diff --git a/app/email_queue/resources/jobs/email_queue.php b/app/email_queue/resources/jobs/email_queue.php
index daf1e49333..5788bdb0af 100644
--- a/app/email_queue/resources/jobs/email_queue.php
+++ b/app/email_queue/resources/jobs/email_queue.php
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@
     }
 
 //remove the old pid file
-	if (file_exists($file)) {
+	if (file_exists($pid_file)) {
 		unlink($pid_file);
 	}