diff --git a/src/messaging.js b/src/messaging.js
index 035e038c42..9f59948320 100644
--- a/src/messaging.js
+++ b/src/messaging.js
@@ -151,4 +151,21 @@ var db = require('./database'),
 		});
 	};
 
+	// todo #1798 -- this utility method creates a room name given an array of uids.
+	Messaging.uidsToRoom = function(uids, callback) {
+		uid = parseInt(uid, 10);
+		if (typeof uid === 'number' && Array.isArray(roomUids)) {
+			var room = 'chat_';
+
+			room = room + roomUids.map(function(uid) {
+				return parseInt(uid, 10);
+			}).sort(function(a, b) {
+				return a-b;
+			}).join('_');
+
+			callback(null, room);
+		} else {
+			callback(new Error('invalid-uid-or-participant-uids'));
+		}
+	};
 }(exports));
diff --git a/src/socket.io/index.js b/src/socket.io/index.js
index 750b8eeb11..47958a8ebf 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/index.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/index.js
@@ -195,6 +195,22 @@ Sockets.in = function(room) {
 	return io.sockets.in(room);
 };
 
+Sockets.uidInRoom = function(uid, room) {
+	var clients = io.sockets.clients(room);
+
+	uid = parseInt(uid, 10);
+
+	if (typeof uid === 'number' && uid > 0) {
+		clients = clients.filter(function(socketObj) {
+			return uid === socketObj.uid;
+		});
+
+		return clients.length ? true : false;
+	} else {
+		return false;
+	}
+};
+
 Sockets.getConnectedClients = function() {
 	var uids = [];
 	if (!io) {
diff --git a/src/socket.io/modules.js b/src/socket.io/modules.js
index a4cab07963..b6cd649264 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/modules.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/modules.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ var	posts = require('../posts'),
 	user = require('../user'),
 	notifications = require('../notifications'),
 	plugins = require('../plugins'),
+	utils = require('../../public/src/utils'),
 
 	async = require('async'),
 	S = require('string'),
@@ -180,11 +181,13 @@ SocketModules.chats.send = function(socket, data, callback) {
 			return callback(err);
 		}
 
-		sendChatNotification(socket.uid, touid, message.fromUser.username, message);
+		sendChatNotification(socket.uid, touid, message);
 
 		// After-the-fact fixing of the "self" property for the message that goes to the receipient
 		var recipMessage = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(message));
 		recipMessage.self = 0;
+
+		// Recipient
 		server.getUserSockets(touid).forEach(function(s) {
 			s.emit('event:chats.receive', {
 				withUid: socket.uid,
@@ -192,6 +195,7 @@ SocketModules.chats.send = function(socket, data, callback) {
 			});
 		});
 
+		// Sender
 		server.getUserSockets(socket.uid).forEach(function(s) {
 			s.emit('event:chats.receive', {
 				withUid: touid,
@@ -201,13 +205,13 @@ SocketModules.chats.send = function(socket, data, callback) {
 	});
 };
 
-function sendChatNotification(fromuid, touid, username, message) {
+function sendChatNotification(fromuid, touid, messageObj) {
+	// todo #1798 -- this should check if the user is in room `chat_{uidA}_{uidB}` instead, see `Sockets.uidInRoom(uid, room);`
 	if (!module.parent.exports.isUserOnline(touid)) {
-		var notifText = '[[notifications:new_message_from, ' + username + ']]';
 		notifications.create({
-			bodyShort: notifText,
-			bodyLong: message,
-			path: 'javascript:app.openChat('' + username + '', ' + fromuid + ');',
+			bodyShort: '[[notifications:new_message_from, ' + messageObj.fromUser.username + ']]',
+			bodyLong: messageObj.content,
+			path: nconf.get('relative_path') + '/chats/' + utils.slugify(messageObj.fromUser.username),
 			uniqueId: 'notification_' + fromuid + '_' + touid,
 			from: fromuid
 		}, function(nid) {