diff --git a/src/Paramore.Brighter.Outbox.DynamoDB/MessageItem.cs b/src/Paramore.Brighter.Outbox.DynamoDB/MessageItem.cs
index 5c1c6df7d3..88a5e2b6d8 100644
--- a/src/Paramore.Brighter.Outbox.DynamoDB/MessageItem.cs
+++ b/src/Paramore.Brighter.Outbox.DynamoDB/MessageItem.cs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class MessageItem
         /// </summary>
         [DynamoDBGlobalSecondaryIndexRangeKey(indexName: "Delivered")]
         [DynamoDBProperty]
-        public long DeliveryTime { get; set; }
+        public long? DeliveryTime { get; set; }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// A JSON object representing a dictionary of additional properties set on the message
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ public MessageItem(Message message, int shard = 0, long? expiresAt = null)
             CreatedAt = date.ToString("yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ss.fffZ");
             CreatedTime = date.Ticks;
             OutstandingCreatedTime = date.Ticks;
-            DeliveryTime = 0;
+            DeliveryTime = null;
             HeaderBag = JsonSerializer.Serialize(message.Header.Bag, JsonSerialisationOptions.Options);
             MessageId = message.Id.ToString();
             MessageType = message.Header.MessageType.ToString();