diff --git a/src/modules/muorb/slpi/uORBProtobufChannel.cpp b/src/modules/muorb/slpi/uORBProtobufChannel.cpp
index 891c2a756e..50fd55b437 100644
--- a/src/modules/muorb/slpi/uORBProtobufChannel.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/muorb/slpi/uORBProtobufChannel.cpp
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ void uORB::ProtobufChannel::keepalive_thread_func(void *ptr)
 {
 	PX4_INFO("muorb keepalive thread running");
 
+	// Give the system time to initialize before monitoring keepalives
+	px4_sleep(4);
+
 	// Delete any keepalive fail file that may exist from a previous error
 	struct stat buffer;
 
@@ -400,10 +403,10 @@ int px4muorb_orb_initialize(fc_func_ptrs *func_ptrs, int32_t clock_offset_us)
 		uORB::Manager::get_instance()->set_uorb_communicator(
 			uORB::ProtobufChannel::GetInstance());
 
-		px4::WorkQueueManagerStart();
-
 		param_init();
 
+		px4::WorkQueueManagerStart();
+
 		uORB::ProtobufChannel::GetInstance()->RegisterSendHandler(slpi_send_aggregated_topics);
 
 		// Configure the I2C driver function pointers