diff --git a/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession.cpp b/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession.cpp
index eedb291ab..1ab432dfc 100644
--- a/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession.cpp
+++ b/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession.cpp
@@ -318,10 +318,19 @@ namespace PedestrianPlugin
         std::cout << beast::make_printable(buffer_.data()) << std::endl;
     }
 
-    std::queue<std::string>& FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession::getPSMQueue()
+    std::queue<std::string> FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession::getPSMQueue()
     {
         std::lock_guard<mutex> lock(_psmLock);
-        return psmQueue;
+
+        //pass copy of the queue to Pedestrian Plugin
+        std::queue<std::string> queueToPass = psmQueue;
+
+        //empty the queue internally
+        std::queue<std::string> empty;
+        std::swap(psmQueue, empty);
+        
+        return queueToPass;
+
     }
 
     vector<int> FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession::timeStringParser(string dateTimeStr) const
@@ -368,7 +377,6 @@ namespace PedestrianPlugin
         parsedArr.push_back(std::stoi(milliseconds));      
 
         return parsedArr;
-    }        
-
+    }       
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/PedestrianPlugin.cpp b/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/PedestrianPlugin.cpp
index 26efbf5a1..eb257c29b 100644
--- a/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/PedestrianPlugin.cpp
+++ b/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/PedestrianPlugin.cpp
@@ -134,13 +134,16 @@ int PedestrianPlugin::checkXML()
 		else
 		{	
 			//retrieve the PSM queue and send each one to be broadcast, then pop		
-			std::queue<string> &currentPSMQueue = flirSession->getPSMQueue();
-
-			for (int i = 0; i < currentPSMQueue.size(); i++)
-			{
-				BroadcastPsm(const_cast<char*>(currentPSMQueue.front().c_str()));
-				currentPSMQueue.pop();
-			} 
+			std::queue<string> currentPSMQueue = flirSession->getPSMQueue();
+
+			if (currentPSMQueue.size() > 0)
+			{				
+				for (int i = 0; i < currentPSMQueue.size(); i++)
+				{
+					BroadcastPsm(const_cast<char*>(currentPSMQueue.front().c_str()));
+					currentPSMQueue.pop();
+				}
+			}			 
 		}
 		
 	}	
diff --git a/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/include/FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession.hpp b/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/include/FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession.hpp
index 63c795a2e..41448e3af 100644
--- a/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/include/FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession.hpp
+++ b/src/v2i-hub/PedestrianPlugin/src/include/FLIRWebSockAsyncClnSession.hpp
@@ -132,11 +132,12 @@ namespace PedestrianPlugin
     on_close(beast::error_code ec);
 
     /**
-     * @brief Get method for queue containing psm for all tracked pedestrians
+     * @brief Get method for queue containing psm for all tracked pedestrians. Copies the queue into
+     * a temporary queue and returns temporary queue. Clears the original queue.
      * 
      * @return std::queue the psm queue
      */
-    std::queue<std::string> &getPSMQueue();
+    std::queue<std::string> getPSMQueue();
 
     /**
      * @brief Parses the datetime string that the camera returns into a vector containing each component
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ namespace PedestrianPlugin
      * @return: vector with all components 
      */
     std::vector<int> timeStringParser(std::string dateTimeStr) const;        
-    };
+    };  
+
 };