diff --git a/event_listener.py b/event_listener.py
index 7edef3149..93e23edf4 100644
--- a/event_listener.py
+++ b/event_listener.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def main(mode: Mode, dry_run: bool):
         LOG.i("Starting with HttpEventSink")
         sink = HttpEventSink()
 
-    runner = Runner(source=source, sink=sink, force_execution=mode == Mode.DEAD_LETTER)
+    runner = Runner(source=source, sink=sink)
     runner.run()
 
 
diff --git a/events/event_source.py b/events/event_source.py
index 4d10278a0..f4f893729 100644
--- a/events/event_source.py
+++ b/events/event_source.py
@@ -56,7 +56,12 @@ def __listen(self, on_event: Callable[[SyncEvent], NoReturn]):
                         webhook_id = int(notify.payload)
                         event = SyncEvent.get_by(id=webhook_id)
                         if event is not None:
-                            on_event(event)
+                            if event.mark_as_taken():
+                                on_event(event)
+                            else:
+                                LOG.info(
+                                    f"Event {event.id} was handled by another runner"
+                                )
                         else:
                             LOG.info(f"Could not find event with id={notify.payload}")
                     except Exception as e:
diff --git a/events/runner.py b/events/runner.py
index f970adafd..d6f9c2e02 100644
--- a/events/runner.py
+++ b/events/runner.py
@@ -8,12 +8,9 @@
 
 
 class Runner:
-    def __init__(
-        self, source: EventSource, sink: EventSink, force_execution: bool = False
-    ):
+    def __init__(self, source: EventSource, sink: EventSink):
         self.__source = source
         self.__sink = sink
-        self.__force_execution = force_execution
 
     def run(self):
         self.__source.run(self.__on_event)
@@ -21,31 +18,25 @@ def run(self):
     @newrelic.agent.background_task()
     def __on_event(self, event: SyncEvent):
         try:
-            can_process = event.mark_as_taken()
-            if can_process or self.__force_execution:
-                event_created_at = event.created_at
-                start_time = arrow.now()
-                success = self.__sink.process(event)
-                if success:
-                    event_id = event.id
-                    SyncEvent.delete(event.id, commit=True)
-                    LOG.info(f"Marked {event_id} as done")
+            event_created_at = event.created_at
+            start_time = arrow.now()
+            success = self.__sink.process(event)
+            if success:
+                event_id = event.id
+                SyncEvent.delete(event.id, commit=True)
+                LOG.info(f"Marked {event_id} as done")
 
-                    end_time = arrow.now() - start_time
-                    time_between_taken_and_created = start_time - event_created_at
+                end_time = arrow.now() - start_time
+                time_between_taken_and_created = start_time - event_created_at
 
-                    newrelic.agent.record_custom_metric(
-                        "Custom/sync_event_processed", 1
-                    )
-                    newrelic.agent.record_custom_metric(
-                        "Custom/sync_event_process_time", end_time.total_seconds()
-                    )
-                    newrelic.agent.record_custom_metric(
-                        "Custom/sync_event_elapsed_time",
-                        time_between_taken_and_created.total_seconds(),
-                    )
-            else:
-                LOG.info(f"{event.id} was handled by another runner")
+                newrelic.agent.record_custom_metric("Custom/sync_event_processed", 1)
+                newrelic.agent.record_custom_metric(
+                    "Custom/sync_event_process_time", end_time.total_seconds()
+                )
+                newrelic.agent.record_custom_metric(
+                    "Custom/sync_event_elapsed_time",
+                    time_between_taken_and_created.total_seconds(),
+                )
         except Exception as e:
             LOG.warn(f"Exception processing event [id={event.id}]: {e}")
             newrelic.agent.record_custom_metric("Custom/sync_event_failed", 1)