diff --git a/src/messaging/event.js b/src/messaging/event.js
index 80f20c2..eb2ceb9 100644
--- a/src/messaging/event.js
+++ b/src/messaging/event.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
 } from '@aws-sdk/client-sqs'
 
 import { config } from '~/src/config/index.js'
+import { createLogger } from '~/src/helpers/logging/logger.js'
 import { sqsClient } from '~/src/messaging/sqs.js'
 
 export const receiveMessageTimeout = config.get('receiveMessageTimeout')
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@ const deadLetterQueueArn = config.get('sqsEventsDlqArn')
 const maxNumberOfMessages = config.get('maxNumberOfMessages')
 const visibilityTimeout = config.get('visibilityTimeout')
 
+const logger = createLogger()
+
 /**
  * @type {ReceiveMessageCommandInput}
  */
@@ -58,17 +61,41 @@ export function redriveDlqMessages() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Delete DLQ message
- * @param {string} receiptHandle
- * @returns {Promise<DeleteMessageCommandOutput>}
+ * Delete DLQ message by messageId
+ * This has to be done as a combined 'read then delete' (while using a visibility timeout of non-zero)
+ * otherwise the receipt handles become stale and the delete operation doesn't work.
+ * @param {string} messageId
  */
-export function deleteDlqMessage(receiptHandle) {
-  const command = new DeleteMessageCommand({
+export async function deleteDlqMessage(messageId) {
+  const receiveCommand = new ReceiveMessageCommand({
     QueueUrl: deadLetterQueueUrl,
-    ReceiptHandle: receiptHandle
+    MaxNumberOfMessages: 10,
+    VisibilityTimeout: 2,
+    WaitTimeSeconds: 0
   })
+  const messageResponse = await sqsClient.send(receiveCommand)
 
-  return sqsClient.send(command)
+  const messages = messageResponse.Messages
+    ? messageResponse.Messages.filter((m) => m.MessageId === messageId)
+    : undefined
+  if (!messages?.length) {
+    const errorText = `Message with id ${messageId} not found in sharepoint-listener DLQ`
+    logger.info(errorText)
+    throw new Error(errorText)
+  }
+
+  logger.info(
+    `[DLQ] Number of messages found with id ${messageId}: ${messages.length}`
+  )
+  for (const message of messages) {
+    const deleteCommand = new DeleteMessageCommand({
+      QueueUrl: deadLetterQueueUrl,
+      ReceiptHandle: message.ReceiptHandle
+    })
+    logger.info(`[DLQ] Deleting message with id ${messageId}`)
+    await sqsClient.send(deleteCommand)
+    logger.info(`[DLQ] Deleted message with id ${messageId}`)
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/messaging/event.test.js b/src/messaging/event.test.js
index 0efd2b8..d84580c 100644
--- a/src/messaging/event.test.js
+++ b/src/messaging/event.test.js
@@ -94,20 +94,36 @@ describe('event', () => {
 
   describe('deleteDlqMessage', () => {
     it('should delete event message', async () => {
-      /**
-       * @type {DeleteMessageCommandOutput}
-       */
-      const deleteResult = {
-        $metadata: {}
+      const receivedMessage = {
+        Messages: [messageStub, messageStub, messageStub]
       }
 
-      snsMock.on(DeleteMessageCommand).resolves(deleteResult)
-      await deleteDlqMessage(messageStub.ReceiptHandle)
+      snsMock.on(ReceiveMessageCommand).resolves(receivedMessage)
+      await deleteDlqMessage(messageStub.MessageId)
+      expect(snsMock).toHaveReceivedCommandWith(ReceiveMessageCommand, {
+        QueueUrl: expect.any(String),
+        MaxNumberOfMessages: 10,
+        VisibilityTimeout: 2,
+        WaitTimeSeconds: 0
+      })
       expect(snsMock).toHaveReceivedCommandWith(DeleteMessageCommand, {
         QueueUrl: expect.any(String),
         ReceiptHandle: receiptHandle
       })
     })
+
+    it('should throw if message not found', async () => {
+      const receivedMessage = {
+        Messages: []
+      }
+
+      snsMock.on(ReceiveMessageCommand).resolves(receivedMessage)
+      await expect(() =>
+        deleteDlqMessage(messageStub.MessageId)
+      ).rejects.toThrow(
+        'Message with id 31cb6fff-8317-412e-8488-308d099034c4 not found in sharepoint-listener DLQ'
+      )
+    })
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/src/routes/admin.js b/src/routes/admin.js
index ecb070b..f465d9d 100644
--- a/src/routes/admin.js
+++ b/src/routes/admin.js
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ const messageIdSchema = Joi.object({
   messageId: Joi.string().required()
 })
 
-const receiptHandleSchema = Joi.object({
-  receiptHandle: Joi.string().required()
-})
-
 export default [
   /**
    * @satisfies {ServerRoute}
@@ -58,16 +54,17 @@ export default [
   }),
 
   /**
-   * @satisfies {ServerRoute<{ Params: { messageId: string }, Payload: { receiptHandle: string } }>}
+   * @satisfies {ServerRoute<{ Params: { messageId: string } }>}
    */
   ({
     method: 'DELETE',
     path: '/admin/deadletter/{messageId}',
     async handler(request, h) {
-      const { params, payload } = request
-      logger.info(`Deleting DLQ message ${params.messageId}`)
-      await deleteDlqMessage(payload.receiptHandle)
-      logger.info(`Deleted DLQ message ${params.messageId}`)
+      const { params } = request
+      const { messageId } = params
+      logger.info(`Deleting DLQ message ${messageId}`)
+      await deleteDlqMessage(messageId)
+      logger.info(`Deleted DLQ message ${messageId}`)
       return h.response({ message: 'success' }).code(OK_RESPONSE)
     },
     options: {
@@ -75,8 +72,7 @@ export default [
         scope: [`+${Scopes.DeadLetterQueues}`]
       },
       validate: {
-        params: messageIdSchema,
-        payload: receiptHandleSchema
+        params: messageIdSchema
       }
     }
   })
diff --git a/src/routes/admin.test.js b/src/routes/admin.test.js
index 3ec6ad3..9484a98 100644
--- a/src/routes/admin.test.js
+++ b/src/routes/admin.test.js
@@ -62,16 +62,13 @@ describe('Admin routes', () => {
       const response = await server.inject({
         method: 'DELETE',
         url: '/admin/deadletter/message-id',
-        auth,
-        payload: {
-          receiptHandle: 'receipt-handle'
-        }
+        auth
       })
 
       expect(response.statusCode).toEqual(okStatusCode)
       expect(response.headers['content-type']).toContain(jsonContentType)
       expect(response.result).toEqual({ message: 'success' })
-      expect(deleteDlqMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith('receipt-handle')
+      expect(deleteDlqMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith('message-id')
     })
   })
 })