diff --git a/backends/rapidpro/backend_test.go b/backends/rapidpro/backend_test.go
index d18f99395..b55a44e43 100644
--- a/backends/rapidpro/backend_test.go
+++ b/backends/rapidpro/backend_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package rapidpro
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -1526,3 +1527,26 @@ func readMsgFromDB(b *backend, id courier.MsgID) *DBMsg {
 	m.channel = ch
 	return m
 }
+
+const selectMsgIDForID = `
+SELECT m."id" FROM "msgs_msg" m INNER JOIN "channels_channel" c ON (m."channel_id" = c."id") WHERE (m."id" = $1 AND c."uuid" = $2 AND m."direction" = 'O')`
+
+const selectMsgIDForExternalID = `
+SELECT m."id" FROM "msgs_msg" m INNER JOIN "channels_channel" c ON (m."channel_id" = c."id") WHERE (m."external_id" = $1 AND c."uuid" = $2 AND m."direction" = 'O')`
+
+func checkMsgExists(b *backend, status courier.MsgStatus) (err error) {
+	var id int64
+
+	if status.ID() != courier.NilMsgID {
+		err = b.db.QueryRow(selectMsgIDForID, status.ID(), status.ChannelUUID()).Scan(&id)
+	} else if status.ExternalID() != "" {
+		err = b.db.QueryRow(selectMsgIDForExternalID, status.ExternalID(), status.ChannelUUID()).Scan(&id)
+	} else {
+		return fmt.Errorf("no id or external id for status update")
+	}
+
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
+		return courier.ErrMsgNotFound
+	}
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/backends/rapidpro/status.go b/backends/rapidpro/status.go
index c8478e7f3..0b4c5259a 100644
--- a/backends/rapidpro/status.go
+++ b/backends/rapidpro/status.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package rapidpro
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -56,29 +55,6 @@ func writeMsgStatus(ctx context.Context, b *backend, status courier.MsgStatus) e
 	return err
 }
 
-const selectMsgIDForID = `
-SELECT m."id" FROM "msgs_msg" m INNER JOIN "channels_channel" c ON (m."channel_id" = c."id") WHERE (m."id" = $1 AND c."uuid" = $2 AND m."direction" = 'O')`
-
-const selectMsgIDForExternalID = `
-SELECT m."id" FROM "msgs_msg" m INNER JOIN "channels_channel" c ON (m."channel_id" = c."id") WHERE (m."external_id" = $1 AND c."uuid" = $2 AND m."direction" = 'O')`
-
-func checkMsgExists(b *backend, status courier.MsgStatus) (err error) {
-	var id int64
-
-	if status.ID() != courier.NilMsgID {
-		err = b.db.QueryRow(selectMsgIDForID, status.ID(), status.ChannelUUID()).Scan(&id)
-	} else if status.ExternalID() != "" {
-		err = b.db.QueryRow(selectMsgIDForExternalID, status.ExternalID(), status.ChannelUUID()).Scan(&id)
-	} else {
-		return fmt.Errorf("no id or external id for status update")
-	}
-
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
-		return courier.ErrMsgNotFound
-	}
-	return err
-}
-
 // the craziness below lets us update our status to 'F' and schedule retries without knowing anything about the message
 const sqlUpdateMsgByID = `
 UPDATE msgs_msg SET