diff --git a/src/config/api-server/utils.py b/src/config/api-server/utils.py
index 84f204e0dc2..2e7d146f818 100644
--- a/src/config/api-server/utils.py
+++ b/src/config/api-server/utils.py
@@ -125,11 +125,11 @@ def parse_args(args_str):
     parser.add_argument(
         "--ifmap_server_port", help="Port of ifmap server")
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--ifmap_queue_size", help="Size of the queue that holds pending "
-                                   "messages to be sent to ifmap server")
+        "--ifmap_queue_size", type=int, help="Size of the queue that holds "
+        "pending messages to be sent to ifmap server")
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--ifmap_max_message_size", help="Maximum size of message sent to "
-                                         "ifmap server")
+        "--ifmap_max_message_size", type=int, help="Maximum size of message "
+        "sent to ifmap server")
 
     # TODO should be from certificate
     parser.add_argument(
diff --git a/src/config/api-server/vnc_cfg_ifmap.py b/src/config/api-server/vnc_cfg_ifmap.py
index cc57badb490..eba831e9ed7 100644
--- a/src/config/api-server/vnc_cfg_ifmap.py
+++ b/src/config/api-server/vnc_cfg_ifmap.py
@@ -220,25 +220,26 @@ def _ifmap_dequeue_task(self):
                 self.config_log(tb, level=SandeshLevel.SYS_ERROR)
 
     def _publish_to_ifmap_dequeue(self):
-        while self._queue.peek():
+        while True:
+            (oper, oper_body, do_trace) = self._queue.get()
             publish_discovery = False
             requests = []
             requests_len = 0
             traces = []
             while True:
+                if oper == 'publish_discovery':
+                    publish_discovery = True
+                    break
+                if do_trace:
+                    trace = self._generate_ifmap_trace(oper, oper_body)
+                    traces.append(trace)
+                requests.append(oper_body)
+                requests_len += len(oper_body)
+                if (requests_len >
+                    self._get_api_server()._args.ifmap_max_message_size):
+                    break
                 try:
                     (oper, oper_body, do_trace) = self._queue.get_nowait()
-                    if oper == 'publish_discovery':
-                        publish_discovery = True
-                        break
-                    if do_trace:
-                        trace = self._generate_ifmap_trace(oper, oper_body)
-                        traces.append(trace)
-                    requests.append(oper_body)
-                    requests_len += len(oper_body)
-                    if (requests_len >
-                        self._get_api_server()._args.ifmap_max_message_size):
-                        break
                 except Empty:
                     break
             ok = True