_controller_joint_states]</rosparam>
   </node>
+  <node name="joint_state_desired_publisher" pkg="topic_tools" type="relay" args="joint_states joint_states_desired" />
 
   <!-- Given the published joint states, publish tf for the robot links -->
   <node name="robot_state_publisher" pkg="robot_state_publisher" type="robot_state_publisher" respawn="true" output="screen" />
diff --git a/package.xml b/package.xml
index 4b8056270b73741807d29f269e4ce9b9b0b74036..5ac35b24f215813602211f4b4b2b7841845dd8fd 100644
--- a/package.xml
+++ b/package.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
   <run_depend>joint_state_publisher</run_depend>
   <run_depend>robot_state_publisher</run_depend>
   <run_depend>xacro</run_depend>
+  <run_depend>topic_tools</run_depend>
   <!-- This package is referenced in the warehouse launch files, but does not build out of the box at the moment. Commented the dependency until this works. -->
   <!-- <run_depend>warehouse_ros_mongo</run_depend> -->
   <build_depend>franka_description</build_depend>