diff --git a/fe/src/main/java/org/apache/impala/catalog/events/MetastoreEventsProcessor.java b/fe/src/main/java/org/apache/impala/catalog/events/MetastoreEventsProcessor.java
index 22c1237..ac50562 100644
--- a/fe/src/main/java/org/apache/impala/catalog/events/MetastoreEventsProcessor.java
+++ b/fe/src/main/java/org/apache/impala/catalog/events/MetastoreEventsProcessor.java
@@ -584,19 +584,23 @@
   /**
    * Process the given list of notification events. Useful for tests which provide a list
    * of events
-   *
-   * @return the last Notification event which was processed.
    */
   @VisibleForTesting
   protected void processEvents(List<NotificationEvent> events)
       throws MetastoreNotificationException {
     NotificationEvent lastProcessedEvent = null;
+    // update the events received metric before returning
+    metrics_.getMeter(EVENTS_RECEIVED_METRIC).mark(events.size());
+    if (events.isEmpty()) return;
     final Timer.Context context =
         metrics_.getTimer(EVENTS_PROCESS_DURATION_METRIC).time();
-    metrics_.getMeter(EVENTS_RECEIVED_METRIC).mark(events.size());
     try {
       List<MetastoreEvent> filteredEvents =
           metastoreEventFactory_.getFilteredEvents(events);
+      if (filteredEvents.isEmpty()) {
+        lastSyncedEventId_.set(events.get(events.size() - 1).getEventId());
+        return;
+      }
       for (MetastoreEvent event : filteredEvents) {
         // synchronizing each event processing reduces the scope of the lock so the a
         // potential reset() during event processing is not blocked for longer than
diff --git a/tests/custom_cluster/test_event_processing.py b/tests/custom_cluster/test_event_processing.py
index 0b7103b..7d67901 100644
--- a/tests/custom_cluster/test_event_processing.py
+++ b/tests/custom_cluster/test_event_processing.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
     event processor does not error out
     """
     try:
+      event_id_before = EventProcessorUtils.get_last_synced_event_id()
       self.run_stmt_in_hive("create database testBlackListedDb")
       self.run_stmt_in_hive("create table testBlackListedDb.testtbl (id int)")
       self.run_stmt_in_hive(
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@
       # wait until all the events generated above are processed
       EventProcessorUtils.wait_for_event_processing(self.hive_client)
       assert EventProcessorUtils.get_event_processor_status() == "ACTIVE"
+      assert EventProcessorUtils.get_last_synced_event_id() > event_id_before
     finally:
       self.run_stmt_in_hive("drop database testBlackListedDb cascade")
       self.run_stmt_in_hive("drop table functional_parquet.testBlackListedTbl")