diff --git a/onadata/apps/messaging/backends/base.py b/onadata/apps/messaging/backends/base.py
index 32989ce3e0..932b5ddab7 100644
--- a/onadata/apps/messaging/backends/base.py
+++ b/onadata/apps/messaging/backends/base.py
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@
 """
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
-from django.utils.module_loading import import_string
-
 from actstream.models import Action
+from django.utils.module_loading import import_string
 from multidb.pinning import use_master
 
 
diff --git a/onadata/apps/messaging/backends/mqtt.py b/onadata/apps/messaging/backends/mqtt.py
index 8161663161..d645e5671e 100644
--- a/onadata/apps/messaging/backends/mqtt.py
+++ b/onadata/apps/messaging/backends/mqtt.py
@@ -118,7 +118,8 @@ def get_topic(self, instance):
         }
         if kwargs['target_name'] == XFORM:
             xform = XForm.objects.get(id=instance.target_object_id)
-            kwargs['organization_username'] = xform.project.organization.id
+            kwargs[
+                'organization_username'] = xform.project.organization.username
             kwargs['verb'] = VERB_TOPIC_DICT[instance.verb]
             kwargs['project_id'] = xform.project.id
             return ('/{topic_base}/organization/{organization_username}/'
diff --git a/onadata/apps/messaging/signals.py b/onadata/apps/messaging/signals.py
index 3c20f72978..219bb67355 100644
--- a/onadata/apps/messaging/signals.py
+++ b/onadata/apps/messaging/signals.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ def messaging_backends_handler(sender, **kwargs):  # pylint: disable=W0613
     created = kwargs.get('created')
     instance = kwargs.get('instance')
     if instance and created:
+        instance = instance.save()
         for name in backends:
             backend = backends[name]['BACKEND']
             backend_options = backends[name].get('OPTIONS')
diff --git a/onadata/libs/utils/logger_tools.py b/onadata/libs/utils/logger_tools.py
index 27ba73dae1..76b10c3158 100644
--- a/onadata/libs/utils/logger_tools.py
+++ b/onadata/libs/utils/logger_tools.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def _get_instance(xml, new_uuid, submitted_by, status, xform, checksum):
     # send notification on submission creation
     send_message(
         instance_id=instance.id, target_id=instance.xform.id,
-        target_type=XFORM, user=instance.user,
+        target_type=XFORM, user=instance.user or instance.xform.user,
         message_verb=message_verb)
     return instance