diff --git a/.github/workflows/sanity-test.yaml b/.github/workflows/sanity-test.yaml
index 490070146..9f7bbd61e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sanity-test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sanity-test.yaml
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ jobs:
           log-dir: ${{ env.CORSO_LOG_DIR }}
           with-export: true
 
-      # generate some more enteries for incremental check
+      # generate some more entries for incremental check
       - name: Groups - Create new data (for incremental)
         timeout-minutes: 30
         working-directory: ./src/cmd/factory
diff --git a/src/cmd/sanity_test/export/groups.go b/src/cmd/sanity_test/export/groups.go
index 1d288c32a..f88bc353f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/sanity_test/export/groups.go
+++ b/src/cmd/sanity_test/export/groups.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package export
 import (
 	"context"
 	"io/fs"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/microsoftgraph/msgraph-sdk-go/models"
 
@@ -21,21 +23,31 @@ func CheckGroupsExport(
 	// assumes we only need to sanity check the default site.
 	// should we expand this to check all sites in the group?
 	// are we backing up / restoring more than the default site?
+	site, err := ac.Sites().GetByID(ctx, envs.TeamSiteID, api.CallConfig{})
+	if err != nil {
+		common.Fatal(ctx, "getting the drive:", err)
+	}
+
 	drive, err := ac.Sites().GetDefaultDrive(ctx, envs.TeamSiteID)
 	if err != nil {
 		common.Fatal(ctx, "getting the drive:", err)
 	}
 
+	checkChannelMessagesExport(
+		ctx,
+		ac,
+		envs)
+
+	envs.RestoreContainer = filepath.Join(
+		envs.RestoreContainer,
+		"Libraries",
+		ptr.Val(site.GetName()),
+		"Documents") // check in default loc
 	driveish.CheckExport(
 		ctx,
 		ac,
 		drive,
 		envs)
-
-	checkChannelMessagesExport(
-		ctx,
-		ac,
-		envs)
 }
 
 func checkChannelMessagesExport(
@@ -55,7 +67,19 @@ func checkChannelMessagesExport(
 		expect *common.Sanitree[models.Channelable, models.ChatMessageable],
 		result *common.Sanitree[fs.FileInfo, fs.FileInfo],
 	) {
-		common.CompareLeaves(ctx, expect.Leaves, result.Leaves, nil)
+		for key := range expect.Leaves {
+			expect.Leaves[key].Size = 0 // msg sizes cannot be compared
+		}
+
+		updatedResultLeaves := map[string]*common.Sanileaf[fs.FileInfo, fs.FileInfo]{}
+
+		for key, leaf := range result.Leaves {
+			key = strings.TrimSuffix(key, ".json")
+			leaf.Size = 0 // we cannot compare sizes
+			updatedResultLeaves[key] = leaf
+		}
+
+		common.CompareLeaves(ctx, expect.Leaves, updatedResultLeaves, nil)
 	}
 
 	common.CompareDiffTrees(
@@ -107,7 +131,21 @@ func populateMessagesSanitree(
 			common.Fatal(ctx, "getting channel messages", err)
 		}
 
+		filteredMsgs := []models.ChatMessageable{}
+
 		for _, msg := range msgs {
+			// filter out system messages (we don't really work with them)
+			if api.IsNotSystemMessage(msg) {
+				filteredMsgs = append(filteredMsgs, msg)
+			}
+		}
+
+		if len(filteredMsgs) == 0 {
+			common.Infof(ctx, "skipped empty channel: %s", ptr.Val(ch.GetDisplayName()))
+			continue
+		}
+
+		for _, msg := range filteredMsgs {
 			child.Leaves[ptr.Val(msg.GetId())] = &common.Sanileaf[
 				models.Channelable,
 				models.ChatMessageable,
diff --git a/src/cmd/sanity_test/export/sharepoint.go b/src/cmd/sanity_test/export/sharepoint.go
index eca3c1e4c..eceea6ca5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/sanity_test/export/sharepoint.go
+++ b/src/cmd/sanity_test/export/sharepoint.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package export
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/src/cmd/sanity_test/common"
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/src/cmd/sanity_test/driveish"
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ func CheckSharePointExport(
 		common.Fatal(ctx, "getting the drive:", err)
 	}
 
+	envs.RestoreContainer = filepath.Join(envs.RestoreContainer, "Libraries/Documents") // check in default loc
 	driveish.CheckExport(
 		ctx,
 		ac,
diff --git a/src/pkg/services/m365/api/channels_pager.go b/src/pkg/services/m365/api/channels_pager.go
index a822ac4da..375ed6d81 100644
--- a/src/pkg/services/m365/api/channels_pager.go
+++ b/src/pkg/services/m365/api/channels_pager.go
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ func (c Channels) NewChannelMessageDeltaPager(
 // unknownFutureValue.
 const channelMessageSystemMessageContent = "<systemEventMessage/>"
 
-func filterOutSystemMessages(cm models.ChatMessageable) bool {
+func IsNotSystemMessage(cm models.ChatMessageable) bool {
 	if ptr.Val(cm.GetMessageType()) == models.SYSTEMEVENTMESSAGE_CHATMESSAGETYPE {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ func (c Channels) GetChannelMessageIDs(
 		cc.CanMakeDeltaQueries,
 		0,
 		pagers.AddedAndRemovedByDeletedDateTime[models.ChatMessageable],
-		filterOutSystemMessages)
+		IsNotSystemMessage)
 
 	return aar, clues.Stack(err).OrNil()
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/services/m365/api/channels_pager_test.go b/src/pkg/services/m365/api/channels_pager_test.go
index a46dc2c63..2b6635953 100644
--- a/src/pkg/services/m365/api/channels_pager_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/services/m365/api/channels_pager_test.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func testEnumerateChannelMessageReplies(
 	assert.Equal(t, replyIDs, msgReplyIDs)
 }
 
-func (suite *ChannelsPagerIntgSuite) TestFilterOutSystemMessages() {
+func (suite *ChannelsPagerIntgSuite) TestIsSystemMessage() {
 	systemMessage := models.NewChatMessage()
 	systemMessage.SetMessageType(ptr.To(models.SYSTEMEVENTMESSAGE_CHATMESSAGETYPE))
 
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ func (suite *ChannelsPagerIntgSuite) TestFilterOutSystemMessages() {
 	}
 	for _, test := range table {
 		suite.Run(test.name, func() {
-			test.expect(suite.T(), filterOutSystemMessages(test.cm))
+			test.expect(suite.T(), IsNotSystemMessage(test.cm))
 		})
 	}
 }