diff --git a/app/models/message.rb b/app/models/message.rb
index 335751ec3cc..c9f170ade28 100644
--- a/app/models/message.rb
+++ b/app/models/message.rb
@@ -549,12 +549,27 @@ class Message < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
 
     if user.account.feature_enabled?(:notification_service) && path_type != "yo"
-      message_body = path_type == "email" ? Mailer.create_message(self).to_s : body
-      NotificationService.process(message_body, path_type, to, remote_configuration)
-      complete_dispatch
-      return
+      enqueue_to_sqs
+    else
+      send(delivery_method)
     end
-    send(delivery_method)
+  end
+
+  def enqueue_to_sqs
+    message_body = path_type == "email" ? Mailer.create_message(self).to_s : body
+    NotificationService.process(message_body, path_type, to, remote_configuration)
+    complete_dispatch
+  rescue AWS::SQS::Errors::ServiceError => e
+    Canvas::Errors.capture(
+      e,
+      message: 'Message delivery failed',
+      to: to,
+      object: inspect.to_s
+    )
+    error_string = "Exception: #{e.class}: #{e.message}\n\t#{e.backtrace.join("\n\t")}"
+    self.transmission_errors = error_string
+    self.errored_dispatch
+    raise
   end
 
   class RemoteConfigurationError < StandardError; end
diff --git a/spec/models/notification_service_spec.rb b/spec/models/notification_service_spec.rb
index 8337ec05602..c2af411b020 100644
--- a/spec/models/notification_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/notification_service_spec.rb
@@ -27,33 +27,43 @@ describe NotificationService do
       @message.user.account.root_account.enable_feature!(:notification_service)
       @message.save!
   end
+  before(:each) do
+    @queue = stub('notification queue')
+    NotificationService.stubs(:notification_queue).returns(@queue)
+  end
 
   describe "notification Service" do
     it "processes email message type" do
-      NotificationService.expects(:process).once
+      @queue.expects(:send_message).once
       @message.path_type = "email"
       expect{@message.deliver}.not_to raise_error
     end
     it "processes twitter message type" do
-      NotificationService.expects(:process).once
+      @queue.expects(:send_message).once
       @message.path_type = "twitter"
       expect{@message.deliver}.not_to raise_error
     end
     it "processes twilio message type" do
-      NotificationService.expects(:process).once
+      @queue.expects(:send_message).once
       @message.path_type = "sms"
       expect{@message.deliver}.not_to raise_error
     end
     it "processes sms message type" do
-      NotificationService.expects(:process).once
+      @queue.expects(:send_message).once
       @message.path_type = "sms"
       @message.to = "+18015550100"
       expect{@message.deliver}.not_to raise_error
     end
     it "processes push notification message type" do
-      NotificationService.expects(:process).once
+      @queue.expects(:send_message).once
       @message.path_type = "push"
       expect{@message.deliver}.not_to raise_error
     end
+    it "throws error if cannot connect to queue" do
+      @queue.stubs(:send_message).raises(AWS::SQS::Errors::ServiceError)
+      expect{@message.deliver}.to raise_error(AWS::SQS::Errors::ServiceError)
+      expect(@message.transmission_errors).to include("AWS::SQS::Errors::ServiceError")
+      expect(@message.workflow_state).to eql("staged")
+    end
   end
 end