diff --git a/app/interactions/actions/domain_update.rb b/app/interactions/actions/domain_update.rb
index bc43476e3..c610e0117 100644
--- a/app/interactions/actions/domain_update.rb
+++ b/app/interactions/actions/domain_update.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ module Actions
       domain.add_epp_error('2306', nil, nil, %i[registrant cannot_be_missing]) unless params[:registrant][:code]
 
       contact_code = params[:registrant][:code]
-      contact = Contact.find_by_code(contact_code)
+      contact = Contact.find_by(code: contact_code)
       validate_email(contact.email)
 
       regt = Registrant.find_by(code: params[:registrant][:code])
@@ -124,6 +124,15 @@ module Actions
       @dnskeys << { id: dnkey.id, _destroy: 1 } if dnkey
     end
 
+    def start_validate_email(props)
+      contact_code = props[0][:contact_code_cache]
+      contact = Contact.find_by(code: contact_code)
+
+      return if contact.nil?
+
+      validate_email(contact.email)
+    end
+
     def validate_email(email)
       return true if Rails.env.test?
 
@@ -142,11 +151,7 @@ module Actions
     def assign_admin_contact_changes
       props = gather_domain_contacts(params[:contacts].select { |c| c[:type] == 'admin' })
 
-      if props.present?
-        contact_code = props[0][:contact_code_cache]
-        contact = Contact.find_by_code(contact_code)
-        validate_email(contact.email)
-      end
+      start_validate_email(props) if props.present?
 
       if props.any? && domain.admin_change_prohibited?
         domain.add_epp_error('2304', 'admin', DomainStatus::SERVER_ADMIN_CHANGE_PROHIBITED,
@@ -161,11 +166,7 @@ module Actions
       props = gather_domain_contacts(params[:contacts].select { |c| c[:type] == 'tech' },
                                      admin: false)
 
-      if props.present?
-        contact_code = props[0][:contact_code_cache]
-        contact = Contact.find_by_code(contact_code)
-        validate_email(contact.email)
-      end
+      start_validate_email(props) if props.present?
 
       if props.any? && domain.tech_change_prohibited?
         domain.add_epp_error('2304', 'tech', DomainStatus::SERVER_TECH_CHANGE_PROHIBITED,
diff --git a/test/integration/repp/v1/domains/contacts_test.rb b/test/integration/repp/v1/domains/contacts_test.rb
index b9b26a745..17f8f1f6b 100644
--- a/test/integration/repp/v1/domains/contacts_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/repp/v1/domains/contacts_test.rb
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ class ReppV1DomainsContactsTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
   end
 
   def test_can_remove_admin_contacts
+    Spy.on_instance_method(Actions::DomainUpdate, :validate_email).and_return(true)
+
     contact = contacts(:john)
     payload = { contacts: [ { code: contact.code, type: 'admin' } ] }
     post "/repp/v1/domains/#{@domain.name}/contacts", headers: @auth_headers, params: payload
@@ -68,6 +70,8 @@ class ReppV1DomainsContactsTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
   end
 
   def test_can_remove_tech_contacts
+    Spy.on_instance_method(Actions::DomainUpdate, :validate_email).and_return(true)
+    
     contact = contacts(:john)
     payload = { contacts: [ { code: contact.code, type: 'tech' } ] }
     post "/repp/v1/domains/#{@domain.name}/contacts", headers: @auth_headers, params: payload
@@ -77,6 +81,9 @@ class ReppV1DomainsContactsTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
     delete "/repp/v1/domains/#{@domain.name}/contacts", headers: @auth_headers, params: payload
     json = JSON.parse(response.body, symbolize_names: true)
 
+    @domain.reload
+    contact.reload
+
     assert_response :ok
     assert_equal 1000, json[:code]
 
@@ -84,6 +91,8 @@ class ReppV1DomainsContactsTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
   end
 
   def test_can_not_remove_one_and_only_contact
+    Spy.on_instance_method(Actions::DomainUpdate, :validate_email).and_return(true)
+
     contact = @domain.admin_contacts.last
 
     payload = { contacts: [ { code: contact.code, type: 'admin' } ] }
@@ -96,5 +105,4 @@ class ReppV1DomainsContactsTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
 
     assert @domain.admin_contacts.any?
   end
-
 end