diff --git a/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/Blackboard.java b/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/Blackboard.java
index 38c23733e4b0e75960348a06d6b92587c38a5556..b1ea67405a28197176e79583440f221d56b57994 100755
--- a/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/Blackboard.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/Blackboard.java
@@ -1766,53 +1766,49 @@ private long getArtifactsCountHelper(int artifactTypeID, String whereClause) thr
 		}
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Determine if an artifact of a given type exists for given content with a
-	 * specific list of attributes.
+	/**
+	 * Determines whether or not an artifact of a given type with a given set of
+	 * attributes already exists for a given content.
 	 *
-	 * @param content The content whose artifacts need to be looked at. @param
-	 * artifactType The type of artifact to look for. @param attributesList The
-	 * list of attributes to look for.
+	 * @param content      The content.
+	 * @param artifactType The artifact type.
+	 * @param attributes   The attributes.
 	 *
-	 * @return True if the specific artifact exists; otherwise false.
+	 * @return True or false
 	 *
-	 * @throws TskCoreException If there is a problem getting artifacts or
-	 * attributes.
+	 * @throws TskCoreException The exception is thrown if there is an issue
+	 *                          querying the case database.
 	 */
-	public boolean artifactExists(Content content, BlackboardArtifact.ARTIFACT_TYPE artifactType,
-			Collection<BlackboardAttribute> attributesList) throws TskCoreException {
-
-		ArrayList<BlackboardArtifact> artifactsList;
-
-		/*
-		 * Get the content's artifacts.
-		 */
-		artifactsList = content.getArtifacts(artifactType);
-		if (artifactsList.isEmpty()) {
-			return false;
-		}
-
-		/*
-		 * Get each artifact's attributes and analyze them for matches.
-		 */
-		for (BlackboardArtifact artifact : artifactsList) {
-			if (attributesMatch(artifact.getAttributes(), attributesList)) {
-				/*
-				 * The exact artifact exists, so we don't need to look any
-				 * further.
-				 */
+	public boolean artifactExists(Content content, BlackboardArtifact.Type artifactType, Collection<BlackboardAttribute> attributes) throws TskCoreException {
+		List<BlackboardArtifact> existingArtifacts = content.getArtifacts(artifactType.getTypeID());
+		for (BlackboardArtifact artifact : existingArtifacts) {
+			if (attributesMatch(artifact.getAttributes(), attributes)) {
 				return true;
 			}
 		}
-
-		/*
-		 * None of the artifacts have the exact set of attribute type/value
-		 * combinations. The provided content does not have the artifact being
-		 * sought.
-		 */
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Determines whether or not an artifact of a given type with a given set of
+	 * attributes already exists for a given content.
+	 *
+	 * @param content      The content.
+	 * @param artifactType The artifact type.
+	 * @param attributes   The attributes.
+	 *
+	 * @return True or false
+	 *
+	 * @throws TskCoreException The exception is thrown if there is an issue
+	 *                          querying the case database.
+	 * @deprecated Use artifactExists(Content content, BlackboardArtifact.Type
+	 * artifactType, Collection\<BlackboardAttribute\> attributes) instead.
+	 */
+	@Deprecated
+	public boolean artifactExists(Content content, BlackboardArtifact.ARTIFACT_TYPE artifactType, Collection<BlackboardAttribute> attributes) throws TskCoreException {		
+		return artifactExists(content, getArtifactType(artifactType.getTypeID()), attributes);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Determine if the expected attributes can all be found in the supplied
 	 * file attributes list.
diff --git a/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/blackboardutils/CommunicationArtifactsHelper.java b/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/blackboardutils/CommunicationArtifactsHelper.java
index 371cef2821b6a408666faaa1a08619a6d7c4847d..362fdb3235135600cf80936d3cdc89b79d9c0a09 100644
--- a/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/blackboardutils/CommunicationArtifactsHelper.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/org/sleuthkit/datamodel/blackboardutils/CommunicationArtifactsHelper.java
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ public void addAttachments(BlackboardArtifact message, MessageAttachments attach
 				assocObjectArtifacts.add(artifact);
 			}
 		}
-		
+
 		try {
 			Optional<Long> ingestJobId = getIngestJobId();
 			getSleuthkitCase().getBlackboard().postArtifacts(assocObjectArtifacts, getModuleName(), ingestJobId.orElse(null));