diff --git a/lib/message-handler.js b/lib/message-handler.js
index dcd21a1..e4eeeae 100644
--- a/lib/message-handler.js
+++ b/lib/message-handler.js
@@ -40,6 +40,52 @@ export default async function messageHandler(recipeMap, req, res) {
 
   const { logger } = context;
 
+  const handleError = async (error) => {
+    if (error.rejected) {
+      logger.error(
+        `Rejected message with correlationId: ${correlationId}. Error: ${error}. Message: ${JSON.stringify(message)}`
+      );
+      await rejectMessage(
+        { ...message, error: { message: error.extraMessage } },
+        { key, correlationId, parentCorrelationId, siblingCount }
+      );
+      metrics.rejectedMessages.inc();
+      return 200;
+    }
+    if (error.retry) {
+      logger.warn(
+        `Retrying message ${messageId} with correlationId: :${correlationId}. Error: ${error}. Message: ${JSON.stringify(
+          message
+        )}`
+      );
+      metrics.retriedMessages.inc();
+      return 400;
+    }
+    if (error.unrecoverable && !key.endsWith(".unrecoverable")) {
+      try {
+        // Trigger the unrecoverable handler by publishing a message with the .unrecoverable suffix
+        await publishMessage(
+          { ...message, error: { message: error.extraMessage } },
+          { key: `${key}.unrecoverable`, correlationId, parentCorrelationId, siblingCount }
+        );
+        return 200;
+      } catch (publishErr) {
+        logger.error(
+          `Unable to handle unrecoverable message with correlationId: ${correlationId}. Error: ${error}. Message: ${JSON.stringify(
+            message
+          )}`
+        );
+        return 500;
+      }
+    }
+    if (deliveryAttempt < 10) {
+      logger.warn(`Unexpected error attempt: ${deliveryAttempt} ${error.message}`);
+    } else {
+      logger.error(`Unexpected error ${error.message}`);
+    }
+    return null;
+  };
+
   if (!key) {
     logger.error(`Got message without key ${messageId}`);
     return res.status(400).send();
@@ -124,6 +170,8 @@ export default async function messageHandler(recipeMap, req, res) {
         { key: `${key}.processed`, correlationId, parentCorrelationId, siblingCount }
       );
     } catch (err) {
+      const status = await handleError(err);
+      if (status) return res.status(status).send();
       return res.status(500).send();
     }
 
@@ -241,48 +289,8 @@ export default async function messageHandler(recipeMap, req, res) {
 
     return res.status(200).send();
   } catch (error) {
-    if (error.rejected) {
-      logger.error(
-        `Rejected message with correlationId: ${correlationId}. Error: ${error}. Message: ${JSON.stringify(message)}`
-      );
-      await rejectMessage(
-        { ...message, error: { message: error.extraMessage } },
-        { key, correlationId, parentCorrelationId, siblingCount }
-      );
-      metrics.rejectedMessages.inc();
-      return res.status(200).send();
-    }
-    if (error.retry) {
-      logger.warn(
-        `Retrying message ${messageId} with correlationId: :${correlationId}. Error: ${error}. Message: ${JSON.stringify(
-          message
-        )}`
-      );
-      metrics.retriedMessages.inc();
-      return res.status(400).send();
-    }
-    if (error.unrecoverable) {
-      try {
-        // Trigger the unrecoverable handler by publishing a message with the .unrecoverable suffix
-        await publishMessage(
-          { ...message, error: { message: error.extraMessage } },
-          { key: `${key}.unrecoverable`, correlationId, parentCorrelationId, siblingCount }
-        );
-        return res.status(200).send();
-      } catch (publishErr) {
-        logger.error(
-          `Unable to handle unrecoverable message with correlationId: ${correlationId}. Error: ${error}. Message: ${JSON.stringify(
-            message
-          )}`
-        );
-        return res.status(500).send();
-      }
-    }
-    if (deliveryAttempt < 10) {
-      logger.warn(`Unexpected error attempt: ${deliveryAttempt} ${error.message}`);
-    } else {
-      logger.error(`Unexpected error ${error.message}`);
-    }
+    const status = await handleError(error);
+    if (status) return res.status(status).send();
     return res.status(500).send();
   }
 }
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 7a1a542..dbd7e25 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@bonniernews/b0rker",
-  "version": "7.1.1",
+  "version": "7.2.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@bonniernews/b0rker",
-      "version": "7.1.1",
+      "version": "7.2.0",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@bonniernews/gcp-push-metrics": "^3.2.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index bf45fb6..028622a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@bonniernews/b0rker",
-  "version": "7.1.1",
+  "version": "7.2.0",
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=16"
   },