diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBMain.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBMain.cpp
index 21e7aef818..b17f579d7e 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBMain.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBMain.cpp
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ uorb_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 * Test the driver/device.
 	 */
 	if (!strcmp(argv[1], "test")) {
+		if (!g_dev) {
+			PX4_WARN("orb is not running! start it first");
+			return -ESRCH;
+		}
 		uORBTest::UnitTest &t = uORBTest::UnitTest::instance();
 		return t.test();
 	}
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager_nuttx.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager_nuttx.cpp
index 3c4d886023..ee1690a69a 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager_nuttx.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager_nuttx.cpp
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ int uORB::Manager::node_open
 )
 {
 	char path[orb_maxpath];
-	int fd, ret;
+	int fd = -1, ret;
 
 	/*
 	 * If meta is null, the object was not defined, i.e. it is not
@@ -244,25 +244,21 @@ int uORB::Manager::node_open
 		return ERROR;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Generate the path to the node and try to open it.
-	 */
-	ret = uORB::Utils::node_mkpath(path, f, meta, instance);
+	/* if we have an instance and are an advertiser, we will generate a new node and set the instance,
+	 * so we do not need to open here */
+	if (!instance || !advertiser) {
+		/*
+		 * Generate the path to the node and try to open it.
+		 */
+		ret = uORB::Utils::node_mkpath(path, f, meta, instance);
 
-	if (ret != OK) {
-		errno = -ret;
-		return ERROR;
-	}
+		if (ret != OK) {
+			errno = -ret;
+			return ERROR;
+		}
 
-	/* open the path as either the advertiser or the subscriber */
-	fd = open(path, (advertiser) ? O_WRONLY : O_RDONLY);
-
-	/* if we want to advertise and the node existed, we have to re-try again */
-	if ((fd >= 0) && (instance != nullptr) && (advertiser)) {
-		/* close the fd, we want a new one */
-		close(fd);
-		/* the node_advertise call will automatically go for the next free entry */
-		fd = -1;
+		/* open the path as either the advertiser or the subscriber */
+		fd = open(path, advertiser ? O_WRONLY : O_RDONLY);
 	}
 
 	/* we may need to advertise the node... */
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager_posix.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager_posix.cpp
index 3a01038b4a..21777de1d6 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager_posix.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager_posix.cpp
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ int uORB::Manager::node_open
 )
 {
 	char path[orb_maxpath];
-	int fd, ret;
+	int fd = -1, ret;
 
 	/*
 	 * If meta is null, the object was not defined, i.e. it is not
@@ -252,29 +252,21 @@ int uORB::Manager::node_open
 		return ERROR;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Generate the path to the node and try to open it.
-	 */
+	/* if we have an instance and are an advertiser, we will generate a new node and set the instance,
+	 * so we do not need to open here */
+	if (!instance || !advertiser) {
+		/*
+		 * Generate the path to the node and try to open it.
+		 */
+		ret = uORB::Utils::node_mkpath(path, f, meta, instance);
 
-	// FIXME - if *instance is uninitialized, why is this being called? Seems risky and
-	// its definiately a waste. This is the case in muli-topic test.
-	ret = uORB::Utils::node_mkpath(path, f, meta, instance);
+		if (ret != OK) {
+			errno = -ret;
+			return ERROR;
+		}
 
-	if (ret != PX4_OK) {
-		errno = -ret;
-		return ERROR;
-	}
-
-	/* open the path as either the advertiser or the subscriber */
-	fd = px4_open(path, (advertiser) ? PX4_F_WRONLY : PX4_F_RDONLY);
-
-	/* if we want to advertise and the node existed, we have to re-try again */
-	if ((fd >= 0) && (instance != nullptr) && (advertiser)) {
-		/* close the fd, we want a new one */
-		px4_close(fd);
-
-		/* the node_advertise call will automatically go for the next free entry */
-		fd = -1;
+		/* open the path as either the advertiser or the subscriber */
+		fd = px4_open(path, advertiser ? PX4_F_WRONLY : PX4_F_RDONLY);
 	}
 
 	/* we may need to advertise the node... */
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBTest_UnitTest.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBTest_UnitTest.cpp
index 6b30e75b2f..9a0b22519d 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBTest_UnitTest.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBTest_UnitTest.cpp
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ int uORBTest::UnitTest::pubsublatency_main(void)
 
 	delete[] timings;
 
-	warnx("mean: %8.4f", static_cast<double>(latency_integral / maxruns));
+	warnx("mean: %8.4f us", static_cast<double>(latency_integral / maxruns));
 
 	pubsubtest_passed = true;