diff --git a/api/src/utils/batch/validation/spatial-validation.ts b/api/src/utils/batch/validation/spatial-validation.ts
index 07304d82e..f6339aa02 100644
--- a/api/src/utils/batch/validation/spatial-validation.ts
+++ b/api/src/utils/batch/validation/spatial-validation.ts
@@ -74,13 +74,17 @@ export const getRecordFromShort = async (shortId: string): Promise<Record<string
       `,
       values: [shortId]
     });
-    delete res.rows[0]['activity_payload'];
-    return res.rows[0];
+    if (res.rowCount > 0) {
+      delete res.rows[0]['activity_payload'];
+      return res.rows[0];
+    }
   } catch (e) {
     defaultLog.error({
       message: '[getRecordFromShort]',
       error: e
     });
+  } finally {
+    connection.release();
   }
 };
 /**
@@ -105,7 +109,6 @@ export const getLongIDFromShort = async (shortId: string): Promise<string> => {
       `,
       values: [shortId]
     });
-
     return res.rows[0]['activity_id'];
   } catch (e) {
     defaultLog.error({
@@ -113,6 +116,8 @@ export const getLongIDFromShort = async (shortId: string): Promise<string> => {
       error: e
     });
     throw new Error('Error validating geometry in the database' + e.message);
+  } finally {
+    connection.release();
   }
 };
 
@@ -145,6 +150,8 @@ export const getRecordTypeFromShort = async (shortId: string): Promise<string> =
       error: e
     });
     throw new Error('Error validating geometry in the database' + e.message);
+  } finally {
+    connection.release();
   }
 };
 
@@ -161,11 +168,12 @@ export const getGeometryAsGeoJSONFromShort = async (shortId: string): Promise<st
                where short_id = $1`,
       values: [shortId]
     });
-
     return res.rows[0]['geog'];
   } catch (e) {
     console.log('error in getGeometryAsGeoJSONFromShort', e);
     throw new Error('Error validating geometry in the database' + e.message);
+  } finally {
+    connection.release();
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/api/src/utils/batch/validation/validation.ts b/api/src/utils/batch/validation/validation.ts
index dd4fe701a..c82cb872d 100644
--- a/api/src/utils/batch/validation/validation.ts
+++ b/api/src/utils/batch/validation/validation.ts
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ const DATE_TIME_FORMAT = 'YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm';
 
 const invalidShortID: BatchCellValidationMessage = {
   severity: 'error',
-  messageTitle: 'ShortID is not the correct format',
-  messageDetail: 'ShortID is not the correct format []'
+  messageTitle: 'ShortID is invalid',
+  messageDetail: 'ShortID is invalid'
 };
 
 const invalidRecordType: BatchCellValidationMessage = {
@@ -214,14 +214,22 @@ const _handleActivity_Monitoring_ChemicalTerrestrialAquaticPlant = async (
   row: Record<string, any>
 ) => {
   try {
+    const isValidShortID = validateShortID(shortId, ActivityLetter.Activity_Treatment_ChemicalPlantAquatic);
+    if (!isValidShortID) {
+      result.validationMessages.push(invalidShortID);
+      return;
+    }
     const expectedRecordTypes = [
       'Activity_Treatment_ChemicalPlantAquatic',
       'Activity_Treatment_ChemicalPlantTerrestrial'
     ];
     const batchUploadInvasivePlantRow = 'Monitoring - Terrestrial Invasive Plant';
     const batchUploadTerrestrialPlantRow = 'Monitoring - Aquatic Invasive Plant';
-    const isValidShortID = validateShortID(shortId, ActivityLetter.Activity_Treatment_ChemicalPlantAquatic);
     const linkedRecord = await getRecordFromShort(shortId);
+    if (!linkedRecord) {
+      result.validationMessages.push(invalidLongID(shortId));
+      return;
+    }
     const isItTheRightRecordType = expectedRecordTypes.includes(linkedRecord['activity_subtype']);
     const doTheSpeciesMatch =
       linkedRecord['species_treated']?.includes(row.data[batchUploadInvasivePlantRow]) ||
@@ -240,15 +248,9 @@ const _handleActivity_Monitoring_ChemicalTerrestrialAquaticPlant = async (
     if (!isItTheRightRecordType) {
       result.validationMessages.push(invalidRecordType);
     }
-    if (!isValidShortID) {
-      result.validationMessages.push(invalidShortID);
-    }
     if (!linkedGeoJSON) {
       result.validationMessages.push(invalidLinkedGeoJSON);
     }
-    if (!linkedRecord) {
-      result.validationMessages.push(invalidLongID(shortId));
-    }
     if (!isValidGeoJSON) {
       result.validationMessages.push(invalidWKT);
     }
@@ -293,9 +295,12 @@ async function _validateCell(
 
   switch (templateColumn?.dataType) {
     case 'linked_id':
+      // linked_id is optional, skip this column if data not present
+      if (!data) {
+        break;
+      }
       const thisRecordType = template.subtype;
       switch (thisRecordType) {
-        // chem monitoring
         case 'Activity_Monitoring_ChemicalTerrestrialAquaticPlant':
           await _handleActivity_Monitoring_ChemicalTerrestrialAquaticPlant(data, result, row);
           break;