diff --git a/sensor_msgs/include/sensor_msgs/impl/point_cloud2_iterator.h b/sensor_msgs/include/sensor_msgs/impl/point_cloud2_iterator.h
index c8d7de8a..7ae8fddf 100644
--- a/sensor_msgs/include/sensor_msgs/impl/point_cloud2_iterator.h
+++ b/sensor_msgs/include/sensor_msgs/impl/point_cloud2_iterator.h
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ inline void PointCloud2Modifier::setPointCloud2Fields(int n_fields, ...)
  *        internals of the PointCloud2
  * @param n_fields the number of fields to add. The fields are given as
  *        strings: "xyz" (3 floats), "rgb" (3 uchar stacked in a float),
- *        "rgba" (4 uchar stacked in a float)
+ *        "rgba" (4 uchar stacked in a uint32)
  * @return void
  *
  * WARNING: THIS FUNCTION DOES ADD ANY NECESSARY PADDING TRANSPARENTLY
@@ -201,6 +201,8 @@ inline void PointCloud2Modifier::setPointCloud2FieldsByString(int n_fields, ...)
   va_list vl;
   va_start(vl, n_fields);
   int offset = 0;
+  bool has_xyz = false;
+  bool has_rgb = false;
   for (int i = 0; i < n_fields; ++i) {
     // Create the corresponding PointFields
     std::string
@@ -211,16 +213,24 @@ inline void PointCloud2Modifier::setPointCloud2FieldsByString(int n_fields, ...)
       offset = addPointField(cloud_msg_, "x", 1, sensor_msgs::PointField::FLOAT32, offset);
       offset = addPointField(cloud_msg_, "y", 1, sensor_msgs::PointField::FLOAT32, offset);
       offset = addPointField(cloud_msg_, "z", 1, sensor_msgs::PointField::FLOAT32, offset);
-      offset += sizeOfPointField(sensor_msgs::PointField::FLOAT32);
+      has_xyz = true;
     } else
-      if ((field_name == "rgb") || (field_name == "rgba")) {
+      if (field_name == "rgb") {
         offset = addPointField(cloud_msg_, field_name, 1, sensor_msgs::PointField::FLOAT32, offset);
-        offset += 3 * sizeOfPointField(sensor_msgs::PointField::FLOAT32);
+        has_rgb = true;
+      } else if (field_name == "rgba") {
+        offset = addPointField(cloud_msg_, field_name, 1, sensor_msgs::PointField::UINT32, offset);
+        has_rgb = true;
       } else
         throw std::runtime_error("Field " + field_name + " does not exist");
   }
   va_end(vl);
 
+  if (has_xyz && !has_rgb)
+    offset += sizeOfPointField(sensor_msgs::PointField::FLOAT32);
+  else if (!has_xyz && has_rgb)
+    offset += 3 * sizeOfPointField(sensor_msgs::PointField::FLOAT32);
+
   // Resize the point cloud accordingly
   cloud_msg_.point_step = offset;
   cloud_msg_.row_step = cloud_msg_.width * cloud_msg_.point_step;