diff --git a/security/etpro-telemetry/README.md b/security/etpro-telemetry/README.md
index d9ec83b2e..36a1604f5 100644
--- a/security/etpro-telemetry/README.md
+++ b/security/etpro-telemetry/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # ETPRO telemetry edition
 
-Telemetry tools, depends on `rule-updater.config`, which contains the device registartion number provided by OPNsense.
+Telemetry tools, depends on `rule-updater.config`, which contains the device registration number provided by OPNsense.
 
 for example.
 ```
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ optional arguments:
   -s STATE, --state STATE
                         persistent state (and lock) filename
   -d DAYS, --days DAYS  Maximum number of days to look back on initial run
+  -D, --direct          do not sleep before send (disable traffic spread)
 ```
 
 to test using supplied configuration:
@@ -74,6 +75,8 @@ optional arguments:
   -i, --insecure        Insecure, skip certificate validation
   -c CONFIG, --config CONFIG
                         rule downloader configuration
+  -D, --direct          do not sleep before send (disable traffic spread)
+  -t, --test            test mode, output request/response to stdout
 ```
 
 
diff --git a/security/etpro-telemetry/src/opnsense/scripts/etpro_telemetry/send_telemetry.py b/security/etpro-telemetry/src/opnsense/scripts/etpro_telemetry/send_telemetry.py
index 8e6c71df5..7ee104393 100755
--- a/security/etpro-telemetry/src/opnsense/scripts/etpro_telemetry/send_telemetry.py
+++ b/security/etpro-telemetry/src/opnsense/scripts/etpro_telemetry/send_telemetry.py
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ if not telemetry_state.is_running():
                 # spread traffic to remote host, usual cron interval is 1 minute
                 if not args.direct:
                     time.sleep(random.randint(0, 60))
+                # the eventcollector loop sets exit_code when issues ocure, no data processed doesn't mean
+                # anything is wrong (it's just not of interest to Proofpoint).
+                exit_code = 0
                 for push_data in event_collector:
                     params = {
                         'timeout': 5,
@@ -106,7 +109,6 @@ if not telemetry_state.is_running():
                     else:
                         try:
                             ujson.loads(r.text)
-                            exit_code = 0
                         except ValueError:
                             syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_ERR, 'telemetry unexpected response %s' % r.text[:256])
                             exit_code = -1