diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/load.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/load_test_message_start_event.py
similarity index 97%
rename from spiffworkflow-backend/bin/load.py
rename to spiffworkflow-backend/bin/load_test_message_start_event.py
index 01d5aad12..37d7d6dcd 100755
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/load.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/load_test_message_start_event.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-import os
-import sys
-import subprocess
 import concurrent.futures
 import json
-from datetime import datetime
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
 
 
 def get_access_token(script_dir, username="admin", password="admin", realm_name="spiffworkflow"):
@@ -80,13 +79,13 @@ def load_test(message_identifier, num_requests=10, max_workers=5, username="admi
 
     # Log failures to a file if any exist
     if failure_log:
-        filename = f"failure_log.json"
+        filename = "failure_log.json"
         with open(filename, "w") as f:
             json.dump(failure_log, f, indent=2)
         print(f"\nFailure details logged to {filename}")
 
     # Print summary
-    print(f"\nLoad Test Summary:")
+    print("\nLoad Test Summary:")
     print(f"Total Requests: {num_requests}")
     print(f"Successful Requests: {successful_requests}")
     print(f"Failed Requests: {failed_requests}")
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/pyproject.toml b/spiffworkflow-backend/pyproject.toml
index bcf42621d..68b209d93 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/pyproject.toml
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/pyproject.toml
@@ -227,7 +227,8 @@ line-length = 130
 target-version = "py310"
 
 exclude = [
-  "migrations"
+  "migrations",
+  "bin/load_test_message_start_event.py"
 ]
 
 [tool.ruff.lint.per-file-ignores]
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/message_service.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/message_service.py
index ff7c1fd0b..a40552cee 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/message_service.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/message_service.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import time
 from typing import Any
 
 from flask import current_app
@@ -65,8 +64,8 @@ class MessageService:
             for message_instance in available_receive_messages:
                 if message_instance.correlates(message_instance_send, CustomBpmnScriptEngine()):
                     message_instance_receive = message_instance
-            receiving_process_instance = None
             message_triggerable_process_model = None
+            receiving_process_instance = None
             if message_instance_receive is None:
                 # Check for a message triggerable process and start that to create a new message_instance_receive
                 message_triggerable_process_model = MessageTriggerableProcessModel.query.filter_by(
@@ -96,7 +95,11 @@ class MessageService:
                 db.session.add(message_instance_receive)
                 db.session.commit()
 
-            if message_instance_receive is None or not receiving_process_instance.can_receive_message():
+            if (
+                message_instance_receive is None
+                or receiving_process_instance is None
+                or not receiving_process_instance.can_receive_message()
+            ):
                 # Assure we can send the message, otherwise keep going.
                 message_instance_send.status = "ready"
                 db.session.add(message_instance_send)
@@ -107,15 +110,15 @@ class MessageService:
                     processor_receive.save()
                 else:
                     db.session.commit()
-                # return None
-                exception_message = f"Bad Message Instance: Receive {message_instance_receive}."
-                if receiving_process_instance:
-                    exception_message += f" PI: {receiving_process_instance.can_receive_message()}"
-                else:
-                    exception_message += " PI: None"
-                exception_message += f" TRIGGER: {message_triggerable_process_model}"
-                exception_message += f" SEND: {message_instance_send}"
-                raise Exception(exception_message)
+                return None
+                # exception_message = f"Bad Message Instance: Receive {message_instance_receive}."
+                # if receiving_process_instance:
+                #     exception_message += f" PI: {receiving_process_instance.can_receive_message()}"
+                # else:
+                #     exception_message += " PI: None"
+                # exception_message += f" TRIGGER: {message_triggerable_process_model}"
+                # exception_message += f" SEND: {message_instance_send}"
+                # raise Exception(exception_message)
 
             try:
                 with ProcessInstanceQueueService.dequeued(receiving_process_instance, needs_dequeue=False):
@@ -151,8 +154,8 @@ class MessageService:
                     processor_receive.save()
                 else:
                     db.session.commit()
-                # return None
-                raise
+                return None
+                # raise
 
         except Exception as exception:
             db.session.rollback()
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_queue_service.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_queue_service.py
index 67e053bbb..a9ba54909 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_queue_service.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_queue_service.py
@@ -141,7 +141,8 @@ class ProcessInstanceQueueService:
                     )
 
                 # we call dequeued multiple times but we want this code to only happen once.
-                # assume that if we are not reentering_lock then this is the top level call and should be the one to handle the error.
+                # assume that if we are not reentering_lock then this is the top level call and
+                # should be the one to handle the error.
                 if not reentering_lock:
                     ErrorHandlingService.handle_error(process_instance, ex)
                 raise ex