diff --git a/handlers/kannel/kannel.go b/handlers/kannel/kannel.go
index 90230a60e..d5e435f2d 100644
--- a/handlers/kannel/kannel.go
+++ b/handlers/kannel/kannel.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (h *handler) ReceiveMessage(channel courier.Channel, w http.ResponseWriter,
 	kannelMsg := &kannelMessage{}
 	err := handlers.DecodeAndValidateQueryParams(kannelMsg, r)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, courier.WriteError(w, r, err)
 	}
 
 	// create our date from the timestamp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func (h *handler) ReceiveMessage(channel courier.Channel, w http.ResponseWriter,
 type kannelMessage struct {
 	ID        string `validate:"required" name:"id"`
 	Timestamp int64  `validate:"required" name:"ts"`
-	Message   string `validate:"required" name:"message"`
+	Message   string `name:"message"`
 	Sender    string `validate:"required" name:"sender"`
 }
 
diff --git a/handlers/kannel/kannel_test.go b/handlers/kannel/kannel_test.go
index 3625807d0..5634da1fa 100644
--- a/handlers/kannel/kannel_test.go
+++ b/handlers/kannel/kannel_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	receiveNoParams     = "/c/kn/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/receive/"
 	receiveValidMessage = "/c/kn/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/receive/?backend=NIG_MTN&sender=%2B2349067554729&message=Join&ts=1493735509&id=asdf-asdf&to=24453"
+	receiveEmptyMessage = "/c/kn/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/receive/?backend=NIG_MTN&sender=%2B2349067554729&message=&ts=1493735509&id=asdf-asdf&to=24453"
 	statusNoParams      = "/c/kn/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/status/"
 	statusInvalidStatus = "/c/kn/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/status/?id=12345&status=66"
 	statusValid         = "/c/kn/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/status/?id=12345&status=4"
@@ -24,7 +25,9 @@ var testChannels = []courier.Channel{
 var handleTestCases = []ChannelHandleTestCase{
 	{Label: "Receive Valid Message", URL: receiveValidMessage, Data: "empty", Status: 200, Response: "Accepted",
 		Text: Sp("Join"), URN: Sp("tel:+2349067554729"), External: Sp("asdf-asdf"), Date: Tp(time.Date(2017, 5, 2, 14, 31, 49, 0, time.UTC))},
-	{Label: "Receive No Params", URL: receiveNoParams, Data: "empty", Status: 400, Response: "field 'message' required"},
+	{Label: "Receive Empty Message", URL: receiveEmptyMessage, Data: "empty", Status: 200, Response: "Accepted",
+		Text: Sp(""), URN: Sp("tel:+2349067554729"), External: Sp("asdf-asdf"), Date: Tp(time.Date(2017, 5, 2, 14, 31, 49, 0, time.UTC))},
+	{Label: "Receive No Params", URL: receiveNoParams, Data: "empty", Status: 400, Response: "field 'sender' required"},
 	{Label: "Status No Params", URL: statusNoParams, Status: 400, Response: "field 'status' required"},
 	{Label: "Status Invalid Status", URL: statusInvalidStatus, Status: 400, Response: "unknown status '66', must be one of 1,2,4,8,16"},
 	{Label: "Status Valid", URL: statusValid, Status: 200, Response: `"status":"S"`},
diff --git a/handlers/shaqodoon/shaqodoon.go b/handlers/shaqodoon/shaqodoon.go
index 9f25f00e5..063e04d98 100644
--- a/handlers/shaqodoon/shaqodoon.go
+++ b/handlers/shaqodoon/shaqodoon.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func (h *handler) ReceiveMessage(channel courier.Channel, w http.ResponseWriter,
 
 type shaqodoonMessage struct {
 	From string `name:"from"`
-	Text string `validate:"required" name:"text"`
+	Text string `name:"text"`
 	Date string `name:"date"`
 	Time string `name:"time"`
 }
diff --git a/handlers/shaqodoon/shaqodoon_test.go b/handlers/shaqodoon/shaqodoon_test.go
index 00555eae0..930d54848 100644
--- a/handlers/shaqodoon/shaqodoon_test.go
+++ b/handlers/shaqodoon/shaqodoon_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	receiveValidMessage         = "/c/sq/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/receive/?from=%2B2349067554729&text=Join"
+	receiveEmptyMessage         = "/c/sq/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/receive/?from=%2B2349067554729&text="
 	receiveValidMessageWithDate = "/c/sq/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/receive/?from=%2B2349067554729&text=Join&date=2017-06-23T12:30:00.500Z"
 	receiveValidMessageWithTime = "/c/sq/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/receive/?from=%2B2349067554729&text=Join&time=2017-06-23T12:30:00Z"
 	receiveNoParams             = "/c/sq/8eb23e93-5ecb-45ba-b726-3b064e0c56ab/receive/"
@@ -25,11 +26,13 @@ var testChannels = []courier.Channel{
 var handleTestCases = []ChannelHandleTestCase{
 	{Label: "Receive Valid Message", URL: receiveValidMessage, Data: "empty", Status: 200, Response: "Accepted",
 		Text: Sp("Join"), URN: Sp("tel:+2349067554729")},
+	{Label: "Receive Empty Message", URL: receiveEmptyMessage, Data: "empty", Status: 200, Response: "Accepted",
+		Text: Sp(""), URN: Sp("tel:+2349067554729")},
 	{Label: "Receive Valid Message With Date", URL: receiveValidMessageWithDate, Data: "empty", Status: 200, Response: "Accepted",
 		Text: Sp("Join"), URN: Sp("tel:+2349067554729"), Date: Tp(time.Date(2017, 6, 23, 12, 30, 0, int(500*time.Millisecond), time.UTC))},
 	{Label: "Receive Valid Message With Time", URL: receiveValidMessageWithTime, Data: "empty", Status: 200, Response: "Accepted",
 		Text: Sp("Join"), URN: Sp("tel:+2349067554729"), Date: Tp(time.Date(2017, 6, 23, 12, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC))},
-	{Label: "Receive No Params", URL: receiveNoParams, Data: "empty", Status: 400, Response: "field 'text' required"},
+	{Label: "Receive No Params", URL: receiveNoParams, Data: "empty", Status: 400, Response: "must have one of 'sender' or 'from' set"},
 	{Label: "Receive No Sender", URL: receiveNoSender, Data: "empty", Status: 400, Response: "must have one of 'sender' or 'from' set"},
 	{Label: "Receive Invalid Date", URL: receiveInvalidDate, Data: "empty", Status: 400, Response: "invalid date format, must be RFC 3339"},
 }