diff --git a/app/v2/notifications/post_notifications.py b/app/v2/notifications/post_notifications.py
index d43ccfcf7..32bb949d5 100644
--- a/app/v2/notifications/post_notifications.py
+++ b/app/v2/notifications/post_notifications.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import functools
 import uuid
 from datetime import datetime
 
+from boto.exception import SQSError
 from flask import request, jsonify, current_app, abort
 from notifications_utils.recipients import try_validate_and_format_phone_number
 
@@ -187,6 +188,7 @@ def post_notification(notification_type):
 
 
 def process_sms_or_email_notification(*, form, notification_type, api_key, template, service, reply_to_text=None):
+    notification_id = None
     form_send_to = form['email_address'] if notification_type == EMAIL_TYPE else form['phone_number']
 
     send_to = validate_and_format_recipient(send_to=form_send_to,
@@ -209,19 +211,29 @@ def process_sms_or_email_notification(*, form, notification_type, api_key, templ
         # To take the pressure off the db for API requests put the notification for our high volume service onto a queue
         # the task will then save the notification, then call send_notification_to_queue.
         # We know that this team does not use the GET request, but relies on callbacks to get the status updates.
-        notification = save_email_to_queue(
-            form=form,
-            notification_type=notification_type,
-            api_key=api_key,
-            template=template,
-            service_id=service.id,
-            personalisation=personalisation,
-            document_download_count=document_download_count,
-            reply_to_text=reply_to_text
-        )
-        return notification
+        try:
+            notification_id = uuid.uuid4()
+            notification = save_email_to_queue(
+                form=form,
+                notification_id=str(notification_id),
+                notification_type=notification_type,
+                api_key=api_key,
+                template=template,
+                service_id=service.id,
+                personalisation=personalisation,
+                document_download_count=document_download_count,
+                reply_to_text=reply_to_text
+            )
+            return notification
+        except SQSError:
+            # if SQS cannot put the task on the queue, it's probably because the notification body was too long and it
+            # went over SQS's 256kb message limit. If so, we
+            current_app.logger.info(
+                f'Notification {notification_id} failed to save to high volume queue. Using normal flow instead'
+            )
 
     notification = persist_notification(
+        notification_id=notification_id,
         template_id=template.id,
         template_version=template.version,
         recipient=form_send_to,
@@ -255,6 +267,7 @@ def process_sms_or_email_notification(*, form, notification_type, api_key, templ
 
 def save_email_to_queue(
     *,
+    notification_id,
     form,
     notification_type,
     api_key,
@@ -265,7 +278,7 @@ def save_email_to_queue(
     reply_to_text=None
 ):
     data = {
-        "id": str(uuid.uuid4()),
+        "id": notification_id,
         "template_id": str(template.id),
         "template_version": template.version,
         "to": form['email_address'],
diff --git a/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_post_notifications.py b/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_post_notifications.py
index 960bc4906..159c5d9ef 100644
--- a/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_post_notifications.py
+++ b/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_post_notifications.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from unittest.mock import call
 
 import pytest
 from freezegun import freeze_time
+from boto.exception import SQSError
 
 from app.dao.service_sms_sender_dao import dao_update_service_sms_sender
 from app.models import (
@@ -981,6 +982,38 @@ def test_post_notifications_saves_email_to_queue(client, notify_db_session, mock
     assert len(Notification.query.all()) == 0
 
 
+def test_post_notifications_saves_email_normally_if_save_email_to_queue_fails(client, notify_db_session, mocker):
+    save_email_task = mocker.patch(
+        "app.celery.tasks.save_api_email.apply_async",
+        side_effect=SQSError({'some': 'json'}, 'some opname')
+    )
+    mock_send_task = mocker.patch('app.celery.provider_tasks.deliver_email.apply_async')
+
+    service = create_service(service_id='941b6f9a-50d7-4742-8d50-f365ca74bf27', service_name='high volume service')
+    template = create_template(service=service, content='((message))', template_type=EMAIL_TYPE)
+    data = {
+        "email_address": "joe.citizen@example.com",
+        "template_id": template.id,
+        "personalisation": {"message": "Dear citizen, have a nice day"}
+    }
+    response = client.post(
+        path='/v2/notifications/email',
+        data=json.dumps(data),
+        headers=[('Content-Type', 'application/json'), create_authorization_header(service_id=service.id)]
+    )
+
+    json_resp = response.get_json()
+
+    assert response.status_code == 201
+    assert json_resp['id']
+    assert json_resp['content']['body'] == "Dear citizen, have a nice day"
+    assert json_resp['template']['id'] == str(template.id)
+    # save email
+    save_email_task.assert_called_once_with([mock.ANY], queue='save-api-email-tasks')
+    mock_send_task.assert_called_once_with([json_resp['id']], queue='send-email-tasks')
+    assert Notification.query.count() == 1
+
+
 def test_post_notifications_doesnt_save_email_to_queue_for_test_emails(client, notify_db_session, mocker):
     save_email_task = mocker.patch("app.celery.tasks.save_api_email.apply_async")
     mock_send_task = mocker.patch('app.celery.provider_tasks.deliver_email.apply_async')