diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
index f288dbd56..6c91dbf38 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.as
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
         var failure :Function = function (reason :String) :void {
             var msg :String = MessageBundle.compose(
                 "m.tell_failed", MessageBundle.taint(target), reason);
-            displayFeedback(_bundle, msg);
+            dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, xlate(_bundle, msg), true));
             if (rl != null) {
                 rl.requestFailed(null);
             }
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.as b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.as
index 43dc0559d..3a2c4ea10 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.as
@@ -31,15 +31,18 @@ public class TellFeedbackMessage extends UserMessage
     /**
      * A tell feedback message is only composed on the client.
      */
-    public function TellFeedbackMessage (target :Name, message :String)
+    public function TellFeedbackMessage (target :Name, message :String, failed :Boolean = false)
     {
         super(target, null, message);
         setClientInfo(message, ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE);
+        _failed = failed;
     }
 
     override public function getFormat () :String
     {
-        return "m.told_format";
+        return _failed ? null : "m.told_format";
     }
+
+    protected var _failed :Boolean;
 }
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.java
index 29e24e315..c9eae79d8 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/client/ChatDirector.java
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
             }
 
             protected void success () {
-                dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, message));
+                dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, message, false));
                 addChatter(target);
                 if (rl != null) {
                     rl.requestCompleted(target);
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ public class ChatDirector extends BasicDirector
             public void requestFailed (String reason) {
                 String msg = MessageBundle.compose(
                     "m.tell_failed", MessageBundle.taint(target), reason);
-                displayFeedback(_bundle, msg);
+                dispatchMessage(new TellFeedbackMessage(target, xlate(_bundle, msg), true));
                 if (rl != null) {
                     rl.requestFailed(null);
                 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.java
index abcd5d08c..02be1cce6 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/TellFeedbackMessage.java
@@ -31,15 +31,18 @@ public class TellFeedbackMessage extends UserMessage
     /**
      * A tell feedback message is only composed on the client.
      */
-    public TellFeedbackMessage (Name target, String message)
+    public TellFeedbackMessage (Name target, String message, boolean failure)
     {
         super(target, null, message, ChatCodes.DEFAULT_MODE);
         setClientInfo(message, ChatCodes.PLACE_CHAT_TYPE);
+        _failure = failure;
     }
 
     @Override
     public String getFormat ()
     {
-        return "m.told_format";
+        return _failure ? null : "m.told_format";
     }
+
+    protected boolean _failure;
 }