diff --git a/lib/tasks/message_queue.rake b/lib/tasks/message_queue.rake
index 8bb9a13c8..28466bb59 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/message_queue.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/message_queue.rake
@@ -20,21 +20,21 @@ namespace :message_queue do
       retry_dlx = channel.fanout("#{name}_retry_dlx")
       discarded_dlx = channel.fanout("#{name}_discarded_dlx")
 
-      channel
-        .queue(name, arguments: { "x-dead-letter-exchange" => retry_dlx.name })
-        .bind(exch, routing_key: routing_key)
-
       # messages are queued on {queue}_discarded_dlx for 30s before their
       # ttl completes then are routed to the {queue}_retry_dlx
       channel
         .queue(
           "#{name}_wait_to_retry",
+          durable: true,
           arguments: { "x-dead-letter-exchange" => discarded_dlx.name, "x-message-ttl" => 10 * 3000 },
         )
         .bind(retry_dlx)
 
-      # messages on the {queue}_discarded_dlx are routed back to the original queue
-      channel.queue(name).bind(discarded_dlx)
+      channel.queue(name, durable: true, arguments: { "x-dead-letter-exchange" => retry_dlx.name }).tap do |q|
+        q.bind(exch, routing_key:)
+        # messages on the {queue}_discarded_dlx are routed back to the original queue
+        q.bind(discarded_dlx)
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/tasks/message_queue_spec.rb b/spec/unit/tasks/message_queue_spec.rb
index 7c7c4bb68..dc5d05a34 100644
--- a/spec/unit/tasks/message_queue_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/tasks/message_queue_spec.rb
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@
           discarded_dlx: instance_double(Bunny::Exchange, name: "search_api_bulk_reindex_discarded_dlx"),
           queues: {
             root: instance_double(Bunny::Queue, bind: nil),
-            discarded: instance_double(Bunny::Queue, bind: nil),
             wait_to_retry: instance_double(Bunny::Queue, bind: nil),
           },
         },
@@ -93,7 +92,6 @@
           discarded_dlx: instance_double(Bunny::Exchange, name: "search_api_govuk_index_discarded_dlx"),
           queues: {
             root: instance_double(Bunny::Queue, bind: nil),
-            discarded: instance_double(Bunny::Queue, bind: nil),
             wait_to_retry: instance_double(Bunny::Queue, bind: nil),
           },
         },
@@ -109,10 +107,6 @@
           .to receive(:queue).with(name, anything)
           .and_return(config[:queues][:root])
 
-        allow(channel)
-          .to receive(:queue).with(name)
-          .and_return(config[:queues][:discarded])
-
         allow(channel)
           .to receive(:queue).with("#{name}_wait_to_retry", anything)
           .and_return(config[:queues][:wait_to_retry])
@@ -123,23 +117,23 @@
       queues.each do |config|
         name = config[:name]
         expect(channel).to have_received(:queue).with(
-          name,
-          arguments: { "x-dead-letter-exchange" => "#{name}_retry_dlx" },
+          name, durable: true,
+                arguments: { "x-dead-letter-exchange" => "#{name}_retry_dlx" }
         )
 
-        expect(channel).to have_received(:queue).with(name)
+        expect(channel).to have_received(:queue).with(name, durable: true, arguments: { "x-dead-letter-exchange" => "#{name}_retry_dlx" })
 
         expect(channel).to have_received(:queue).with(
-          "#{name}_wait_to_retry",
-          arguments: {
-            "x-dead-letter-exchange" => "#{name}_discarded_dlx",
-            "x-message-ttl" => 30_000,
-          },
+          "#{name}_wait_to_retry", durable: true,
+                                   arguments: {
+                                     "x-dead-letter-exchange" => "#{name}_discarded_dlx",
+                                     "x-message-ttl" => 30_000,
+                                   }
         )
 
         expect(config[:queues][:root]).to have_received(:bind).with(exchange, routing_key: config[:routing_key])
+        expect(config[:queues][:root]).to have_received(:bind).with(config[:discarded_dlx])
         expect(config[:queues][:wait_to_retry]).to have_received(:bind).with(config[:retry_dlx])
-        expect(config[:queues][:discarded]).to have_received(:bind).with(config[:discarded_dlx])
       end
     end
   end