diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
index 77b01e1b7..632e632ad 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import com.threerings.crowd.data.CrowdCodes;
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceObject;
 import com.threerings.crowd.util.CrowdContext;
 
+import com.threerings.crowd.chat.data.ChatChannel;
 import com.threerings.crowd.chat.data.ChatCodes;
 import com.threerings.crowd.chat.data.ChatMarshaller;
 import com.threerings.crowd.chat.data.ChatMessage;
@@ -595,9 +596,12 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
     public function messageReceived (event :MessageEvent) :void
     {
         if (ChatCodes.CHAT_NOTIFICATION === event.getName()) {
-            var msg :ChatMessage = (event.getArgs()[0] as ChatMessage);
-            var localtype :String = getLocalType(event.getTargetOid());
-            processReceivedMessage(msg, localtype);
+            processReceivedMessage(event.getArgs()[0] as ChatMessage,
+                getLocalType(event.getTargetOid()));
+
+        } else if (ChatCodes.CHAT_CHANNEL_NOTIFICATION === event.getName()) {
+            processReceivedMessage(event.getArgs()[1] as ChatMessage,
+                getChannelLocalType(event.getArgs()[0] as ChatChannel));
         }
     }
         
@@ -970,6 +974,14 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         return (typ == null) ? ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE : typ;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the local type for a chat channel message.
+     */
+    protected function getChannelLocalType (channel :ChatChannel) :String
+    {
+        throw new Error("Users of the chat channel system must implement getChannelLocalType()");
+    }
+
     // from BasicDirector
     override protected function registerServices (client :Client) :void
     {
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/ChatChannel.as b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/ChatChannel.as
index 514d5c070..08e9589c9 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/ChatChannel.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/ChatChannel.as
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ package com.threerings.crowd.chat.data {
 import com.threerings.io.SimpleStreamableObject;
 import com.threerings.util.Comparable;
 import com.threerings.util.Equalable;
+import com.threerings.util.Hashable;
 
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DSet_Entry;
 
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DSet_Entry;
  * Represents a chat channel.
  */
 public /*abstract*/ class ChatChannel extends SimpleStreamableObject
-    implements Comparable, Equalable, DSet_Entry
+    implements Comparable, Hashable, Equalable, DSet_Entry
 {
     // from interface Comparable
     public function compareTo (other :Object) :int
@@ -39,6 +40,12 @@ public /*abstract*/ class ChatChannel extends SimpleStreamableObject
         throw new Error("abstract");
     }
 
+    // from interface Hashable
+    public function hashCode () :int
+    {
+        throw new Error("abstract");
+    }
+
     // from interface Equalable
     public function equals (other :Object) :Boolean
     {
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/ChatCodes.as b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/ChatCodes.as
index c0b70ae05..c6f7ddb18 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/ChatCodes.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/ChatCodes.as
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public class ChatCodes extends InvocationCodes
     public static const CHAT_NOTIFICATION :String = "crowd.chat";
 
     /** The message identifier for a chat channel notification message. */
-    public static const CHAT_CHANENL_NOTIFICATION :String = "crowd.chat.channel";
+    public static const CHAT_CHANNEL_NOTIFICATION :String = "crowd.chat.channel";
 
     /** The access control identifier for normal chat privileges. */
     public static const CHAT_ACCESS :Permission = new Permission();