diff --git a/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssRecursiveNotificationHandler.java b/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssRecursiveNotificationHandler.java
index 8b4cce1d6e..041899d752 100644
--- a/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssRecursiveNotificationHandler.java
+++ b/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssRecursiveNotificationHandler.java
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ public class EssRecursiveNotificationHandler {
     private final BpnInvestigationJobCache bpnInvestigationJobCache;
     private final EdcNotificationSender edcNotificationSender;
 
-    /* package */ void handleNotification(final UUID finishedJobId, final SupplyChainImpacted supplyChainImpacted, final String bpn) {
+    /* package */ void handleNotification(final UUID finishedJobId, final SupplyChainImpacted supplyChainImpacted, final String bpn,
+            final Integer hops) {
 
         final Optional<RelatedInvestigationJobs> relatedJobsId = relatedInvestigationJobsCache.findByRecursiveRelatedJobId(
                 finishedJobId);
@@ -56,20 +57,20 @@ public class EssRecursiveNotificationHandler {
         relatedJobsId.ifPresentOrElse(relatedJobs -> {
             if (SupplyChainImpacted.YES.equals(supplyChainImpacted)) {
                 log.debug("SupplyChain is impacted. Sending notification back to requestor.");
-                edcNotificationSender.sendEdcNotification(relatedJobs.originalNotification(), supplyChainImpacted, FIRST_HOP, bpn);
+                edcNotificationSender.sendEdcNotification(relatedJobs.originalNotification(), supplyChainImpacted, hops, bpn);
                 relatedInvestigationJobsCache.remove(
                         relatedJobs.originalNotification().getHeader().getNotificationId());
             } else {
                 log.debug(
                         "SupplyChainImpacted in state '{}'. Waiting for Jobs to complete to send notification back to requestor.",
                         supplyChainImpacted);
-                sendNotificationAfterAllCompleted(relatedJobs, bpn);
+                sendNotificationAfterAllCompleted(relatedJobs, bpn, hops);
             }
         }, () -> log.debug("No RelatedInvestigationJob found for id '{}'.", finishedJobId));
     }
 
     private void sendNotificationAfterAllCompleted(final RelatedInvestigationJobs relatedInvestigationJobs,
-            final String bpn) {
+            final String bpn, final Integer hops) {
         final List<BpnInvestigationJob> allInvestigationJobs = relatedInvestigationJobs.recursiveRelatedJobIds()
                                                                                        .stream()
                                                                                        .map(bpnInvestigationJobCache::findByJobId)
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ private void sendNotificationAfterAllCompleted(final RelatedInvestigationJobs re
                                                                         .reduce(SupplyChainImpacted.NO,
                                                                                 SupplyChainImpacted::or);
 
-            edcNotificationSender.sendEdcNotification(relatedInvestigationJobs.originalNotification(), finalResult, getMinHops(allInvestigationJobs), bpn);
+            edcNotificationSender.sendEdcNotification(relatedInvestigationJobs.originalNotification(), finalResult, hops, bpn);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssService.java b/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssService.java
index 934c16efc0..5a71931b08 100644
--- a/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssService.java
+++ b/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssService.java
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public void handleNotificationCallback(final EdcNotification<ResponseNotificatio
             bpnInvestigationJobCache.store(jobId,
                     job.update(job.getJobSnapshot(), supplyChainImpacted, notification.getContent().getParentBpn()));
             recursiveNotificationHandler.handleNotification(jobId, supplyChainImpacted,
-                    notification.getContent().getParentBpn());
+                    notification.getContent().getParentBpn(), notification.getContent().getHops());
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/InvestigationJobProcessingEventListener.java b/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/InvestigationJobProcessingEventListener.java
index ae86cf9a65..5e10faf905 100644
--- a/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/InvestigationJobProcessingEventListener.java
+++ b/irs-api/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/InvestigationJobProcessingEventListener.java
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ public void handleJobProcessingFinishedEvent(final JobProcessingFinishedEvent jo
                         investigationResult.supplyChainImpacted())) {
                     bpnInvestigationJobCache.store(completedJobId, investigationJobUpdate.complete());
                     recursiveNotificationHandler.handleNotification(investigationJob.getJobSnapshot().getJob().getId(),
-                            investigationResult.supplyChainImpacted(), job.getJobParameter().getBpn());
+                            investigationResult.supplyChainImpacted(), job.getJobParameter().getBpn(),
+                            0);
                 } else {
                     triggerInvestigationOnNextLevel(investigationResult.completedJob(), investigationJobUpdate, job.getJobParameter().getBpn());
                     bpnInvestigationJobCache.store(completedJobId, investigationJobUpdate);
@@ -172,12 +173,12 @@ private void triggerInvestigationOnNextLevel(final Jobs completedJob,
                     + "Updating SupplyChainImpacted to {}", SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN);
             investigationJobUpdate.update(completedJob, SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN, jobBpn);
             recursiveNotificationHandler.handleNotification(investigationJobUpdate.getJobSnapshot().getJob().getId(),
-                    SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN, jobBpn);
+                    SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN, jobBpn, 0);
         } else if (resolvedBPNs.isEmpty()) {
             log.info("No BPNs could not be found. Updating SupplyChainImpacted to {}", SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN);
             investigationJobUpdate.update(completedJob, SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN, jobBpn);
             recursiveNotificationHandler.handleNotification(investigationJobUpdate.getJobSnapshot().getJob().getId(),
-                    SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN, jobBpn);
+                    SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN, jobBpn, 0);
         } else {
             log.debug("Sending notification for BPNs '{}'", bpns);
             sendNotifications(completedJob, investigationJobUpdate, bpns);
diff --git a/irs-api/src/test/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssRecursiveNotificationHandlerTest.java b/irs-api/src/test/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssRecursiveNotificationHandlerTest.java
index 81bca838c8..7464ac4187 100644
--- a/irs-api/src/test/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssRecursiveNotificationHandlerTest.java
+++ b/irs-api/src/test/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/EssRecursiveNotificationHandlerTest.java
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ class EssRecursiveNotificationHandlerTest {
     @Test
     void shouldDoNothingWhenThereIsNoInvestigationJob() {
         // when
-        cut.handleNotification(UUID.randomUUID(), SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN, "bpn");
+        cut.handleNotification(UUID.randomUUID(), SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN, "bpn",
+                0);
 
         // then
         verifyNoInteractions(edcNotificationSender);
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ void shouldReplyWhenJobIsPresentAndSupplyChainIsImpacted() {
         relatedInvestigationJobsCache.store("notification-id", createRelatedJobsWith(List.of(jobId)));
 
         // when
-        cut.handleNotification(jobId, SupplyChainImpacted.YES, "bpn");
+        cut.handleNotification(jobId, SupplyChainImpacted.YES, "bpn", 0);
 
         // then
         verify(edcNotificationSender).sendEdcNotification(any(), eq(SupplyChainImpacted.YES), eq(hops), eq("bpn"));
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ void shouldReplyOnlyWhenAllJobsAreCompleted() {
         when(pastBpnInvestigationJob.getSupplyChainImpacted()).thenReturn(Optional.of(SupplyChainImpacted.NO));
 
         // when
-        cut.handleNotification(jobId, SupplyChainImpacted.NO, bpn);
+        cut.handleNotification(jobId, SupplyChainImpacted.NO, bpn, 0);
 
         // then
         verify(edcNotificationSender, times(1)).sendEdcNotification(any(), eq(SupplyChainImpacted.NO), eq(hops), eq(bpn));
diff --git a/irs-api/src/test/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/InvestigationJobProcessingEventListenerTest.java b/irs-api/src/test/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/InvestigationJobProcessingEventListenerTest.java
index 39e3f39585..09de0a0d23 100644
--- a/irs-api/src/test/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/InvestigationJobProcessingEventListenerTest.java
+++ b/irs-api/src/test/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/ess/service/InvestigationJobProcessingEventListenerTest.java
@@ -149,7 +149,8 @@ void shouldStopProcessingIfNoRelationshipContainsBPN() throws EdcClientException
         jobProcessingEventListener.handleJobProcessingFinishedEvent(jobProcessingFinishedEvent);
 
         // then
-        verify(this.recursiveNotificationHandler, times(1)).handleNotification(any(), eq(SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN), eq("bpn"));
+        verify(this.recursiveNotificationHandler, times(1)).handleNotification(any(), eq(SupplyChainImpacted.UNKNOWN), eq("bpn"),
+                eq(0));
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -226,7 +227,8 @@ void shouldSendCallbackIfNoMoreRelationshipsAreFound() throws EdcClientException
 
         // then
         verify(this.edcSubmodelFacade, times(0)).sendNotification(anyString(), anyString(), any(EdcNotification.class));
-        verify(this.recursiveNotificationHandler, times(1)).handleNotification(any(), eq(SupplyChainImpacted.NO), eq("bpn"));
+        verify(this.recursiveNotificationHandler, times(1)).handleNotification(any(), eq(SupplyChainImpacted.NO), eq("bpn"),
+                eq(0));
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/irs-edc-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/edc/client/model/notification/ResponseNotificationContent.java b/irs-edc-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/edc/client/model/notification/ResponseNotificationContent.java
index 68bc50a09a..08438d293f 100644
--- a/irs-edc-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/edc/client/model/notification/ResponseNotificationContent.java
+++ b/irs-edc-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tractusx/irs/edc/client/model/notification/ResponseNotificationContent.java
@@ -44,11 +44,9 @@ public class ResponseNotificationContent implements NotificationContent {
     /**
      * Incrementing hops value
      *
-     * @return updated object
      */
-    public ResponseNotificationContent incrementHops() {
+    public void incrementHops() {
         this.hops += 1;
-        return this;
     }
 
     /**