diff --git a/crates/transport-ws/src/lib.rs b/crates/transport-ws/src/lib.rs
index 8f6286a92a57..8934eecdcb88 100644
--- a/crates/transport-ws/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/transport-ws/src/lib.rs
@@ -47,21 +47,19 @@ pub struct WsBackend<T> {
 
 impl<T> WsBackend<T> {
     /// Handle inbound text from the websocket.
-    #[instrument(skip(self))]
-    pub async fn handle_text(&mut self, t: String) -> Result<(), ()> {
-        debug!(text = t, "Received message from websocket");
+    pub fn handle_text(&mut self, text: &str) -> Result<(), ()> {
+        trace!(%text, "received message from websocket");
 
-        match serde_json::from_str(&t) {
+        match serde_json::from_str(text) {
             Ok(item) => {
-                trace!(?item, "Deserialized message");
-                let res = self.interface.send_to_frontend(item);
-                if res.is_err() {
-                    error!("Failed to send message to handler");
+                trace!(?item, "deserialized message");
+                if let Err(err) = self.interface.send_to_frontend(item) {
+                    error!(item=?err.0, "failed to send deserialized item to handler");
                     return Err(());
                 }
             }
             Err(err) => {
-                error!(%err, "Failed to deserialize message");
+                error!(%err, "failed to deserialize message");
                 return Err(());
             }
         }
diff --git a/crates/transport-ws/src/native.rs b/crates/transport-ws/src/native.rs
index 8a2d65ef0ce2..38023f67e9bb 100644
--- a/crates/transport-ws/src/native.rs
+++ b/crates/transport-ws/src/native.rs
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ impl PubSubConnect for WsConnect {
 
 impl WsBackend<TungsteniteStream> {
     /// Handle a message from the server.
-    pub async fn handle(&mut self, msg: Message) -> Result<(), ()> {
+    pub fn handle(&mut self, msg: Message) -> Result<(), ()> {
         match msg {
-            Message::Text(text) => self.handle_text(text).await,
+            Message::Text(text) => self.handle_text(&text),
             Message::Close(frame) => {
                 if frame.is_some() {
                     error!(?frame, "Received close frame with data");