diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/flows/Flow.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/flows/Flow.js
index c0eb122c9..95a44e2fb 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/flows/Flow.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/flows/Flow.js
@@ -369,12 +369,12 @@ class Flow {
             return undefined;
         }
         // console.log((new Error().stack).toString().split("\n").slice(1,3).join("\n"))
-        if ((this.flow.configs && this.flow.configs[id]) || (this.flow.nodes && this.flow.nodes[id])) {
+        if ((this.flow.configs && this.flow.configs[id]) || (this.flow.nodes && this.flow.nodes[id] && this.flow.nodes[id].type.substring(0,8) != "subflow:")) {
             // This is a node owned by this flow, so return whatever we have got
             // During a stop/restart, activeNodes could be null for this id
             return this.activeNodes[id];
         } else if (this.activeNodes[id]) {
-            // TEMP: this is a subflow internal node within this flow
+            // TEMP: this is a subflow internal node within this flow or subflow instance node
             return this.activeNodes[id];
         } else if (this.subflowInstanceNodes[id]) {
             return this.subflowInstanceNodes[id];