diff --git a/dispatch/dispatch.go b/dispatch/dispatch.go
index a8d3f051..323f196d 100644
--- a/dispatch/dispatch.go
+++ b/dispatch/dispatch.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gofrs/uuid"
@@ -166,14 +167,23 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) relayer() {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case j := <-d.jobs:
+			if j.ID.IsNil() {
+				// empty jobs from `channelCapacity` length are sent upon shutdown
+				// every real job created has an ID set
+				continue
+			}
 			d.rMtx.RLock()
-			if pipes, ok := d.routes[j.ID]; ok {
-				for i := range pipes {
-					select {
-					case pipes[i] <- j.Data:
-					default:
-						// no receiver; don't wait. This limits complexity.
-					}
+			pipes, ok := d.routes[j.ID]
+			if !ok {
+				log.Warnf(log.DispatchMgr, "%v: %v\n", errDispatcherUUIDNotFoundInRouteList, j.ID)
+				d.rMtx.RUnlock()
+				continue
+			}
+			for i := range pipes {
+				select {
+				case pipes[i] <- j.Data:
+				default:
+					// no receiver; don't wait. This limits complexity.
 				}
 			}
 			d.rMtx.RUnlock()
@@ -247,6 +257,7 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) subscribe(id uuid.UUID) (chan interface{}, error) {
 	}
 
 	d.routes[id] = append(d.routes[id], ch)
+	atomic.AddInt32(&d.subscriberCount, 1)
 	return ch, nil
 }
 
@@ -287,6 +298,7 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) unsubscribe(id uuid.UUID, usedChan chan interface{}) error
 		pipes[i] = pipes[len(pipes)-1]
 		pipes[len(pipes)-1] = nil
 		d.routes[id] = pipes[:len(pipes)-1]
+		atomic.AddInt32(&d.subscriberCount, -1)
 
 		// Drain and put the used chan back in pool; only if it is not closed.
 		select {
diff --git a/dispatch/dispatch_test.go b/dispatch/dispatch_test.go
index 566d9df5..36a09118 100644
--- a/dispatch/dispatch_test.go
+++ b/dispatch/dispatch_test.go
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ func TestPublish(t *testing.T) {
 
 	d = NewDispatcher()
 
-	err = d.publish(nonEmptyUUID, "lol")
+	err = d.publish(nonEmptyUUID, "test")
 	if !errors.Is(err, nil) { // If not running, don't send back an error.
 		t.Fatalf("received: '%v' but expected: '%v'", err, nil)
 	}
@@ -266,15 +266,17 @@ func TestPublish(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("received: '%v' but expected: '%v'", err, errNoData)
 	}
 
-	// max out worker processing
-	for x := 0; x < 100; x++ {
-		err2 := d.publish(nonEmptyUUID, "lol")
+	// demonstrate job limit error
+	d.routes[nonEmptyUUID] = []chan interface{}{
+		make(chan interface{}),
+	}
+	for x := 0; x < 200; x++ {
+		err2 := d.publish(nonEmptyUUID, "test")
 		if !errors.Is(err2, nil) {
 			err = err2
 			break
 		}
 	}
-
 	if !errors.Is(err, errDispatcherJobsAtLimit) {
 		t.Fatalf("received: '%v' but expected: '%v'", err, errDispatcherJobsAtLimit)
 	}
@@ -492,6 +494,19 @@ func TestMuxPublish(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	// demonstrate that jobs do not get published when the limit should be reached
+	// but there is no listener associated with job
+	for x := 0; x < 200; x++ {
+		err2 := mux.Publish("test", itemID)
+		if !errors.Is(err2, nil) {
+			err = err2
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(err, nil) {
+		t.Fatalf("received: '%v' but expected: '%v'", err, nil)
+	}
+
 	pipe, err := mux.Subscribe(itemID)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -508,6 +523,35 @@ func TestMuxPublish(t *testing.T) {
 
 	<-pipe.Channel()
 
+	// demonstrate that jobs can be limited when subscribed
+	for x := 0; x < 200; x++ {
+		err2 := mux.Publish("test", itemID)
+		if !errors.Is(err2, nil) {
+			err = err2
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(err, errDispatcherJobsAtLimit) {
+		t.Fatalf("received: '%v' but expected: '%v'", err, errDispatcherJobsAtLimit)
+	}
+
+	// demonstrate that jobs go back to not being sent after unsubscribing
+	err = mux.Unsubscribe(itemID, pipe.C)
+	if !errors.Is(err, nil) {
+		t.Fatalf("received: '%v' but expected: '%v'", err, nil)
+	}
+
+	for x := 0; x < 200; x++ {
+		err2 := mux.Publish("test", itemID)
+		if !errors.Is(err2, nil) {
+			err = err2
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(err, nil) {
+		t.Fatalf("received: '%v' but expected: '%v'", err, nil)
+	}
+
 	// Shut down dispatch system
 	err = d.stop()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -515,7 +559,7 @@ func TestMuxPublish(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// 2363419	       468.7 ns/op	     142 B/op	       1 allocs/op
+// 13636467	        84.26 ns/op	     141 B/op	       1 allocs/op
 func BenchmarkSubscribe(b *testing.B) {
 	d := NewDispatcher()
 	err := d.start(0, 0)
diff --git a/dispatch/dispatch_types.go b/dispatch/dispatch_types.go
index 32f64167..779c28f3 100644
--- a/dispatch/dispatch_types.go
+++ b/dispatch/dispatch_types.go
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ type Dispatcher struct {
 
 	// dispatcher write protection
 	m sync.RWMutex
+	// subscriberCount atomically stores the amount of subscription endpoints
+	// to verify whether to send out any jobs
+	subscriberCount int32
 }
 
 // job defines a relaying job associated with a ticket which allows routing to
diff --git a/dispatch/mux.go b/dispatch/mux.go
index 516f20f0..6bb451ec 100644
--- a/dispatch/mux.go
+++ b/dispatch/mux.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package dispatch
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/gofrs/uuid"
 )
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ func (m *Mux) Publish(data interface{}, ids ...uuid.UUID) error {
 	if len(ids) == 0 {
 		return errNoIDs
 	}
+	if atomic.LoadInt32(&m.d.subscriberCount) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	for i := range ids {
 		err := m.d.publish(ids[i], data)