diff --git a/courier/message.go b/courier/message.go
index 9cf4399cc8b9..9ba9cf9cdb6c 100644
--- a/courier/message.go
+++ b/courier/message.go
@@ -24,14 +24,15 @@ type MessageStatus int
 const (
 	MessageStatusQueued MessageStatus = iota + 1
 	MessageStatusSent
-	_
+	MessageStatusProcessing
 	MessageStatusAbandoned
 )
 
 const (
-	messageStatusQueuedText    = "queued"
-	messageStatusSentText      = "sent"
-	messageStatusAbandonedText = "abandoned"
+	messageStatusQueuedText     = "queued"
+	messageStatusSentText       = "sent"
+	messageStatusProcessingText = "processing"
+	messageStatusAbandonedText  = "abandoned"
 )
 
 func ToMessageStatus(str string) (MessageStatus, error) {
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ func ToMessageStatus(str string) (MessageStatus, error) {
 		return MessageStatusQueued, nil
 	case s.AddCase(MessageStatusSent.String()):
 		return MessageStatusSent, nil
+	case s.AddCase(MessageStatusProcessing.String()):
+		return MessageStatusProcessing, nil
 	case s.AddCase(MessageStatusAbandoned.String()):
 		return MessageStatusAbandoned, nil
 	default:
@@ -53,6 +56,8 @@ func (ms MessageStatus) String() string {
 		return messageStatusQueuedText
 	case MessageStatusSent:
 		return messageStatusSentText
+	case MessageStatusProcessing:
+		return messageStatusProcessingText
 	case MessageStatusAbandoned:
 		return messageStatusAbandonedText
 	default:
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ func (ms MessageStatus) String() string {
 
 func (ms MessageStatus) IsValid() error {
 	switch ms {
-	case MessageStatusQueued, MessageStatusSent, MessageStatusAbandoned:
+	case MessageStatusQueued, MessageStatusSent, MessageStatusProcessing, MessageStatusAbandoned:
 		return nil
 	default:
 		return errors.WithStack(herodot.ErrBadRequest.WithReason("Message status is not valid"))
diff --git a/courier/message_test.go b/courier/message_test.go
index bb3af52ab71c..e8db6713bcf5 100644
--- a/courier/message_test.go
+++ b/courier/message_test.go
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ func TestMessageStatusValidity(t *testing.T) {
 func TestToMessageStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("case=should return corresponding MessageStatus for given str", func(t *testing.T) {
 		for str, exp := range map[string]courier.MessageStatus{
-			"queued":    courier.MessageStatusQueued,
-			"sent":      courier.MessageStatusSent,
-			"abandoned": courier.MessageStatusAbandoned,
+			"queued":     courier.MessageStatusQueued,
+			"sent":       courier.MessageStatusSent,
+			"processing": courier.MessageStatusProcessing,
+			"abandoned":  courier.MessageStatusAbandoned,
 		} {
 			result, err := courier.ToMessageStatus(str)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/courier/persistence.go b/courier/persistence.go
index a8547327250a..6bb2d4fa6230 100644
--- a/courier/persistence.go
+++ b/courier/persistence.go
@@ -5,12 +5,15 @@ package courier
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 
 	"github.com/gofrs/uuid"
 
 	"github.com/ory/x/pagination/keysetpagination"
 )
 
+var ErrQueueEmpty = errors.New("queue is empty")
+
 type (
 	Persister interface {
 		AddMessage(context.Context, *Message) error