diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotProvider.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotProvider.java
index 0d298fc3..297dcb8f 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotProvider.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotProvider.java
@@ -22,25 +22,21 @@
 package com.threerings.whirled.spot.server;
 
 import com.samskivert.util.StringUtil;
-import com.threerings.util.MessageManager;
-import com.threerings.util.Name;
-
+import com.threerings.crowd.chat.data.ChatCodes;
+import com.threerings.crowd.chat.data.UserMessage;
+import com.threerings.crowd.chat.server.SpeakUtil;
+import com.threerings.crowd.data.BodyObject;
+import com.threerings.crowd.server.PlaceRegistry;
 import com.threerings.presents.data.ClientObject;
 import com.threerings.presents.data.InvocationMarshaller;
 import com.threerings.presents.dobj.RootDObjectManager;
 import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationException;
 import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationProvider;
-
-import com.threerings.crowd.chat.data.ChatCodes;
-import com.threerings.crowd.chat.server.SpeakUtil;
-import com.threerings.crowd.data.BodyObject;
-import com.threerings.crowd.server.PlaceRegistry;
-
+import com.threerings.util.MessageManager;
+import com.threerings.util.Name;
 import com.threerings.whirled.client.SceneService.SceneMoveListener;
 import com.threerings.whirled.data.ScenePlace;
-import com.threerings.whirled.server.SceneManager;
 import com.threerings.whirled.server.SceneRegistry;
-
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.Log;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.client.SpotService;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.data.Location;
@@ -208,17 +204,33 @@ public class SpotProvider
      */
     public void sendClusterChatMessage (int sceneId, int speakerOid, Name speaker,
                                         String bundle, String message, byte mode)
+    {
+        sendClusterChatMessage(sceneId, speakerOid, 
+                               new UserMessage(speaker, bundle, message, mode));
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Sends a cluster chat notification to the specified location in the specified place object
+     * originating with the specified speaker.
+     *
+     * @param sceneId the scene id in which to deliver the chat message.
+     * @param speakerOid the body object id of the speaker (used to verify that they are in the
+     * cluster in question).
+     * @param message the message.
+     */
+    public void sendClusterChatMessage (int sceneId, int speakerOid, UserMessage message)
     {
         // look up the scene manager for the specified scene
         SpotSceneManager smgr = (SpotSceneManager)_screg.getSceneManager(sceneId);
         if (smgr == null) {
-            Log.warning("User requested cluster chat in non-existent scene [user=" + speaker +
-                        ", sceneId=" + sceneId + ", message=" + message + "].");
+            Log.warning("User requested cluster chat in non-existent scene " +
+                        "[user=" + message.speaker + ", sceneId=" + sceneId + 
+                        ", message=" + message + "].");
             return;
         }
 
         // pass this request on to the spot scene manager
-        smgr.handleClusterSpeakRequest(speakerOid, speaker, bundle, message, mode);
+        smgr.handleClusterMessageRequest(speakerOid, message);
     }
 
     /** The place registry with which we interoperate. */
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotSceneManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotSceneManager.java
index 5a25c0cc..aecfbf0b 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotSceneManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotSceneManager.java
@@ -25,19 +25,15 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 
 import com.samskivert.util.HashIntMap;
-import com.threerings.util.Name;
-
-import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DObject;
-import com.threerings.presents.dobj.Subscriber;
-import com.threerings.presents.dobj.ObjectAccessException;
-import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationException;
-
+import com.threerings.crowd.chat.data.UserMessage;
 import com.threerings.crowd.chat.server.SpeakUtil;
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.BodyObject;
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.OccupantInfo;
 import com.threerings.crowd.server.CrowdServer;
+import com.threerings.presents.dobj.DObject;
+import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationException;
+import com.threerings.util.Name;
 import com.threerings.whirled.server.SceneManager;
-
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.Log;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.data.Cluster;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.data.ClusterObject;
@@ -389,15 +385,25 @@ public class SpotSceneManager extends SceneManager
     /**
      * Called by the {@link SpotProvider} when we receive a cluster speak request.
      */
+    @Deprecated
     protected void handleClusterSpeakRequest (int sourceOid, Name source, String bundle,
                                               String message, byte mode)
+    {
+        handleClusterMessageRequest(sourceOid, new UserMessage(source, bundle, message, mode));
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Called by the {@link SpotProvider} when we receive a cluster message request.
+     */
+    protected void handleClusterMessageRequest (int sourceOid, UserMessage message) 
     {
         ClusterRecord clrec = getCluster(sourceOid);
         if (clrec == null) {
             Log.warning("Non-clustered user requested cluster speak [where=" + where() +
-                        ", chatter=" + source + " (" + sourceOid + "), msg=" + message + "].");
+                        ", chatter=" + message.speaker + " (" + sourceOid + "), " +
+                        "msg=" + message + "].");
         } else {
-            SpeakUtil.sendSpeak(clrec.getClusterObject(), source, bundle, message, mode);
+            SpeakUtil.sendMessage(clrec.getClusterObject(), message);
         }
     }