diff --git a/services/submission/src/main/java/app/coronawarn/server/services/submission/validation/ValidSubmissionPayload.java b/services/submission/src/main/java/app/coronawarn/server/services/submission/validation/ValidSubmissionPayload.java
index b7e427065a..3a0b420a0e 100644
--- a/services/submission/src/main/java/app/coronawarn/server/services/submission/validation/ValidSubmissionPayload.java
+++ b/services/submission/src/main/java/app/coronawarn/server/services/submission/validation/ValidSubmissionPayload.java
@@ -88,11 +88,6 @@ public boolean isValid(SubmissionPayload submissionPayload, ConstraintValidatorC
       List<TemporaryExposureKey> exposureKeys = submissionPayload.getKeysList();
       validatorContext.disableDefaultConstraintViolation();
 
-      if (Objects.isNull(exposureKeys)) {
-        addViolation(validatorContext, "Field 'keys' points to Null.");
-        return false;
-      }
-
       boolean isValid = checkKeyCollectionSize(exposureKeys, validatorContext);
       isValid &= checkUniqueStartIntervalNumbers(exposureKeys, validatorContext);
       isValid &= checkNoOverlapsInTimeWindow(exposureKeys, validatorContext);
diff --git a/services/submission/src/test/java/app/coronawarn/server/services/submission/monitoring/VerificationServiceHealthIndicatorTest.java b/services/submission/src/test/java/app/coronawarn/server/services/submission/monitoring/VerificationServiceHealthIndicatorTest.java
index c11cbda13c..197e965083 100644
--- a/services/submission/src/test/java/app/coronawarn/server/services/submission/monitoring/VerificationServiceHealthIndicatorTest.java
+++ b/services/submission/src/test/java/app/coronawarn/server/services/submission/monitoring/VerificationServiceHealthIndicatorTest.java
@@ -57,12 +57,19 @@ public void setup() {
   }
 
   @Test
-  void checkIsHealthyIfVerificationServerIsRunning() throws Exception {
+  void checkIsHealthyIfVerificationServerIsRunningAndExceptionIsThrown() throws Exception {
     when(verificationServerClient.verifyTan(any())).thenThrow(FeignException.NotFound.class);
     mvc.perform(get("/actuator/health"))
         .andExpect(status().is2xxSuccessful()).andReturn();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void checkIsHealthyIfVerificationServerIsRunning() throws Exception {
+    when(verificationServerClient.verifyTan(any())).thenReturn("ok");
+    mvc.perform(get("/actuator/health"))
+        .andExpect(status().is2xxSuccessful()).andReturn();
+  }
+
   @Test
   void checkIsUnhealthyIfVerificationServerIsDown() throws Exception {
     when(verificationServerClient.verifyTan(any())).thenThrow(FeignException.InternalServerError.class);