diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.cpp
index b792e0cf1d..251d2244b6 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ uORB::DeviceMaster::~DeviceMaster()
 }
 
 int
-uORB::DeviceMaster::advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int *instance, int priority)
+uORB::DeviceMaster::advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, bool is_advertiser, int *instance, int priority)
 {
 	int ret = PX4_ERROR;
 
@@ -119,17 +119,36 @@ uORB::DeviceMaster::advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int *instance, in
 			delete node;
 
 			if (ret == -EEXIST) {
-				/* if the node exists already, get the existing one and check if
-				 * something has been published yet. */
+				/* if the node exists already, get the existing one and check if it's advertised. */
 				uORB::DeviceNode *existing_node = getDeviceNodeLocked(meta, group_tries);
 
-				if (existing_node != nullptr && !existing_node->is_advertised()) {
-					/* nothing has been published yet, lets claim it */
-					existing_node->set_priority(priority);
+				/*
+				 * We can claim an existing node in these cases:
+				 * - The node is not advertised (yet). It means there is already one or more subscribers or it was
+				 *   unadvertised.
+				 * - We are a single-instance advertiser requesting the first instance.
+				 *   (Usually we don't end up here, but we might in case of a race condition between 2
+				 *   advertisers).
+				 * - We are a subscriber requesting a certain instance.
+				 *   (Also we usually don't end up in that case, but we might in case of a race condtion
+				 *   between an advertiser and subscriber).
+				 */
+				bool is_single_instance_advertiser = is_advertiser && !instance;
+
+				if (existing_node != nullptr &&
+				    (!existing_node->is_advertised() || is_single_instance_advertiser || !is_advertiser)) {
+					if (is_advertiser) {
+						existing_node->set_priority(priority);
+						/* Set as advertised to avoid race conditions (otherwise 2 multi-instance advertisers
+						 * could get the same instance).
+						 */
+						existing_node->mark_as_advertised();
+					}
+
 					ret = PX4_OK;
 
 				} else {
-					/* otherwise: data has already been published, keep looking */
+					/* otherwise: already advertised, keep looking */
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -137,7 +156,11 @@ uORB::DeviceMaster::advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int *instance, in
 			free((void *)devpath);
 
 		} else {
-			// add to the node map;.
+			if (is_advertiser) {
+				node->mark_as_advertised();
+			}
+
+			// add to the node map.
 			_node_list.add(node);
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.hpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.hpp
index 60c9c0d628..4869bd6c21 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.hpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class uORB::DeviceMaster
 {
 public:
 
-	int advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int *instance, int priority);
+	int advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, bool is_advertiser, int *instance, int priority);
 
 	/**
 	 * Public interface for getDeviceNodeLocked(). Takes care of synchronization.
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.cpp
index b08627daa2..3b0b950641 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ uORB::DeviceNode::open(cdev::file_t *filp)
 			ret = -EBUSY;
 		}
 
+		mark_as_advertised();
 		unlock();
 
 		/* now complete the open */
@@ -275,7 +276,6 @@ uORB::DeviceNode::write(cdev::file_t *filp, const char *buffer, size_t buflen)
 	/* wrap-around happens after ~49 days, assuming a publisher rate of 1 kHz */
 	_generation++;
 
-	_advertised = true;
 
 	ATOMIC_LEAVE;
 
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.hpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.hpp
index 03d5077b78..56fd181fd3 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.hpp
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ public:
 	 * and publish to this node or if another node should be tried. */
 	bool is_advertised() const { return _advertised; }
 
+	void mark_as_advertised() { _advertised = true; }
+
 	/**
 	 * Try to change the size of the queue. This can only be done as long as nobody published yet.
 	 * This is the case, for example when orb_subscribe was called before an orb_advertise.
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.cpp
index 1d11513404..d83e75fa1b 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.cpp
@@ -316,14 +316,12 @@ int uORB::Manager::orb_get_interval(int handle, unsigned *interval)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int uORB::Manager::node_advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int *instance, int priority)
+int uORB::Manager::node_advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, bool is_advertiser, int *instance, int priority)
 {
 	int ret = PX4_ERROR;
 
-	/* fill advertiser data */
-
 	if (get_device_master()) {
-		ret = _device_master->advertise(meta, instance, priority);
+		ret = _device_master->advertise(meta, is_advertiser, instance, priority);
 	}
 
 	/* it's PX4_OK if it already exists */
@@ -373,7 +371,7 @@ int uORB::Manager::node_open(const struct orb_metadata *meta, bool advertiser, i
 	if (fd < 0) {
 
 		/* try to create the node */
-		ret = node_advertise(meta, instance, priority);
+		ret = node_advertise(meta, advertiser, instance, priority);
 
 		if (ret == PX4_OK) {
 			/* update the path, as it might have been updated during the node_advertise call */
@@ -385,7 +383,7 @@ int uORB::Manager::node_open(const struct orb_metadata *meta, bool advertiser, i
 			}
 		}
 
-		/* on success, try the open again */
+		/* on success, try to open again */
 		if (ret == PX4_OK) {
 			fd = px4_open(path, (advertiser) ? PX4_F_WRONLY : PX4_F_RDONLY);
 		}
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.hpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.hpp
index 42d195b26f..70c912bc3d 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.hpp
@@ -386,11 +386,9 @@ private: // class methods
 	/**
 	 * Advertise a node; don't consider it an error if the node has
 	 * already been advertised.
-	 *
-	 * @todo verify that the existing node is the same as the one
-	 *       we tried to advertise.
 	 */
-	int node_advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int *instance = nullptr, int priority = ORB_PRIO_DEFAULT);
+	int node_advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, bool is_advertiser, int *instance = nullptr,
+			   int priority = ORB_PRIO_DEFAULT);
 
 	/**
 	 * Common implementation for orb_advertise and orb_subscribe.