diff --git a/wis2box-management/wis2box/handler.py b/wis2box-management/wis2box/handler.py
index a6adbc17..11f4bd77 100644
--- a/wis2box-management/wis2box/handler.py
+++ b/wis2box-management/wis2box/handler.py
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ def __init__(self, filepath: str, topic_hierarchy: str = None):
             th = self.filepath
             fuzzy = True
 
+        if '/metadata/' in th:
+            msg = 'Passing on handling metadata in workflow'
+            raise NotHandledError(msg)
+
         try:
             self.topic_hierarchy, self.plugins = validate_and_load(
                 th, self.filetype, fuzzy=fuzzy)
@@ -130,3 +134,7 @@ def publish(self) -> bool:
                 upsert_collection_item(index_name, geojson)
 
         return True
+
+
+class NotHandledError(Exception):
+    pass
diff --git a/wis2box-management/wis2box/pubsub/subscribe.py b/wis2box-management/wis2box/pubsub/subscribe.py
index ac220388..a0b51443 100644
--- a/wis2box-management/wis2box/pubsub/subscribe.py
+++ b/wis2box-management/wis2box/pubsub/subscribe.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 from wis2box.api import setup_collection
 from wis2box.env import (BROKER_HOST, BROKER_PORT, BROKER_USERNAME,
                          BROKER_PASSWORD, STORAGE_SOURCE, STORAGE_ARCHIVE)
-from wis2box.handler import Handler
+from wis2box.handler import Handler, NotHandledError
 from wis2box.plugin import load_plugin, PLUGINS
 from wis2box.pubsub.message import gcm
 
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ def handle(filepath):
             for plugin in handler.plugins:
                 for filepath in plugin.files():
                     LOGGER.info(f'Public filepath: {filepath}')
+    except NotHandledError as err:
+        msg = f'not handled error: {err}'
+        LOGGER.debug(msg)
     except ValueError as err:
         msg = f'handle() error: {err}'
         LOGGER.error(msg)