diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/UserMessage.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/UserMessage.java
index 84dee7e0a..1b618ce28 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/UserMessage.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/data/UserMessage.java
@@ -50,4 +50,15 @@ public class UserMessage extends ChatMessage
         this.speaker = speaker;
         this.mode = mode;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a user message for a player originated tell (which has no
+     * bundle and is in the default mode).
+     */
+    public UserMessage (String message, Name speaker)
+    {
+        super(message, null);
+        this.speaker = speaker;
+        this.mode = ChatCodes.DEFAULT_MODE;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/ChatProvider.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/ChatProvider.java
index dac7e8c87..b130afa63 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/ChatProvider.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/ChatProvider.java
@@ -263,8 +263,7 @@ public class ChatProvider
      */
     protected UserMessage createTellMessage (BodyObject source, String message)
     {
-        return new UserMessage(
-            message, null, source.getVisibleName(), DEFAULT_MODE);
+        return new UserMessage(message, source.getVisibleName());
     }
 
     /**