diff --git a/src/messaging.js b/src/messaging.js
index acf32a256b..5cfbca1318 100644
--- a/src/messaging.js
+++ b/src/messaging.js
@@ -4,17 +4,15 @@
 var async = require('async'),
 	winston = require('winston'),
 	S = require('string'),
-	nconf = require('nconf'),
+
 
 	db = require('./database'),
 	user = require('./user'),
 	plugins = require('./plugins'),
 	meta = require('./meta'),
-	emailer = require('./emailer'),
 	utils = require('../public/src/utils'),
 	notifications = require('./notifications'),
-	userNotifications = require('./user/notifications'),
-	sockets = require('./socket.io');
+	userNotifications = require('./user/notifications');
 
 (function(Messaging) {
 
@@ -23,6 +21,7 @@ var async = require('async'),
 	require('./messaging/edit')(Messaging);
 	require('./messaging/rooms')(Messaging);
 	require('./messaging/unread')(Messaging);
+	require('./messaging/notifications')(Messaging);
 
 	Messaging.notifyQueue = {};	// Only used to notify a user of a new chat message, see Messaging.notifyUser
 
@@ -309,46 +308,50 @@ var async = require('async'),
 		});
 	};
 
+	Messaging.canMessageUser = function(uid, toUid, callback) {
+		if (parseInt(meta.config.disableChat) === 1 || !uid || uid === toUid) {
+			return callback(null, false);
+		}
 
+		async.waterfall([
+			function (next) {
+				user.exists(toUid, next);
+			},
+			function (exists, next) {
+				if (!exists) {
+					return callback(null, false);
+				}
+				user.getUserFields(uid, ['banned', 'email:confirmed'], next);
+			},
+			function (userData, next) {
+				if (parseInt(userData.banned, 10) === 1) {
+					return callback(null, false);
+				}
 
-	Messaging.notifyUser = function(uid, roomId, messageObj) {
-		// Immediate notifications
-		// Recipient
-		Messaging.pushUnreadCount(touid);
-		sockets.in('uid_' + touid).emit('event:chats.receive', {
-			withUid: fromuid,
-			message: messageObj,
-			self: 0
-		});
-		// Sender
-		Messaging.pushUnreadCount(fromuid);
-		sockets.in('uid_' + fromuid).emit('event:chats.receive', {
-			withUid: touid,
-			message: messageObj,
-			self: 1
-		});
+				if (parseInt(meta.config.requireEmailConfirmation, 10) === 1 && parseInt(userData['email:confirmed'], 10) !== 1) {
+					return callback(null, false);
+				}
 
-		// Delayed notifications
-		var queueObj = Messaging.notifyQueue[fromuid + ':' + touid];
-		if (queueObj) {
-			queueObj.message.content += '\n' + messageObj.content;
-			clearTimeout(queueObj.timeout);
-		} else {
-			queueObj = Messaging.notifyQueue[fromuid + ':' + touid] = {
-				message: messageObj
-			};
-		}
+				user.getSettings(toUid, next);
+			},
+			function(settings, next) {
+				if (!settings.restrictChat) {
+					return callback(null, true);
+				}
 
-		queueObj.timeout = setTimeout(function() {
-			sendNotifications(fromuid, touid, queueObj.message, function(err) {
-				if (!err) {
-					delete Messaging.notifyQueue[fromuid + ':' + touid];
+				user.isAdministrator(uid, next);
+			},
+			function(isAdmin, next) {
+				if (isAdmin) {
+					return callback(null, true);
 				}
-			});
-		}, 1000*60);	// wait 60s before sending
+				user.isFollowing(toUid, uid, next);
+			}
+		], callback);
+
 	};
 
-	Messaging.canMessage = function(uid, roomId, callback) {
+	Messaging.canMessageRoom = function(uid, roomId, callback) {
 		if (parseInt(meta.config.disableChat) === 1 || !uid) {
 			return callback(null, false);
 		}
@@ -378,39 +381,4 @@ var async = require('async'),
 	};
 
 
-	function sendNotifications(fromuid, touid, messageObj, callback) {
-		user.isOnline(touid, function(err, isOnline) {
-			if (err || isOnline) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
-
-			notifications.create({
-				bodyShort: '[[notifications:new_message_from, ' + messageObj.fromUser.username + ']]',
-				bodyLong: messageObj.content,
-				nid: 'chat_' + fromuid + '_' + touid,
-				from: fromuid,
-				path: '/chats/' + messageObj.fromUser.username
-			}, function(err, notification) {
-				if (!err && notification) {
-					notifications.push(notification, [touid], callback);
-				}
-			});
-
-			user.getSettings(messageObj.toUser.uid, function(err, settings) {
-				if (settings.sendChatNotifications && !parseInt(meta.config.disableEmailSubscriptions, 10)) {
-					emailer.send('notif_chat', touid, {
-						subject: '[[email:notif.chat.subject, ' + messageObj.fromUser.username + ']]',
-						username: messageObj.toUser.username,
-						userslug: utils.slugify(messageObj.toUser.username),
-						summary: '[[notifications:new_message_from, ' + messageObj.fromUser.username + ']]',
-						message: messageObj,
-						site_title: meta.config.title || 'NodeBB',
-						url: nconf.get('url'),
-						fromUserslug: utils.slugify(messageObj.fromUser.username)
-					});
-				}
-			});
-		});
-	}
-
 }(exports));
diff --git a/src/messaging/create.js b/src/messaging/create.js
index 4a941e161b..360f800e81 100644
--- a/src/messaging/create.js
+++ b/src/messaging/create.js
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ module.exports = function(Messaging) {
 
 				results.messages[0].newSet = results.isNewSet;
 				results.messages[0].mid = mid;
+				results.messages[0].roomId = roomId;
 				next(null, results.messages[0]);
 			}
 		], callback);
diff --git a/src/messaging/notifications.js b/src/messaging/notifications.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b1b8564659
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/messaging/notifications.js
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var async = require('async');
+var nconf = require('nconf');
+
+var user = require('../user');
+var emailer = require('../emailer');
+var notifications = require('./notifications');
+var meta = require('../meta');
+var utils = require('../../public/src/utils');
+var sockets = require('../socket.io');
+
+module.exports = function(Messaging) {
+
+	Messaging.notifyUsersInRoom = function(fromUid, roomId, messageObj) {
+		Messaging.getUidsInRoom(roomId, 0, -1, function(err, uids) {
+			if (err) {
+				return;
+			}
+
+			var data = {
+				roomId: roomId,
+				fromUid: fromUid,
+				message: messageObj
+			};
+			uids.forEach(function(uid) {
+				data.self = parseInt(uid, 10) === parseInt(fromUid) ?  1 : 0;
+				Messaging.pushUnreadCount(uid);
+				sockets.in('uid_' + uid).emit('event:chats.receive', data);
+			});
+
+			// Delayed notifications
+			var queueObj = Messaging.notifyQueue[fromUid + ':' + roomId];
+			if (queueObj) {
+				queueObj.message.content += '\n' + messageObj.content;
+				clearTimeout(queueObj.timeout);
+			} else {
+				queueObj = Messaging.notifyQueue[fromUid + ':' + roomId] = {
+					message: messageObj
+				};
+			}
+
+			queueObj.timeout = setTimeout(function() {
+				sendNotifications(fromUid, uids, roomId, queueObj.message, function(err) {
+					if (!err) {
+						delete Messaging.notifyQueue[fromUid + ':' + roomId];
+					}
+				});
+			}, 1000*60); // wait 60s before sending
+		});
+	};
+
+	function sendNotifications(fromuid, uids, roomId, messageObj, callback) {
+		user.isOnline(uids, function(err, isOnline) {
+			if (err) {
+				return callback(err);
+			}
+
+			uids = uids.filter(function(uid, index) {
+				return isOnline[index];
+			});
+
+			if (!uids.length) {
+				return callback();
+			}
+
+			notifications.create({
+				bodyShort: '[[notifications:new_message_from, ' + messageObj.fromUser.username + ']]',
+				bodyLong: messageObj.content,
+				nid: 'chat_' + fromuid + '_' + roomId,
+				from: fromuid,
+				path: '/chats/' + messageObj.fromUser.username
+			}, function(err, notification) {
+				if (!err && notification) {
+					notifications.push(notification, uids, callback);
+				}
+			});
+
+			if (parseInt(meta.config.disableEmailSubscriptions, 10) === 1) {
+				return callback();
+			}
+
+			user.getMultipleUserSettings(uids, function(err, userSettings) {
+				if (err) {
+					return callback(err);
+				}
+				userSettings = userSettings.filter(function(settings) {
+					return settings && settings.sendChatNotifications;
+				});
+				async.each(userSettings, function(settings, next) {
+					emailer.send('notif_chat', settings.uid, {
+						subject: '[[email:notif.chat.subject, ' + messageObj.fromUser.username + ']]',
+						summary: '[[notifications:new_message_from, ' + messageObj.fromUser.username + ']]',
+						message: messageObj,
+						site_title: meta.config.title || 'NodeBB',
+						url: nconf.get('url'),
+						fromUserslug: utils.slugify(messageObj.fromUser.username)
+					}, next);
+				}, callback);
+
+			});
+		});
+	}
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/socket.io/modules.js b/src/socket.io/modules.js
index e1c1d78b8f..bb0de7b268 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/modules.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/modules.js
@@ -39,6 +39,36 @@ SocketModules.chats.getRaw = function(socket, data, callback) {
 	Messaging.getMessageField(data.mid, 'content', callback);
 };
 
+SocketModules.chats.newMessage = function(socket, data, callback) {
+	if (!data) {
+		return callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]'));
+	}
+	var now = Date.now();
+	// Websocket rate limiting
+	socket.lastChatMessageTime = socket.lastChatMessageTime || 0;
+	if (now - socket.lastChatMessageTime < 200) {
+		return callback(new Error('[[error:too-many-messages]]'));
+	} else {
+		socket.lastChatMessageTime = now;
+	}
+
+	Messaging.canMessageUser(socket.uid, data.touid, function(err, allowed) {
+		if (err || !allowed) {
+			return callback(err || new Error('[[error:chat-restricted]]'));
+		}
+
+		Messaging.newMessage(socket.uid, [data.touid], data.content, now, function(err, message) {
+			if (err) {
+				return callback(err);
+			}
+
+			Messaging.notifyUsersInRoom(socket.uid, message.roomId, message);
+
+			callback();
+		});
+	});
+};
+
 SocketModules.chats.send = function(socket, data, callback) {
 	if (!data || !data.roomId) {
 		return callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]'));
@@ -54,7 +84,7 @@ SocketModules.chats.send = function(socket, data, callback) {
 		socket.lastChatMessageTime = now;
 	}
 
-	Messaging.canMessage(socket.uid, data.roomId, function(err, allowed) {
+	Messaging.canMessageRoom(socket.uid, data.roomId, function(err, allowed) {
 		if (err || !allowed) {
 			return callback(err || new Error('[[error:chat-restricted]]'));
 		}
@@ -64,7 +94,7 @@ SocketModules.chats.send = function(socket, data, callback) {
 				return callback(err);
 			}
 
-			Messaging.notifyUser(socket.uid, data.roomId, message);
+			Messaging.notifyUsersInRoom(socket.uid, data.roomId, message);
 
 			callback();
 		});
@@ -95,7 +125,7 @@ SocketModules.chats.delete = function(socket, data, callback) {
 			Messaging.deleteMessage(data.messageId, data.roomId, callback);
 		}
 	});
-}
+};
 
 SocketModules.chats.canMessage = function(socket, roomId, callback) {
 	Messaging.canMessage(socket.uid, roomId, function(err, allowed) {
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index 4b64b52dbd..7a9213a963 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -132,13 +132,27 @@ var	async = require('async'),
 	};
 
 	User.isOnline = function(uid, callback) {
-		db.sortedSetScore('users:online', uid, function(err, lastonline) {
-			if (err) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
-			var isOnline = Date.now() - parseInt(lastonline, 10) < 300000;
-			callback(null, isOnline);
-		});
+		if (Array.isArray(uid)) {
+			db.sortedSetScores('users:online', uid, function(err, lastonline) {
+				if (err) {
+					return callback(err);
+				}
+				var now = Date.now();
+				var isOnline = uid.map(function(uid, index) {
+					return now - lastonline[index] < 300000;
+				});
+				callback(null, isOnline);
+			});
+		} else {
+			db.sortedSetScore('users:online', uid, function(err, lastonline) {
+				if (err) {
+					return callback(err);
+				}
+				var isOnline = Date.now() - parseInt(lastonline, 10) < 300000;
+				callback(null, isOnline);
+			});
+		}
+
 	};
 
 	User.exists = function(uid, callback) {