While on sea trials after the 1942 overhaul, "Emden" reached a speed of , significantly less than her original top speed. By that time, the ship had been in service for sixteen years and retained her original engines. Due for an engine replacement, the war situation prevented the work from being done and "Emden" soldiered on. The year 1943 passed uneventfully for "Emden", though she received a strengthened anti-aircraft battery that included and a pair of Bofors guns. The ship took part in a pair of minelaying operations in the Skagerrak in late 1944, the first from 19 to 21 September and the second from 5 to 6 October. The increasing frequency of Allied air attacks on the minelaying operations led to their cancellation in late October. For the rest of the year, she was occupied with escorting convoys in the Baltic. On 1 November 1944, "Emden" assisted the cruiser "Köln", which had run aground. "Emden" herself ran aground in the Oslofjord on 9 December, though she was refloated the following day. She left Oslo on 23 December and steamed to Königsberg for repairs, arriving two days later.