diff --git a/src/protagonist/CleanupHandler/AssetUpdatedHandler.cs b/src/protagonist/CleanupHandler/AssetUpdatedHandler.cs
index 7f0ca03e8..c4130a251 100644
--- a/src/protagonist/CleanupHandler/AssetUpdatedHandler.cs
+++ b/src/protagonist/CleanupHandler/AssetUpdatedHandler.cs
@@ -104,7 +104,15 @@ public async Task<bool> HandleMessage(QueueMessage message, CancellationToken ca
         
         if (modifiedOrAdded.Any())
         {
-            await CleanupModified(modifiedOrAdded, assetBefore, assetAfter, s3Objects);
+            try
+            {
+                await CleanupModified(modifiedOrAdded, assetBefore, assetAfter, s3Objects);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                logger.LogError(ex, "Error cleaning modified delivery channels");
+                return false;
+            }
         }
         
         if (!Equals(assetAfter.Roles ?? string.Empty, assetBefore.Roles ?? string.Empty))
@@ -215,7 +223,7 @@ private async Task CleanupChangedPolicy(ImageDeliveryChannel deliveryChannelModi
     private async Task CleanupChangedTimebasedDeliveryChannel(ImageDeliveryChannel imageDeliveryChannel,
         Asset assetAfter, HashSet<ObjectInBucket> objectsToRemove)
     {
-        var presetList = imageDeliveryChannel.DeliveryChannelPolicy.AsTimebasedPresets();
+        var presetList = imageDeliveryChannel.DeliveryChannelPolicy.AsTimebasedPresets(); 
         var keys = new List<string>();
         var extensions = new List<string>();
         var mediaPath = RetrieveMediaPath(assetAfter);
@@ -227,7 +235,7 @@ private async Task CleanupChangedTimebasedDeliveryChannel(ImageDeliveryChannel i
             logger.LogWarning(
                 "retrieved no timebased presets from engine, {AssetId} will not be cleaned up for the timebased channel",
                 assetAfter.Id);
-            return;
+            throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(presetDictionary), "Failed to retrieve any preset values");
         }
 
         foreach (var presetIdentifier in presetList ?? new List<string>())
diff --git a/src/protagonist/CleanupHandlerTests/AssetUpdatedHandlerTests.cs b/src/protagonist/CleanupHandlerTests/AssetUpdatedHandlerTests.cs
index 5b63b9eb8..df5236114 100644
--- a/src/protagonist/CleanupHandlerTests/AssetUpdatedHandlerTests.cs
+++ b/src/protagonist/CleanupHandlerTests/AssetUpdatedHandlerTests.cs
@@ -576,6 +576,12 @@ public async Task Handle_DoesNothing_WhenTimebasedChannelUpdatedWithInvalidPrese
             },
             DeliveryChannelPolicyId = 8239
         };
+        
+        A.CallTo(() => engineClient.GetAvPresets(A<CancellationToken>._)).Returns(new Dictionary<string, TranscoderPreset>()
+        {
+            { "webm-policy", new ("", "some-webm-preset", "oga") },
+            { "oga-policy", new ("", "some-oga-preset", "webm") }
+        });
 
         var requestDetails = CreateMinimalRequestDetails(
             new List<ImageDeliveryChannel>() { imageDeliveryChannelTimebased },
@@ -595,6 +601,43 @@ public async Task Handle_DoesNothing_WhenTimebasedChannelUpdatedWithInvalidPrese
         A.CallTo(() => bucketWriter.DeleteFolder(A<ObjectInBucket>._, A<bool>._)).MustNotHaveHappened();
     }
     
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Handle_ReturnsFalse_WhenTimebasedChannelUpdatedWithNoAvPresets()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var imageDeliveryChannelAfter = new ImageDeliveryChannel()
+        {
+            Channel = AssetDeliveryChannels.Timebased,
+            Id = 23456,
+            DeliveryChannelPolicy = new DeliveryChannelPolicy()
+            {
+                Id = 8239,
+                Channel = AssetDeliveryChannels.Timebased,
+                Created = DateTime.MinValue,
+                Modified = DateTime.MinValue,
+                PolicyData = "[\"policy-not-found\"]"
+            },
+            DeliveryChannelPolicyId = 8239
+        };
+        
+        var requestDetails = CreateMinimalRequestDetails(
+            new List<ImageDeliveryChannel>() { imageDeliveryChannelTimebased },
+            new List<ImageDeliveryChannel>() { imageDeliveryChannelAfter },
+            string.Empty, string.Empty, "video/*");
+
+        A.CallTo(() => cleanupHandlerAssetRepository.RetrieveAssetWithDeliveryChannels(A<AssetId>._))
+            .Returns(requestDetails.assetAfter);
+        
+        // Act
+        var sut = GetSut();
+        var response = await sut.HandleMessage(requestDetails.queueMessage);
+        
+        // Assert
+        response.Should().BeFalse();
+        A.CallTo(() => bucketWriter.DeleteFromBucket(A<ObjectInBucket[]>._)).MustNotHaveHappened();
+        A.CallTo(() => bucketWriter.DeleteFolder(A<ObjectInBucket>._, A<bool>._)).MustNotHaveHappened();
+    }
+    
     [Fact]
     public async Task Handle_DoesNothing_WhenTimebasedChannelModfiedWithInvalidPresetDetails()
     {
diff --git a/src/protagonist/DLCS.Model/Policies/DeliveryChannelPolicyX.cs b/src/protagonist/DLCS.Model/Policies/DeliveryChannelPolicyX.cs
index 6a8de8c50..73ad0eea1 100644
--- a/src/protagonist/DLCS.Model/Policies/DeliveryChannelPolicyX.cs
+++ b/src/protagonist/DLCS.Model/Policies/DeliveryChannelPolicyX.cs
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ public static List<string> AsTimebasedPresets(this DeliveryChannelPolicy deliver
         {
             throw new InvalidOperationException("Policy is not for timebased channel");
         }
+
+        var timeBasedPresets = deliveryChannelPolicy.PolicyDataAs<List<string>>();
         
-        return deliveryChannelPolicy.PolicyDataAs<List<string>>() ?? new List<string>();
+        return timeBasedPresets.ThrowIfNull(nameof(timeBasedPresets));
     }
     
     /// <summary>