diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
index abbdb9677..313a3fe3a 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
@@ -302,14 +302,10 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
     /**
      * Dispatches the provided message to our chat displays.
      */
-    public function dispatchMessage (message :ChatMessage) :void
+    public function dispatchMessage (message :ChatMessage, localType :String) :void
     {
-        var displayed :Boolean = false;
-        _displays.apply(function (disp :ChatDisplay) :void {
-            if (disp.displayMessage(message, displayed)) {
-                displayed = true;
-            }
-        });
+        message.setClientInfo(xlate(message.bundle, message.message), localType);
+        dispatchPreparedMessage(message);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -447,13 +443,15 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         var failure :Function = function (reason :String) :void {
             var msg :String = MessageBundle.compose(
                 "m.tell_failed", MessageBundle.taint(target), reason);
-            dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, xlate(_bundle, msg), true));
+            var tfm :TellFeedbackMessage = new TellFeedbackMessage(target, msg, true);
+            tfm.bundle = _bundle;
+            dispatchMessage(tfm, ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE);
             if (rl != null) {
                 rl.requestFailed(null);
             }
         };
         var success :Function = function (idleTime :Long, awayMessage :String) :void {
-            dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, message));
+            dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, message), ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE);
             addChatter(target);
             if (rl != null) {
                 rl.requestCompleted(target);
@@ -579,7 +577,6 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         if (ChatCodes.CHAT_NOTIFICATION === event.getName()) {
             var msg :ChatMessage = (event.getArgs()[0] as ChatMessage);
             var localtype :String = getLocalType(event.getTargetOid());
-            var message :String = msg.message;
             var autoResponse :String = null;
             var speaker :Name = null;
             var mode :int = -1;
@@ -596,7 +593,7 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
 
             // if there was an originating speaker, see if we want to hear it
             if (speaker != null) {
-                if ((message = filter(message, speaker, false)) == null) {
+                if ((msg.message = filter(msg.message, speaker, false)) == null) {
                     return;
                 }
 
@@ -612,11 +609,8 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
                 }
             }
 
-            // initialize the client-specific fields of the message
-            msg.setClientInfo(xlate(msg.bundle, message), localtype);
-
             // and send it off!
-            dispatchMessage(msg);
+            dispatchMessage(msg, localtype);
 
             // if we auto-responded, report as much
             if (autoResponse != null) {
@@ -674,6 +668,19 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         _cservice = null;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Dispatch a message to chat displays once it is fully prepared with the clientinfo.
+     */
+    protected function dispatchPreparedMessage (message :ChatMessage) :void
+    {
+        var displayed :Boolean = false;
+        _displays.apply(function (disp :ChatDisplay) :void {
+            if (disp.displayMessage(message, displayed)) {
+                displayed = true;
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
     /**
      * Called to determine whether we are permitted to post the supplied chat message. Derived
      * classes may wish to throttle chat or restrict certain types in certain circumstances for
@@ -913,10 +920,8 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         if (bundle == null) {
             bundle = _bundle;
         }
-        var msg :SystemMessage = new SystemMessage();
-        msg.attentionLevel = attLevel;
-        msg.setClientInfo(xlate(bundle, message), localtype);
-        dispatchMessage(msg);
+        var msg :SystemMessage = new SystemMessage(message, bundle, attLevel);
+        dispatchMessage(msg, localtype);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.as b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.as
index fd80be990..f2c075f6d 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.as
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ public class TellFeedbackMessage extends UserMessage
     public function TellFeedbackMessage (target :Name, message :String, failed :Boolean = false)
     {
         super(target, null, message);
-        setClientInfo(message, ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE);
         _failed = failed;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.java
index 5597c10c7..bff74819b 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.java
@@ -353,10 +353,10 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
     /**
      * Dispatches the provided message to our chat displays.
      */
-    public void dispatchMessage (ChatMessage message)
+    public void dispatchMessage (ChatMessage message, String localType)
     {
-        _displayMessageOp.setMessage(message);
-        _displays.apply(_displayMessageOp);
+        message.setClientInfo(xlate(message.bundle, message.message), localType);
+        dispatchPreparedMessage(message);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
             }
 
             protected void success () {
-                dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, message, false));
+                dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, message, false), ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE);
                 addChatter(target);
                 if (rl != null) {
                     rl.requestCompleted(target);
@@ -536,7 +536,9 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
             public void requestFailed (String reason) {
                 String msg = MessageBundle.compose(
                     "m.tell_failed", MessageBundle.taint(target), reason);
-                dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, xlate(_bundle, msg), true));
+                TellFeedbackMessage tfm = new TellFeedbackMessage(target, msg, true);
+                tfm.bundle = _bundle;
+                dispatchMessage(tfm, ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE);
                 if (rl != null) {
                     rl.requestFailed(null);
                 }
@@ -638,7 +640,6 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         if (CHAT_NOTIFICATION.equals(event.getName())) {
             ChatMessage msg = (ChatMessage) event.getArgs()[0];
             String localtype = getLocalType(event.getTargetOid());
-            String message = msg.message;
             String autoResponse = null;
             Name speaker = null;
             Name speakerDisplay = null;
@@ -658,7 +659,7 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
 
             // if there was an originating speaker, see if we want to hear it
             if (speaker != null) {
-                if ((message = filter(message, speaker, false)) == null) {
+                if ((msg.message = filter(msg.message, speaker, false)) == null) {
                     return;
                 }
 
@@ -675,11 +676,8 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
                 }
             }
 
-            // initialize the client-specific fields of the message
-            msg.setClientInfo(xlate(msg.bundle, message), localtype);
-
             // and send it off!
-            dispatchMessage(msg);
+            dispatchMessage(msg, localtype);
 
             // if we auto-responded, report as much
             if (autoResponse != null) {
@@ -737,6 +735,15 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         _cservice = null;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Dispatch a message to chat displays once it is fully prepared with the clientinfo.
+     */
+    protected void dispatchPreparedMessage (ChatMessage message)
+    {
+        _displayMessageOp.setMessage(message);
+        _displays.apply(_displayMessageOp);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Called to determine whether we are permitted to post the supplied chat message. Derived
      * classes may wish to throttle chat or restrict certain types in certain circumstances for
@@ -996,10 +1003,8 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         if (bundle == null) {
             bundle = _bundle;
         }
-        SystemMessage msg = new SystemMessage();
-        msg.attentionLevel = attLevel;
-        msg.setClientInfo(xlate(bundle, message), localtype);
-        dispatchMessage(msg);
+        SystemMessage msg = new SystemMessage(message, bundle, attLevel);
+        dispatchMessage(msg, localtype);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.java
index 014bd4d96..fa4e8e613 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.java
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ public class TellFeedbackMessage extends UserMessage
     public TellFeedbackMessage (Name target, String message, boolean failure)
     {
         super(target, null, message, ChatCodes.DEFAULT_MODE);
-        setClientInfo(message, ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE);
         _failure = failure;
     }