diff --git a/src/aleph/jobs/process_pending_messages.py b/src/aleph/jobs/process_pending_messages.py
index 5a76b061b..82721e9e2 100644
--- a/src/aleph/jobs/process_pending_messages.py
+++ b/src/aleph/jobs/process_pending_messages.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from aleph.types import ItemType
 from pymongo import DeleteOne, DeleteMany, ASCENDING
 from setproctitle import setproctitle
+from aleph_message.models import MessageType
 
 from .job_utils import prepare_loop
 
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ async def process_pending_messages(shared_stats: Dict):
 
             if (
                 pending["message"]["item_type"] == ItemType.IPFS
-                or pending["message"]["type"] == "STORE"
+                or pending["message"]["type"] == MessageType.store
             ):
                 i += 15
                 j += 100
diff --git a/src/aleph/jobs/process_pending_txs.py b/src/aleph/jobs/process_pending_txs.py
index 7aab4e6d6..66fb8eba7 100644
--- a/src/aleph/jobs/process_pending_txs.py
+++ b/src/aleph/jobs/process_pending_txs.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ async def handle_pending_tx(
     messages = await get_chaindata_messages(
         pending["content"], pending["context"], seen_ids=seen_ids
     )
-    if isinstance(messages, list):
+    if messages:
         message_actions = list()
         for i, message in enumerate(messages):
             message["time"] = pending["context"]["time"] + (i / 1000)  # force order