diff --git a/src/dispatch/plugins/dispatch_google/groups/plugin.py b/src/dispatch/plugins/dispatch_google/groups/plugin.py
index a03cb9fc12e2..c52abd402cea 100644
--- a/src/dispatch/plugins/dispatch_google/groups/plugin.py
+++ b/src/dispatch/plugins/dispatch_google/groups/plugin.py
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ def add_member(client: Any, group_key: str, email: str, role: str):
 def remove_member(client: Any, group_key: str, email: str):
     """Removes member from google group."""
     try:
-        return make_call(client.members(), "delete", groupKey=group_key, memberKey=email)
+        return make_call(
+            client.members(), "delete", groupKey=group_key, memberKey=email, propagate_errors=True
+        )
     except HttpError as e:
         if e.resp.status in [409]:
             log.debug(
diff --git a/src/dispatch/plugins/dispatch_slack/endpoints.py b/src/dispatch/plugins/dispatch_slack/endpoints.py
index 05785a844c57..9ccdf425c215 100644
--- a/src/dispatch/plugins/dispatch_slack/endpoints.py
+++ b/src/dispatch/plugins/dispatch_slack/endpoints.py
@@ -81,7 +81,18 @@ def get_request_handler(request: Request, body: bytes, organization: str) -> Sla
 )
 async def slack_events(request: Request, organization: str, body: bytes = Depends(get_body)):
     """Handle all incoming Slack events."""
+
     handler = get_request_handler(request=request, body=body, organization=organization)
+    try:
+        body_json = json.loads(body)
+        # if we're getting the url verification request,
+        # handle it synchronously so that slack api verification works
+        if body_json.get("type") == "url_verification":
+            return handler.handle(req=request, body=body)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError:
+        pass
+
+    # otherwise, handle it asynchronously
     task = BackgroundTask(handler.handle, req=request, body=body)
     return JSONResponse(
         background=task,