diff --git a/app/switch/resources/scripts/app/voicemail/resources/functions/remove_deleted_messages.lua b/app/switch/resources/scripts/app/voicemail/resources/functions/remove_deleted_messages.lua
index 03f548642d..931c696184 100644
--- a/app/switch/resources/scripts/app/voicemail/resources/functions/remove_deleted_messages.lua
+++ b/app/switch/resources/scripts/app/voicemail/resources/functions/remove_deleted_messages.lua
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@
 
         --get messages
             local sql = [[SELECT * FROM v_voicemail_messages 
-                WHERE message_status = 'deleted' 
-                AND (update_date + interval ':retention_hours hours') < now()
-                AND voicemail_uuid = :voicemail_uuid
+                WHERE message_status = 'deleted' ]] 
+            sql = sql .. "AND (update_date + interval '" .. deletion_queue_retention_hours .. " hours') < now() "
+            sql = sql .. [[AND voicemail_uuid = :voicemail_uuid
                 AND domain_uuid = :domain_uuid]];
-            local params = {retention_hours = deletion_queue_retention_hours, voicemail_uuid = db_voicemail_uuid, domain_uuid = domain_uuid}
+            local params = {voicemail_uuid = db_voicemail_uuid, domain_uuid = domain_uuid}
             messages_to_delete = {};
             dbh:query(sql, params, function(row)
                 table.insert(messages_to_delete, row);