diff --git a/services/connectors/slack.go b/services/connectors/slack.go
index ab6cb2d..2e4e1ea 100644
--- a/services/connectors/slack.go
+++ b/services/connectors/slack.go
@@ -196,28 +196,28 @@ func (t *Slack) handleChannelMessage(
 
 	currentConv := t.conversationTracker.GetConversation(t.channelID)
 
-	// Lock the conversation mutex to update the conversation history
-	t.processing.Lock()
-
-	// If we are already processing something, stop the current action
-	if t.processingMessage {
-		a.StopAction()
-	} else {
-		t.processingMessage = true
-	}
-	t.processing.Unlock()
-
-	// Defer to reset the processing flag
-	defer func() {
-		t.processing.Lock()
-		t.processingMessage = false
-		t.processing.Unlock()
-	}()
-
 	message := replaceUserIDsWithNamesInMessage(api, cleanUpUsernameFromMessage(ev.Text, b))
 
 	go func() {
 
+		// Lock the conversation mutex to update the conversation history
+		t.processing.Lock()
+
+		// If we are already processing something, stop the current action
+		if t.processingMessage {
+			a.StopAction()
+		} else {
+			t.processingMessage = true
+		}
+		t.processing.Unlock()
+
+		// Defer to reset the processing flag
+		defer func() {
+			t.processing.Lock()
+			t.processingMessage = false
+			t.processing.Unlock()
+		}()
+
 		imageBytes := new(bytes.Buffer)
 		mimeType := "image/jpeg"