diff --git a/include/DeviceModule.h b/include/DeviceModule.h
index e53ecf75d4ca96642e26822822a8273d353e6c0b..44717ff21c98fea7d38e0e69953667ed7400d94a 100644
--- a/include/DeviceModule.h
+++ b/include/DeviceModule.h
@@ -257,10 +257,6 @@ namespace ChimeraTK {
      *  The function is running an endless loop inside its own thread (moduleThread). */
     void handleException();
 
-    /** List of TransferElements to be written after the device has been opened. This is used to write constant feeders
-     *  to the device. */
-    std::list<boost::shared_ptr<TransferElement>> writeAfterOpen;
-
     /** List of TransferElements to be written after the device has been recovered.
      *  See function addRecoveryAccessor() for details.*/
     std::list<boost::shared_ptr<TransferElement>> writeRecoveryOpen;
diff --git a/src/Application.cc b/src/Application.cc
index f44320224cb22bf75fa4f46e4f1fc6209299fc77..b65d7458f6c9b1abf0883056fcb337299167c9ef 100644
--- a/src/Application.cc
+++ b/src/Application.cc
@@ -1006,8 +1006,13 @@ void Application::typedMakeConnection(VariableNetwork& network) {
           impl->write();
         }
         else if(consumer.getType() == NodeType::Device) {
-          auto impl = createDeviceVariable<UserType>(consumer.getDeviceAlias(), consumer.getRegisterName(),
-              {VariableDirection::consuming, false}, consumer.getMode(), consumer.getNumberOfElements());
+          // we register the required accessor as a recovery accessor. This is just a bare RegisterAccessor without any decorations directly from the backend.
+          if(deviceMap.count(consumer.getDeviceAlias()) == 0) {
+            deviceMap[consumer.getDeviceAlias()] =
+                ChimeraTK::BackendFactory::getInstance().createBackend(consumer.getDeviceAlias());
+          }
+          auto impl = deviceMap[consumer.getDeviceAlias()]->getRegisterAccessor<UserType>(
+              consumer.getRegisterName(), consumer.getNumberOfElements(), 0, {});
           impl->accessChannel(0) = feedingImpl->accessChannel(0);
           // find the right DeviceModule for this alias name
           DeviceModule* devmod = nullptr;
@@ -1018,8 +1023,8 @@ void Application::typedMakeConnection(VariableNetwork& network) {
             }
           }
           assert(devmod != nullptr);
-          // register feeder to be written after the device has been opened
-          devmod->writeAfterOpen.push_back(impl);
+
+          devmod->addRecoveryAccessor(impl);
         }
         else if(consumer.getType() == NodeType::TriggerReceiver) {
           throw ChimeraTK::logic_error("Using constants as triggers is not supported!");
diff --git a/src/DeviceModule.cc b/src/DeviceModule.cc
index ae76d4cdc29504e1f86938c3a9253e477d7e6731..73f21703929e4c116dc47cc63d9df4d9198c92c2 100644
--- a/src/DeviceModule.cc
+++ b/src/DeviceModule.cc
@@ -294,13 +294,16 @@ namespace ChimeraTK {
           }
         }
       }
+
       // The device was successfully opened, try to initialise it
       try {
         for(auto& initHandler : initialisationHandlers) {
           initHandler(this);
         }
-        for(auto& te : writeAfterOpen) {
-          te->write();
+        for(auto& te : writeRecoveryOpen) {
+          if(te->getVersionNumber() != VersionNumber{nullptr}) {
+            te->write();
+          }
         }
       }
       catch(ChimeraTK::runtime_error& e) {
@@ -377,7 +380,9 @@ namespace ChimeraTK {
           { // scope for the lock guard
             boost::unique_lock<boost::shared_mutex> uniqueLock(recoverySharedMutex);
             for(auto& te : writeRecoveryOpen) {
-              te->write();
+              if(te->getVersionNumber() != VersionNumber{nullptr}) {
+                te->write();
+              }
             }
           } // end of scope for the lock guard
         }
diff --git a/src/ExceptionHandlingDecorator.cc b/src/ExceptionHandlingDecorator.cc
index 2eae375e7a76df2880af32804b01ab4fb932eb5a..caa98bfae82bbb69c8530c5f6b45101d5ab8410c 100644
--- a/src/ExceptionHandlingDecorator.cc
+++ b/src/ExceptionHandlingDecorator.cc
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@ namespace ChimeraTK {
             // If the application has not yet fully started, we cannot wait for the device to open. Instead register
             // the variable in the DeviceMoule, so the transfer will be performed after the device is opened.
             assert(_recoveryAccessor != nullptr); // should always be true for writeable registers with this decorator
-            // Note: it's ok to use the recoveryAccessor here as well, since device opening and recovery happens in the
-            // same thread in the DeviceModule.
-            deviceModule.writeAfterOpen.push_back(this->_recoveryAccessor);
             return false;
           }
           // We artificially increase the testabel mode counter so the test does not slip out of testable mode here in case