diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/error.py b/aries_cloudagent/error.py
index e88cea7fd2..ceb6c2be02 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/error.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/error.py
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ def __init__(self, *args, error_code: str = None, **kwargs):
         if error_code:
             self.error_code = error_code
 
+    @property
+    def message(self) -> str:
+        """Accessor for the error message."""
+        return self.args and self.args[0]
+
 
 class StartupError(BaseError):
     """Error raised when there is a problem starting the conductor."""
diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/ledger/error.py b/aries_cloudagent/ledger/error.py
index 8eb393c5fd..4da312049b 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/ledger/error.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/ledger/error.py
@@ -17,7 +17,3 @@ class ClosedPoolError(LedgerError):
 
 class LedgerTransactionError(LedgerError):
     """The ledger rejected the transaction."""
-
-
-class DuplicateSchemaError(LedgerError):
-    """The schema already exists on the ledger."""
diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/ledger/indy.py b/aries_cloudagent/ledger/indy.py
index 88449b5c32..3cf3807a0b 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/ledger/indy.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/ledger/indy.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 from .error import (
     BadLedgerRequestError,
     ClosedPoolError,
-    DuplicateSchemaError,
     LedgerError,
     LedgerTransactionError,
 )
@@ -210,11 +209,6 @@ async def _submit(self, request_json: str, sign=True) -> str:
 
         operation = request_result.get("op", "")
 
-        # HACK: If only there were a better way to identify this kind
-        #       of rejected request...
-        if "can have one and only one SCHEMA with name" in request_result_json:
-            raise DuplicateSchemaError()
-
         if operation in ("REQNACK", "REJECT"):
             raise LedgerTransactionError(
                 f"Ledger rejected transaction request: {request_result['reason']}"
@@ -241,30 +235,74 @@ async def send_schema(
 
         """
 
-        public_did = await self.wallet.get_public_did()
-        if not public_did:
+        public_info = await self.wallet.get_public_did()
+        if not public_info:
             raise BadLedgerRequestError("Cannot publish schema without a public DID")
 
-        with IndyErrorHandler("Exception when creating schema definition"):
-            schema_id, schema_json = await indy.anoncreds.issuer_create_schema(
-                public_did.did, schema_name, schema_version, json.dumps(attribute_names)
-            )
+        schema_id = await self.check_existing_schema(
+            public_info.did, schema_name, schema_version, attribute_names
+        )
+        if schema_id:
+            self.logger.warning("Schema already exists on ledger. Returning ID.")
+        else:
+            with IndyErrorHandler("Exception when creating schema definition"):
+                schema_id, schema_json = await indy.anoncreds.issuer_create_schema(
+                    public_info.did,
+                    schema_name,
+                    schema_version,
+                    json.dumps(attribute_names),
+                )
 
-        with IndyErrorHandler("Exception when building schema request"):
-            request_json = await indy.ledger.build_schema_request(
-                public_did.did, schema_json
-            )
+            with IndyErrorHandler("Exception when building schema request"):
+                request_json = await indy.ledger.build_schema_request(
+                    public_info.did, schema_json
+                )
 
-        try:
-            await self._submit(request_json)
-        except DuplicateSchemaError as e:
-            self.logger.warning(
-                "Schema already exists on ledger. Returning ID. Error: %s", e
-            )
-            schema_id = f"{public_did.did}:{2}:{schema_name}:{schema_version}"
+            try:
+                await self._submit(request_json)
+            except LedgerTransactionError as e:
+                # Identify possible duplicate schema errors on indy-node < 1.9 and > 1.9
+                if (
+                    "can have one and only one SCHEMA with name" in e.message
+                    or "UnauthorizedClientRequest" in e.message
+                ):
+                    # handle potential race condition if multiple agents are publishing
+                    # the same schema simultaneously
+                    schema_id = await self.check_existing_schema(
+                        public_info.did, schema_name, schema_version, attribute_names
+                    )
+                    if schema_id:
+                        self.logger.warning(
+                            "Schema already exists on ledger. Returning ID. Error: %s",
+                            e,
+                        )
+                else:
+                    raise
 
         return schema_id
 
+    async def check_existing_schema(
+        self,
+        public_did: str,
+        schema_name: str,
+        schema_version: str,
+        attribute_names: Sequence[str],
+    ) -> str:
+        """Check if a schema has already been published."""
+        fetch_schema_id = f"{public_did}:2:{schema_name}:{schema_version}"
+        schema = await self.fetch_schema(fetch_schema_id)
+        if schema:
+            fetched_attrs = schema["attrNames"].copy()
+            fetched_attrs.sort()
+            cmp_attrs = list(attribute_names)
+            cmp_attrs.sort()
+            if fetched_attrs != cmp_attrs:
+                raise LedgerTransactionError(
+                    "Schema already exists on ledger, but attributes do not match: "
+                    + f"{schema_name}:{schema_version} {fetched_attrs} != {cmp_attrs}"
+                )
+            return fetch_schema_id
+
     async def get_schema(self, schema_id: str):
         """
         Get a schema from the cache if available, otherwise fetch from the ledger.
@@ -296,6 +334,11 @@ async def fetch_schema(self, schema_id: str):
             )
 
         response_json = await self._submit(request_json, sign=bool(public_did))
+        response = json.loads(response_json)
+        if not response["result"]["seqNo"]:
+            # schema not found
+            return None
+
         with IndyErrorHandler("Exception when parsing schema response"):
             _, parsed_schema_json = await indy.ledger.parse_get_schema_response(
                 response_json
diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/ledger/tests/test_indy.py b/aries_cloudagent/ledger/tests/test_indy.py
index ce36e8440d..e3fa8f90f4 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/ledger/tests/test_indy.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/ledger/tests/test_indy.py
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
     BadLedgerRequestError,
     ClosedPoolError,
     LedgerTransactionError,
-    DuplicateSchemaError,
 )
 
 
 @pytest.mark.indy
 class TestIndyLedger(AsyncTestCase):
+    test_did = "55GkHamhTU1ZbTbV2ab9DE"
+
     @async_mock.patch("builtins.open")
     def test_init(self, mock_open):
         mock_open.return_value = async_mock.MagicMock()
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ async def test_submit_signed(
 
             mock_wallet.get_public_did = async_mock.CoroutineMock()
             mock_did = mock_wallet.get_public_did.return_value
+            mock_did.did = self.test_did
 
             await ledger._submit("{}", True)
 
@@ -186,12 +188,14 @@ async def test_submit_rejected(
     @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger._context_open")
     @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger._context_close")
     @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger._submit")
+    @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger.fetch_schema")
     @async_mock.patch("indy.anoncreds.issuer_create_schema")
     @async_mock.patch("indy.ledger.build_schema_request")
     async def test_send_schema(
         self,
         mock_build_schema_req,
         mock_create_schema,
+        mock_fetch_schema,
         mock_submit,
         mock_close,
         mock_open,
@@ -201,6 +205,7 @@ async def test_send_schema(
         ledger = IndyLedger("name", mock_wallet, "genesis_transactions")
 
         mock_create_schema.return_value = ("schema_id", "{}")
+        mock_fetch_schema.return_value = None
 
         async with ledger:
             mock_wallet.get_public_did = async_mock.CoroutineMock()
@@ -213,6 +218,7 @@ async def test_send_schema(
 
             mock_wallet.get_public_did = async_mock.CoroutineMock()
             mock_did = mock_wallet.get_public_did.return_value
+            mock_did.did = self.test_did
 
             schema_id = await ledger.send_schema(
                 "schema_name", "schema_version", [1, 2, 3]
@@ -235,14 +241,14 @@ async def test_send_schema(
     @async_mock.patch("indy.pool.create_pool_ledger_config")
     @async_mock.patch("indy.pool.open_pool_ledger")
     @async_mock.patch("indy.pool.close_pool_ledger")
-    @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger._submit")
+    @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger.check_existing_schema")
     @async_mock.patch("indy.anoncreds.issuer_create_schema")
     @async_mock.patch("indy.ledger.build_schema_request")
     async def test_send_schema_already_exists(
         self,
         mock_build_schema_req,
         mock_create_schema,
-        mock_submit,
+        mock_check_existing,
         mock_close_pool,
         mock_open_ledger,
         mock_create_config,
@@ -256,7 +262,8 @@ async def test_send_schema_already_exists(
 
         mock_create_schema.return_value = (1, 2)
 
-        mock_submit.side_effect = DuplicateSchemaError
+        fetch_schema_id = f"{mock_wallet.get_public_did.return_value.did}:{2}:schema_name:schema_version"
+        mock_check_existing.return_value = fetch_schema_id
 
         ledger = IndyLedger("name", mock_wallet, "genesis_transactions")
 
@@ -264,22 +271,17 @@ async def test_send_schema_already_exists(
             schema_id = await ledger.send_schema(
                 "schema_name", "schema_version", [1, 2, 3]
             )
-            assert (
-                schema_id
-                == f"{mock_wallet.get_public_did.return_value.did}:{2}:schema_name:schema_version"
-            )
+            assert schema_id == fetch_schema_id
 
     @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger._context_open")
     @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger._context_close")
     @async_mock.patch("aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy.IndyLedger._submit")
-    @async_mock.patch("indy.anoncreds.issuer_create_schema")
     @async_mock.patch("indy.ledger.build_get_schema_request")
     @async_mock.patch("indy.ledger.parse_get_schema_response")
     async def test_get_schema(
         self,
         mock_parse_get_schema_req,
         mock_build_get_schema_req,
-        mock_create_schema,
         mock_submit,
         mock_close,
         mock_open,
@@ -287,9 +289,12 @@ async def test_get_schema(
         mock_wallet = async_mock.MagicMock()
         mock_wallet.get_public_did = async_mock.CoroutineMock()
         mock_did = mock_wallet.get_public_did.return_value
+        mock_did.did = self.test_did
 
         mock_parse_get_schema_req.return_value = (None, "{}")
 
+        mock_submit.return_value = "{\"result\":{\"seqNo\":1}}"
+
         ledger = IndyLedger("name", mock_wallet, "genesis_transactions")
 
         async with ledger:
diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/verifier/tests/test_indy.py b/aries_cloudagent/verifier/tests/test_indy.py
index 82e0c20b7a..96c1b8eb5b 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/verifier/tests/test_indy.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/verifier/tests/test_indy.py
@@ -5,14 +5,6 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from aries_cloudagent.ledger.indy import (
-    IndyLedger,
-    GENESIS_TRANSACTION_PATH,
-    ClosedPoolError,
-    LedgerTransactionError,
-    DuplicateSchemaError,
-)
-
 from aries_cloudagent.verifier.indy import IndyVerifier