diff --git a/connect/connectNotificationServer.js b/connect/connectNotificationServer.js
index 4cc98be..34674e3 100644
--- a/connect/connectNotificationServer.js
+++ b/connect/connectNotificationServer.js
@@ -451,9 +451,13 @@ const handler = (topic, message, logger, callback) => {
       logger.debug('filtered notifications: ', allNotifications);
       // now let's retrieve some additional data
 
+      const ids = [];
+      logger.debug(message.initiatorUserId, 'message.initiatorUserId');
+      if (message.initiatorUserId) {
+        ids.push(message.initiatorUserId);
+      }
       // if message has userId such messages will likely need userHandle and user full name
       // so let's get it
-      const ids = [message.initiatorUserId];
       logger.debug(message.userId, 'message.userId');
       if (message.userId) {
         ids.push(message.userId);
diff --git a/connect/notificationServices/email.js b/connect/notificationServices/email.js
index bc01406..3d608fc 100644
--- a/connect/notificationServices/email.js
+++ b/connect/notificationServices/email.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function replacePlaceholders(term, data) {
   let ret = term;
   if (placeholders && placeholders.length) {
     _(placeholders).each(p => {
-      const values = _.map(data, p.slice(1, -1));
+      const values = _.uniq(_.map(data, p.slice(1, -1)));
       // TODO remove this code if possible.
       // This code appears to be not in use causing lint errors.
       // For now I'm commenting it, in case it contains some valuable logic.