diff --git a/protocol/connections/engine.go b/protocol/connections/engine.go
index fb54b0e..b4b4068 100644
--- a/protocol/connections/engine.go
+++ b/protocol/connections/engine.go
@@ -444,8 +444,9 @@ func (e *engine) receiveGroupMessage(server string, gm *groups.EncryptedGroupMes
 func (e *engine) sendMessageToGroup(groupID string, server string, ct []byte, sig []byte) {
 
 	es, ok := e.ephemeralServices.Load(server)
-	if !ok {
+	if es == nil || !ok {
 		e.eventManager.Publish(event.NewEvent(event.SendMessageToGroupError, map[event.Field]string{event.GroupID: groupID, event.GroupServer: server, event.Error: "server-not-found", event.Signature: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(sig)}))
+		return
 	}
 	ephemeralService := es.(tapir.Service)