diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/controllers/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomController.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/controllers/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomController.groovy
index 2dbd161d..747b7ea4 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/controllers/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomController.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/controllers/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomController.groovy
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class ChatRoomController {
             JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "$words is not a user command","Invalid Command", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE)
             return
         }
+        long now = System.currentTimeMillis()
         
         if (command.action == ChatAction.SAY && command.payload.length() > 0) {
             String toShow = DataHelper.formatTime(now) + " <" + model.core.me.getHumanReadableName() + "> "+command.payload
@@ -75,7 +76,6 @@ class ChatRoomController {
             view.closeTab.call()
         }
         
-        long now = System.currentTimeMillis()
         UUID uuid = UUID.randomUUID()
         String room = model.console ? ChatServer.CONSOLE : model.room
 
diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomModel.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomModel.groovy
index aadfd3da..de7b1d5d 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomModel.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomModel.groovy
@@ -17,4 +17,7 @@ class ChatRoomModel {
     
     def members = []
     
+    void mvcGroupInit(Map<String,String> args) {
+        members.add(core.me)
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file