diff --git a/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp b/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
index 5d1db88ae..7e8abb747 100644
--- a/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/NodeDB.cpp
@@ -654,8 +654,8 @@ void NodeDB::pickNewNodeNum()
     }
 
     meshtastic_NodeInfoLite *found;
-    while ((nodeNum == NODENUM_BROADCAST || nodeNum < NUM_RESERVED) ||
-           ((found = getMeshNode(nodeNum)) && memcmp(found->user.macaddr, ourMacAddr, sizeof(ourMacAddr)) != 0)) {
+    while (((found = getMeshNode(nodeNum)) && memcmp(found->user.macaddr, ourMacAddr, sizeof(ourMacAddr)) != 0) ||
+           (nodeNum == NODENUM_BROADCAST || nodeNum < NUM_RESERVED)) {
         NodeNum candidate = random(NUM_RESERVED, LONG_MAX); // try a new random choice
         LOG_WARN("NOTE! Our desired nodenum 0x%x is invalid or in use, by MAC ending in 0x%02x%02x vs our 0x%02x%02x, so "
                  "trying for 0x%x\n",