diff --git a/changes/ticket40231 b/changes/ticket40231
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a5ba598fd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ticket40231
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  o Minor bugfixes (relay):
+    - If we were unable to build our descriptor, don't mark that we've
+      advertised our descriptor. Also remove an harmless BUG(). Fixes bug 40231;
+      bugfix on 0.4.5.1-alpha.
diff --git a/src/feature/relay/relay_find_addr.c b/src/feature/relay/relay_find_addr.c
index 9c2c8b281c..2da2328b14 100644
--- a/src/feature/relay/relay_find_addr.c
+++ b/src/feature/relay/relay_find_addr.c
@@ -198,9 +198,13 @@ relay_addr_learn_from_dirauth(void)
       return;
     }
     const node_t *node = node_get_by_id(rs->identity_digest);
-    if (BUG(!node)) {
-      /* If there is a routerstatus_t, there is a node_t thus this should
-       * never fail. */
+    if (!node) {
+      /* This can happen if we are still in the early starting stage where no
+       * descriptors we actually fetched and thus we have the routerstatus_t
+       * for the authority but not its descriptor which is needed to build a
+       * circuit and thus learn our address. */
+      log_info(LD_GENERAL, "Can't build a circuit to an authority. Unable to "
+                           "learn for now our address from them.");
       return;
     }
     extend_info_t *ei = extend_info_from_node(node, 1);
diff --git a/src/feature/relay/relay_periodic.c b/src/feature/relay/relay_periodic.c
index a857ea8d92..a917d90f1a 100644
--- a/src/feature/relay/relay_periodic.c
+++ b/src/feature/relay/relay_periodic.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ rotate_onion_key_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
     log_info(LD_GENERAL,"Rotating onion key.");
     rotate_onion_key();
     cpuworkers_rotate_keyinfo();
-    if (router_rebuild_descriptor(1)<0) {
+    if (!router_rebuild_descriptor(1)) {
       log_info(LD_CONFIG, "Couldn't rebuild router descriptor");
     }
     if (advertised_server_mode() && !net_is_disabled())
diff --git a/src/feature/relay/router.c b/src/feature/relay/router.c
index e018561556..eb1d5a63f1 100644
--- a/src/feature/relay/router.c
+++ b/src/feature/relay/router.c
@@ -1427,10 +1427,9 @@ consider_publishable_server(int force)
     return;
 
   rebuilt = router_rebuild_descriptor(0);
-  if (decide_if_publishable_server()) {
+  if (rebuilt && decide_if_publishable_server()) {
     set_server_advertised(1);
-    if (rebuilt == 0)
-      router_upload_dir_desc_to_dirservers(force);
+    router_upload_dir_desc_to_dirservers(force);
   } else {
     set_server_advertised(0);
   }
@@ -1817,7 +1816,7 @@ router_get_my_extrainfo(void)
 {
   if (!server_mode(get_options()))
     return NULL;
-  if (router_rebuild_descriptor(0))
+  if (!router_rebuild_descriptor(0))
     return NULL;
   return desc_extrainfo;
 }
@@ -2414,9 +2413,10 @@ router_build_fresh_descriptor(routerinfo_t **r, extrainfo_t **e)
 
 /** If <b>force</b> is true, or our descriptor is out-of-date, rebuild a fresh
  * routerinfo, signed server descriptor, and extra-info document for this OR.
- * Return 0 on success, -1 on temporary error.
+ *
+ * Return true on success, else false on temporary error.
  */
-int
+bool
 router_rebuild_descriptor(int force)
 {
   int err = 0;
@@ -2424,13 +2424,13 @@ router_rebuild_descriptor(int force)
   extrainfo_t *ei;
 
   if (desc_clean_since && !force)
-    return 0;
+    return true;
 
   log_info(LD_OR, "Rebuilding relay descriptor%s", force ? " (forced)" : "");
 
   err = router_build_fresh_descriptor(&ri, &ei);
   if (err < 0) {
-    return err;
+    return false;
   }
 
   routerinfo_free(desc_routerinfo);
@@ -2446,7 +2446,7 @@ router_rebuild_descriptor(int force)
   }
   desc_dirty_reason = NULL;
   control_event_my_descriptor_changed();
-  return 0;
+  return true;
 }
 
 /** Called when we have a new set of consensus parameters. */
diff --git a/src/feature/relay/router.h b/src/feature/relay/router.h
index 2648bb5112..aa03c27142 100644
--- a/src/feature/relay/router.h
+++ b/src/feature/relay/router.h
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ int router_extrainfo_digest_is_me(const char *digest);
 int router_is_me(const routerinfo_t *router);
 bool router_addr_is_my_published_addr(const tor_addr_t *addr);
 int router_build_fresh_descriptor(routerinfo_t **r, extrainfo_t **e);
-int router_rebuild_descriptor(int force);
+bool router_rebuild_descriptor(int force);
 char *router_dump_router_to_string(routerinfo_t *router,
                              const crypto_pk_t *ident_key,
                              const crypto_pk_t *tap_key,