diff --git a/processor.go b/processor.go
index c13a2df6..7e07e6f4 100644
--- a/processor.go
+++ b/processor.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package goka
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -684,13 +685,18 @@ func (g *Processor) process(msg *message, st storage.Storage, wg *sync.WaitGroup
 	// get stream subcription
 	codec := g.graph.codec(msg.Topic)
 	if codec == nil {
-		wg.Done()
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot handle topic %s", msg.Topic)
 	}
+
+	// drop nil messages
+	if msg.Data == nil {
+		log.Printf("dropping nil message for key %s from %s/%d", msg.Key, msg.Topic, msg.Partition)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// decode message
 	m, err := codec.Decode(msg.Data)
 	if err != nil {
-		wg.Done()
 		return fmt.Errorf("error decoding message for key %s from %s/%d: %v", msg.Key, msg.Topic, msg.Partition, err)
 	}
 
@@ -698,7 +704,6 @@ func (g *Processor) process(msg *message, st storage.Storage, wg *sync.WaitGroup
 	defer ctx.finish() // execute even in case of panic
 	cb := g.graph.callback(msg.Topic)
 	if cb == nil {
-		wg.Done()
 		return fmt.Errorf("error processing message for key %s from %s/%d: %v", msg.Key, msg.Topic, msg.Partition, err)
 	}
 	cb(ctx, m)
diff --git a/processor_test.go b/processor_test.go
index 15519320..d7767ab2 100644
--- a/processor_test.go
+++ b/processor_test.go
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ func TestProcessor_process(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// no emits
 	consumer.EXPECT().Commit("sometopic", int32(1), int64(123))
-	msg := &message{Topic: "sometopic", Partition: 1, Offset: 123}
+	msg := &message{Topic: "sometopic", Partition: 1, Offset: 123, Data: []byte("something")}
 	err := p.process(msg, st, &wg)
 	ensure.Nil(t, err)
 
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func TestProcessor_process(t *testing.T) {
 		producer.EXPECT().Emit("anothertopic", "key", []byte("message")).Return(promise),
 		consumer.EXPECT().Commit("sometopic", int32(1), int64(123)),
 	)
-	msg = &message{Topic: "sometopic", Partition: 1, Offset: 123}
+	msg = &message{Topic: "sometopic", Partition: 1, Offset: 123, Data: []byte("something")}
 	p.graph.callbacks["sometopic"] = func(ctx Context, msg interface{}) {
 		ctx.Emit("anothertopic", "key", "message")
 	}
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ func TestProcessor_process(t *testing.T) {
 		st.EXPECT().SetOffset(int64(322)),
 		consumer.EXPECT().Commit("sometopic", int32(1), int64(123)),
 	)
-	msg = &message{Topic: "sometopic", Key: "key", Partition: 1, Offset: 123}
+	msg = &message{Topic: "sometopic", Key: "key", Partition: 1, Offset: 123, Data: []byte("something")}
 	p.graph.callbacks["sometopic"] = func(ctx Context, msg interface{}) {
 		ctx.SetValue("message")
 	}
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ func TestProcessor_processFail(t *testing.T) {
 		consumer.EXPECT().Close().Do(func() { close(p.done) }),
 		producer.EXPECT().Close(),
 	)
-	msg := &message{Topic: "sometopic", Key: "key", Partition: 1, Offset: 123}
+	msg := &message{Topic: "sometopic", Key: "key", Partition: 1, Offset: 123, Data: []byte("something")}
 	p.graph.callbacks["sometopic"] = func(ctx Context, msg interface{}) {
 		ctx.SetValue("message")
 	}
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ func TestProcessor_processFail(t *testing.T) {
 		consumer.EXPECT().Close().Do(func() { close(p.done) }),
 		producer.EXPECT().Close(),
 	)
-	msg = &message{Topic: "sometopic", Key: "key", Partition: 1, Offset: 123}
+	msg = &message{Topic: "sometopic", Key: "key", Partition: 1, Offset: 123, Data: []byte("something")}
 	p.graph.callbacks["sometopic"] = func(ctx Context, msg interface{}) {
 		ctx.SetValue("message")
 	}
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ func TestProcessor_processFail(t *testing.T) {
 		consumer.EXPECT().Close().Do(func() { close(p.done) }),
 		producer.EXPECT().Close(),
 	)
-	msg = &message{Topic: "sometopic", Key: "key", Partition: 1, Offset: 123}
+	msg = &message{Topic: "sometopic", Key: "key", Partition: 1, Offset: 123, Data: []byte("something")}
 	p.graph.callbacks["sometopic"] = func(ctx Context, msg interface{}) {
 		ctx.SetValue("message")
 	}
@@ -727,6 +727,7 @@ func TestProcessor_Start(t *testing.T) {
 		Partition: 1,
 		Offset:    1,
 		Key:       "key",
+		Value:     value,
 	}
 	err = syncWith(t, ch, 1) // with partition 1
 	ensure.Nil(t, err)
@@ -899,6 +900,7 @@ func TestProcessor_StartWithTable(t *testing.T) {
 		Partition: 1,
 		Offset:    1,
 		Key:       "key",
+		Value:     value,
 	}
 	err = syncWith(t, ch, 1)
 	ensure.Nil(t, err)