diff --git a/signal/server/signal.go b/signal/server/signal.go
index 05cc43276..3cae7e860 100644
--- a/signal/server/signal.go
+++ b/signal/server/signal.go
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ func (s *Server) forwardMessageToPeer(ctx context.Context, msg *proto.EncryptedM
 		s.metrics.MessageForwardFailures.Add(ctx, 1, metric.WithAttributes(attribute.String(labelType, labelTypeNotConnected)))
 		log.Debugf("message from peer [%s] can't be forwarded to peer [%s] because destination peer is not connected", msg.Key, msg.RemoteKey)
 		// todo respond to the sender?
+		return
 	}
 
 	s.metrics.GetRegistrationDelay.Record(ctx, float64(time.Since(getRegistrationStart).Nanoseconds())/1e6, metric.WithAttributes(attribute.String(labelType, labelTypeStream), attribute.String(labelRegistrationStatus, labelRegistrationFound)))