diff --git a/src/SafeFile.cpp b/src/SafeFile.cpp
index 94232e81d..d1dbab077 100644
--- a/src/SafeFile.cpp
+++ b/src/SafeFile.cpp
@@ -3,14 +3,15 @@
 #ifdef FSCom
 
 // Only way to work on both esp32 and nrf52
-static File openFile(const char *filename, bool fullAtomic)
+static File openFile(const char *filename, bool fullAtomic, bool removeFirst)
 {
     concurrency::LockGuard g(spiLock);
     LOG_DEBUG("Opening %s, fullAtomic=%d", filename, fullAtomic);
 #ifdef ARCH_NRF52
-    File file = FSCom.open(filename, FILE_O_WRITE);
-    file.seek(0);
-    return file;
+    lfs_assert_failed = false;
+    if (removeFirst)
+        FSCom.remove(filename);
+    return FSCom.open(filename, FILE_O_WRITE);
 #endif
     if (!fullAtomic)
         FSCom.remove(filename); // Nuke the old file to make space (ignore if it !exists)
@@ -22,8 +23,8 @@ static File openFile(const char *filename, bool fullAtomic)
     return FSCom.open(filenameTmp.c_str(), FILE_O_WRITE);
 }
 
-SafeFile::SafeFile(const char *_filename, bool fullAtomic)
-    : filename(_filename), f(openFile(_filename, fullAtomic)), fullAtomic(fullAtomic)
+SafeFile::SafeFile(const char *_filename, bool fullAtomic, bool removeFirst)
+    : filename(_filename), f(openFile(_filename, fullAtomic, removeFirst)), fullAtomic(fullAtomic)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/SafeFile.h b/src/SafeFile.h
index 3d0f81cad..47a659c8d 100644
--- a/src/SafeFile.h
+++ b/src/SafeFile.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 class SafeFile : public Print
 {
   public:
-    explicit SafeFile(char const *filepath, bool fullAtomic = false);
+    explicit SafeFile(char const *filepath, bool fullAtomic = false, bool removeFirst = false);
 
     virtual size_t write(uint8_t);
     virtual size_t write(const uint8_t *buffer, size_t size);
diff --git a/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp b/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
index 762982287..f5414bafe 100644
--- a/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
@@ -1104,7 +1104,15 @@ bool NodeDB::saveProto(const char *filename, size_t protoSize, const pb_msgdesc_
 {
     bool okay = false;
 #ifdef FSCom
-    auto f = SafeFile(filename, fullAtomic);
+    bool removeFirst = false;
+#ifdef ARCH_NRF52
+    // On nrf52 we have to fully remove the device state file before writing it,
+    // because the filesystem seems to just append to the file otherwise.
+    if (filename == prefFileName) {
+        removeFirst = true;
+    }
+#endif
+    auto f = SafeFile(filename, fullAtomic, removeFirst);
 
     LOG_INFO("Save %s", filename);
     pb_ostream_t stream = {&writecb, static_cast<Print *>(&f), protoSize};