diff --git a/core/services/functions/connector_handler.go b/core/services/functions/connector_handler.go
index 8a8710e6ea6..c5dbff6f10f 100644
--- a/core/services/functions/connector_handler.go
+++ b/core/services/functions/connector_handler.go
@@ -76,24 +76,21 @@ func (h *functionsConnectorHandler) HandleGatewayMessage(ctx context.Context, ga
 		h.lggr.Errorw("request rate-limited", "id", gatewayId, "address", fromAddr)
 		return
 	}
-	if balance, err := h.subscriptions.GetMaxUserBalance(fromAddr); err != nil || balance.Cmp(h.minimumBalance.ToInt()) < 0 {
-		h.lggr.Errorw("user subscription has insufficient balance", "id", gatewayId, "address", fromAddr, "balance", balance, "minBalance", h.minimumBalance)
-		response := functions.SecretsResponseBase{
-			Success:      false,
-			ErrorMessage: "user subscription has insufficient balance",
-		}
-		if err := h.sendResponse(ctx, gatewayId, body, response); err != nil {
-			h.lggr.Errorw("failed to send response to gateway", "id", gatewayId, "error", err)
-		}
-		return
-	}
-
 	h.lggr.Debugw("handling gateway request", "id", gatewayId, "method", body.Method)
 
 	switch body.Method {
 	case functions.MethodSecretsList:
 		h.handleSecretsList(ctx, gatewayId, body, fromAddr)
 	case functions.MethodSecretsSet:
+		if balance, err := h.subscriptions.GetMaxUserBalance(fromAddr); err != nil || balance.Cmp(h.minimumBalance.ToInt()) < 0 {
+			h.lggr.Errorw("user subscription has insufficient balance", "id", gatewayId, "address", fromAddr, "balance", balance, "minBalance", h.minimumBalance)
+			response := functions.SecretsResponseBase{
+				Success:      false,
+				ErrorMessage: "user subscription has insufficient balance",
+			}
+			h.sendResponseAndLog(ctx, gatewayId, body, response)
+			return
+		}
 		h.handleSecretsSet(ctx, gatewayId, body, fromAddr)
 	default:
 		h.lggr.Errorw("unsupported method", "id", gatewayId, "method", body.Method)
@@ -133,10 +130,7 @@ func (h *functionsConnectorHandler) handleSecretsList(ctx context.Context, gatew
 	} else {
 		response.ErrorMessage = fmt.Sprintf("Failed to list secrets: %v", err)
 	}
-
-	if err := h.sendResponse(ctx, gatewayId, body, response); err != nil {
-		h.lggr.Errorw("failed to send response to gateway", "id", gatewayId, "error", err)
-	}
+	h.sendResponseAndLog(ctx, gatewayId, body, response)
 }
 
 func (h *functionsConnectorHandler) handleSecretsSet(ctx context.Context, gatewayId string, body *api.MessageBody, fromAddr ethCommon.Address) {
@@ -163,9 +157,15 @@ func (h *functionsConnectorHandler) handleSecretsSet(ctx context.Context, gatewa
 	} else {
 		response.ErrorMessage = fmt.Sprintf("Bad request to set secret: %v", err)
 	}
+	h.sendResponseAndLog(ctx, gatewayId, body, response)
+}
 
-	if err := h.sendResponse(ctx, gatewayId, body, response); err != nil {
+func (h *functionsConnectorHandler) sendResponseAndLog(ctx context.Context, gatewayId string, requestBody *api.MessageBody, payload any) {
+	err := h.sendResponse(ctx, gatewayId, requestBody, payload)
+	if err != nil {
 		h.lggr.Errorw("failed to send response to gateway", "id", gatewayId, "error", err)
+	} else {
+		h.lggr.Debugw("sent to gateway", "id", gatewayId, "messageId", requestBody.MessageId, "donId", requestBody.DonId, "method", requestBody.Method)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -187,10 +187,5 @@ func (h *functionsConnectorHandler) sendResponse(ctx context.Context, gatewayId
 	if err = msg.Sign(h.signerKey); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
-	err = h.connector.SendToGateway(ctx, gatewayId, msg)
-	if err == nil {
-		h.lggr.Debugw("sent to gateway", "id", gatewayId, "messageId", requestBody.MessageId, "donId", requestBody.DonId, "method", requestBody.Method)
-	}
-	return err
+	return h.connector.SendToGateway(ctx, gatewayId, msg)
 }
diff --git a/core/services/functions/connector_handler_test.go b/core/services/functions/connector_handler_test.go
index 7bf98d7501d..fa9f74712be 100644
--- a/core/services/functions/connector_handler_test.go
+++ b/core/services/functions/connector_handler_test.go
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ func TestFunctionsConnectorHandler(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			storage.On("List", ctx, addr).Return(snapshot, nil).Once()
 			allowlist.On("Allow", addr).Return(true).Once()
-			subscriptions.On("GetMaxUserBalance", mock.Anything).Return(big.NewInt(100), nil).Once()
 			connector.On("SendToGateway", ctx, "gw1", mock.Anything).Run(func(args mock.Arguments) {
 				msg, ok := args[2].(*api.Message)
 				require.True(t, ok)
@@ -91,7 +90,6 @@ func TestFunctionsConnectorHandler(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Run("orm error", func(t *testing.T) {
 				storage.On("List", ctx, addr).Return(nil, errors.New("boom")).Once()
 				allowlist.On("Allow", addr).Return(true).Once()
-				subscriptions.On("GetMaxUserBalance", mock.Anything).Return(big.NewInt(100), nil).Once()
 				connector.On("SendToGateway", ctx, "gw1", mock.Anything).Run(func(args mock.Arguments) {
 					msg, ok := args[2].(*api.Message)
 					require.True(t, ok)
@@ -218,7 +216,6 @@ func TestFunctionsConnectorHandler(t *testing.T) {
 			require.NoError(t, msg.Sign(privateKey))
 
 			allowlist.On("Allow", addr).Return(true).Once()
-			subscriptions.On("GetMaxUserBalance", mock.Anything).Return(big.NewInt(100), nil).Once()
 			handler.HandleGatewayMessage(testutils.Context(t), "gw1", &msg)
 		})
 	})
diff --git a/core/services/gateway/handlers/functions/handler.functions.go b/core/services/gateway/handlers/functions/handler.functions.go
index d0011145d40..bb6812c1f9b 100644
--- a/core/services/gateway/handlers/functions/handler.functions.go
+++ b/core/services/gateway/handlers/functions/handler.functions.go
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func (h *functionsHandler) HandleUserMessage(ctx context.Context, msg *api.Messa
 		promHandlerError.WithLabelValues(h.donConfig.DonId, ErrRateLimited.Error()).Inc()
 		return ErrRateLimited
 	}
-	if h.subscriptions != nil && h.minimumBalance != nil {
+	if msg.Body.Method == MethodSecretsSet && h.subscriptions != nil && h.minimumBalance != nil {
 		balance, err := h.subscriptions.GetMaxUserBalance(sender)
 		if err != nil {
 			h.lggr.Debugw("error getting max user balance", "sender", msg.Body.Sender, "err", err)
diff --git a/core/services/gateway/handlers/functions/handler.functions_test.go b/core/services/gateway/handlers/functions/handler.functions_test.go
index 1446bc84571..49fdae2bb24 100644
--- a/core/services/gateway/handlers/functions/handler.functions_test.go
+++ b/core/services/gateway/handlers/functions/handler.functions_test.go
@@ -148,11 +148,10 @@ func TestFunctionsHandler_HandleUserMessage_InvalidMethod(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	nodes, user := gc.NewTestNodes(t, 4), gc.NewTestNodes(t, 1)[0]
-	handler, _, allowlist, subscriptions := newFunctionsHandlerForATestDON(t, nodes, time.Hour*24)
+	handler, _, allowlist, _ := newFunctionsHandlerForATestDON(t, nodes, time.Hour*24)
 	userRequestMsg := newSignedMessage(t, "1234", "secrets_reveal_all_please", "don_id", user.PrivateKey)
 
 	allowlist.On("Allow", common.HexToAddress(user.Address)).Return(true, nil)
-	subscriptions.On("GetMaxUserBalance", common.HexToAddress(user.Address)).Return(big.NewInt(1000), nil)
 	err := handler.HandleUserMessage(testutils.Context(t), &userRequestMsg, make(chan handlers.UserCallbackPayload))
 	require.Error(t, err)
 }