diff --git a/libs/messaging/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/publisher/QueuePublisher.kt b/libs/messaging/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/publisher/QueuePublisher.kt
index fbd7e244e0..645be2b628 100644
--- a/libs/messaging/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/publisher/QueuePublisher.kt
+++ b/libs/messaging/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/publisher/QueuePublisher.kt
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper
 import io.awspring.cloud.sqs.operations.SqsTemplate
 import io.opentelemetry.api.trace.Span
 import io.opentelemetry.api.trace.SpanKind
-import io.opentelemetry.instrumentation.annotations.SpanAttribute
 import io.opentelemetry.instrumentation.annotations.WithSpan
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.condition.ConditionalOnProperty
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@ class QueuePublisher(
     private val permit = Semaphore(limit, true)
 
     @WithSpan(kind = SpanKind.PRODUCER)
-    override fun publish(@SpanAttribute notification: Notification<*>) {
+    override fun publish(notification: Notification<*>) {
         Span.current().updateName("PUBLISH ${notification.eventType}").setAttribute("queue", queue)
         notification.message?.also { _ ->
             permit.acquire()
diff --git a/libs/messaging/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/publisher/TopicPublisher.kt b/libs/messaging/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/publisher/TopicPublisher.kt
index f841489575..e8e8d3cb29 100644
--- a/libs/messaging/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/publisher/TopicPublisher.kt
+++ b/libs/messaging/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/publisher/TopicPublisher.kt
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package uk.gov.justice.digital.hmpps.publisher
 import io.awspring.cloud.sns.core.SnsTemplate
 import io.opentelemetry.api.trace.Span
 import io.opentelemetry.api.trace.SpanKind
-import io.opentelemetry.instrumentation.annotations.SpanAttribute
 import io.opentelemetry.instrumentation.annotations.WithSpan
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.condition.ConditionalOnProperty
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ class TopicPublisher(
     @Value("\${messaging.producer.topic}") private val topic: String
 ) : NotificationPublisher {
     @WithSpan(kind = SpanKind.PRODUCER)
-    override fun publish(@SpanAttribute notification: Notification<*>) {
+    override fun publish(notification: Notification<*>) {
         Span.current().updateName("PUBLISH ${notification.eventType}").setAttribute("topic", topic)
         notification.message?.let { message ->
             notificationTemplate.convertAndSend(topic, message) { msg ->
diff --git a/projects/justice-email-and-delius/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/service/MailboxService.kt b/projects/justice-email-and-delius/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/service/MailboxService.kt
index e9fcb0e19e..5010ce1716 100644
--- a/projects/justice-email-and-delius/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/service/MailboxService.kt
+++ b/projects/justice-email-and-delius/src/main/kotlin/uk/gov/justice/digital/hmpps/service/MailboxService.kt
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class MailboxService(
     @WithSpan("POLL mailbox", kind = SpanKind.SERVER)
     fun publishUnreadMessagesToQueue() {
         getUnreadMessages()
+            .ifEmpty { return }
             .also { telemetryService.trackEvent("ReceivedMessages", mapOf("count" to it.size.toString())) }
             .forEach {
                 notificationPublisher.publish(it.asNotification())