diff --git a/app/celery/scheduled_tasks.py b/app/celery/scheduled_tasks.py
index adea57ed3..30d778d41 100644
--- a/app/celery/scheduled_tasks.py
+++ b/app/celery/scheduled_tasks.py
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ def expire_or_delete_invitations():
         raise
 
 
+# TODO THIS IS ACTUALLY DEPRECATED, WE ARE REMOVING PHONE NUMBERS FROM THE DB
+# SO THERE WILL BE NO REASON TO KEEP TRACK OF THIS COUNT
 @notify_celery.task(name="check-db-notification-fails")
 def check_db_notification_fails():
     """
@@ -113,6 +115,8 @@ def check_db_notification_fails():
     last_value = redis_store.get("LAST_DB_NOTIFICATION_COUNT")
     if not last_value:
         last_value = 0
+    else:
+        last_value = int(last_value.decode("utf-8"))
 
     failed_count = dao_get_failed_notification_count()
     if failed_count > last_value:
diff --git a/tests/app/celery/test_scheduled_tasks.py b/tests/app/celery/test_scheduled_tasks.py
index 8ec7d3a13..e8f505b6e 100644
--- a/tests/app/celery/test_scheduled_tasks.py
+++ b/tests/app/celery/test_scheduled_tasks.py
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ def test_should_check_db_notification_fails_task_less_than_25_percent(
     mock_dao = mocker.patch(
         "app.celery.scheduled_tasks.dao_get_failed_notification_count"
     )
+    mock_redis = mocker.patch("app.celery.scheduled_tasks.redis_store")
+    mock_redis.get.return_value = 0
     mock_provider = mocker.patch("app.celery.scheduled_tasks.provider_to_use")
     mock_dao.return_value = 10
     check_db_notification_fails()
@@ -88,13 +90,13 @@ def test_should_check_db_notification_fails_task_over_50_percent(
         "app.celery.scheduled_tasks.dao_get_failed_notification_count"
     )
     mock_provider = mocker.patch("app.celery.scheduled_tasks.provider_to_use")
-    mock_redis = mocker.patch("app.celery.scheduled_tasks.redis_store.get")
+    mock_redis = mocker.patch("app.celery.scheduled_tasks.redis_store")
     mock_dao.return_value = 5001
-    mock_redis.return_value = 0
+    mock_redis.get.return_value = "0".encode("utf-8")
     check_db_notification_fails()
     assert mock_provider.call_count == 1
 
-    mock_redis.return_value = 5001
+    mock_redis.get.return_value = "5001".encode("utf-8")
     check_db_notification_fails()
     assert mock_provider.call_count == 1