diff --git a/tr_sys/tr_ars/api.py b/tr_sys/tr_ars/api.py
index 3613cd83..303c8ac1 100644
--- a/tr_sys/tr_ars/api.py
+++ b/tr_sys/tr_ars/api.py
@@ -447,7 +447,6 @@ def message(req, key):
                     utils.merge_and_post_process.apply_async((parent_pk,message_to_merge['message'],agent_name))
                     logger.info("post async call for agent %s" % agent_name)
 
-
                 # create child message if this one already has results
                 if mesg.data and 'results' in mesg.data and mesg.data['results'] != None and len(mesg.data['results']) > 0:
                     mesg = Message.create(name=mesg.name, status=status, actor=mesg.actor, ref=mesg)
@@ -456,6 +455,11 @@ def message(req, key):
                 mesg.data = data
                 mesg.save()
 
+            if len(res) == 0:
+                mesg.result_count = 0
+                mesg.code = code
+                mesg.status = status
+                mesg.save()
 
             return HttpResponse(json.dumps(mesg.to_dict(), indent=2),
                                 status=201)
diff --git a/tr_sys/tr_ars/utils.py b/tr_sys/tr_ars/utils.py
index 19a71672..8da99c0c 100644
--- a/tr_sys/tr_ars/utils.py
+++ b/tr_sys/tr_ars/utils.py
@@ -625,9 +625,9 @@ def merge_and_post_process(parent_pk,message_to_merge, agent_name):
        logging.info('merged data for agent %s with pk %s is returned & ready to be preprocessed' % (agent_name, str(merged.id)))
        post_process(merged.data,merged.id, agent_name)
 
-    parent.code = 200
-    parent.status = 'D'
-    parent.save()
+    # parent.code = 200
+    # parent.status = 'D'
+    # parent.save()
 
 def remove_blocked(mesg, data, blocklist=None):
     if blocklist is None:
@@ -751,17 +751,19 @@ def scrub_null_attributes(data):
             sources_to_remove = {}
             for edge_source in edgeSources:
                 if 'resource_id' not in edge_source.keys() or edge_source["resource_id"] is None:
-                    logging.info('found Null in resource_id : %s' % (edge_source))
+                    #logging.info('found Null in resource_id : %s' % (edge_source))
+                    if edgeId not in sources_to_remove.keys():
+                        sources_to_remove[edgeId]=[edge_source]
+                    else:
+                        sources_to_remove[edgeId].append(edge_source)
+
+                elif 'upstream_resource_id' not in edge_source.keys() or ('upstream_resource_ids' in edge_source.keys() and edge_source["upstream_resource_ids"] is None)\
+                        or edge_source["upstream_resource_ids"] is [None]:
+                    #logging.info('found Null in upstream_resource_ids : %s' % (edge_source))
                     if edgeId not in sources_to_remove.keys():
                         sources_to_remove[edgeId]=[edge_source]
                     else:
                         sources_to_remove[edgeId].append(edge_source)
-                if 'upstream_resource_ids' not in edge_source.keys() or ('upstream_resource_ids' in edge_source.keys() and edge_source["upstream_resource_ids"] is None):
-                    logging.info('found Null in upstream_resource_ids : %s' % (edge_source))
-                    edge_source["upstream_resource_ids"]=[]
-                if 'upstream_resource_ids' in edge_source.keys() and isinstance(edge_source['upstream_resource_ids'], list):
-                    while None in edge_source["upstream_resource_ids"]:
-                        edge_source["upstream_resource_ids"].remove(None)
 
             if len(sources_to_remove)>0:
                 bad_sources.append(sources_to_remove)