diff --git a/db/manifest b/db/manifest
index 232cb12ef..e8485d6cc 100755
--- a/db/manifest
+++ b/db/manifest
@@ -143,3 +143,4 @@ emails.sql
 email_batch.sql
 user_progress_tracking2.sql
 bands_did_session.sql
+chat_messages.sql
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/db/up/add_chat_message.sql b/db/up/add_chat_message.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/db/up/chat_messages.sql b/db/up/chat_messages.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01a0fcd14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/up/chat_messages.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+CREATE TABLE chat_messages
+(
+  id character varying(64) NOT NULL DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
+  user_id character varying(64),
+  music_session_id character varying(64),
+  messsage TEXT NOT NULL,
+  created_at timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
+);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pb/src/client_container.proto b/pb/src/client_container.proto
index 1df3bebf8..51ec3308d 100644
--- a/pb/src/client_container.proto
+++ b/pb/src/client_container.proto
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ message ClientMessage {
 
         // text message
         TEXT_MESSAGE                        = 236;
+        CHAT_MESSAGE                        = 237;
         
         MUSICIAN_SESSION_FRESH              = 240;
         MUSICIAN_SESSION_STALE              = 245;
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ message ClientMessage {
 
     // text message
     optional TextMessage                text_message = 236;
+    optional ChatMessage                chat_message = 237;
 
     optional MusicianSessionFresh       musician_session_fresh = 240;
     optional MusicianSessionStale       musician_session_stale = 245;
@@ -397,6 +399,14 @@ message TextMessage {
     optional bool   clipped_msg       = 7;
 }
 
+message ChatMessage {
+    optional string sender_name       = 1;
+    optional string sender_id         = 2;
+    optional string msg               = 3;
+    optional string msg_id            = 4;
+    optional string created_at        = 5;
+}
+
 // route_to: client:
 // sent by server to let the rest of the participants know a client has become active again after going stale 
 message MusicianSessionFresh {
diff --git a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/message_factory.rb b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/message_factory.rb
index 491e1b3e5..fbcb1673d 100644
--- a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/message_factory.rb
+++ b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/message_factory.rb
@@ -580,6 +580,23 @@ module JamRuby
       )
     end
 
+    # creates the session chat message
+    def chat_message(session_id, sender_name, sender_id, msg, msg_id, created_at)
+      chat_message = Jampb::ChatMessage.new(
+          :sender_id    => sender_id,
+          :sender_name  => sender_name,
+          :msg          => msg,
+          :msg_id       => msg_id,
+          :created_at   => created_at
+      )
+
+      Jampb::ClientMessage.new(
+          :type         => ClientMessage::Type::CHAT_MESSAGE,
+          :route_to     => SESSION_TARGET_PREFIX + session_id,
+          :chat_message => chat_message
+      )
+    end
+
     # create a musician fresh session message
     def musician_session_fresh(session_id, user_id, username, photo_url)
       fresh = Jampb::MusicianSessionFresh.new(
diff --git a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/chat_message.rb b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/chat_message.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..786b48642
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/chat_message.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+module JamRuby
+  class ChatMessage < ActiveRecord::Base
+
+    self.primary_key = 'id'
+
+    default_scope order('created_at DESC')
+
+    belongs_to :user, :class_name => "JamRuby::User", :foreign_key => "user_id"
+    belongs_to :session, :class_name => "JamRuby::MusicSession", :foreign_key => "session_id"
+
+    validates :message, length: {minimum: 1, maximum: 255}, no_profanity: true
+
+    def self.send_chat_msg(music_session, chat_msg, user)
+      msg = @@message_factory.chat_message(
+          music_session.id,
+          user.name,
+          user.id,
+          chat_msg.message,
+          chat_msg.id,
+          chat_msg.created_at
+      )
+
+      @@mq_router.server_publish_to_session(music_session, msg, sender = {:client_id => chat_msg.user_id})
+    end
+
+  end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/AAB_message_factory.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/AAB_message_factory.js
index 04bd51344..3f974b0a2 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/AAB_message_factory.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/AAB_message_factory.js
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 
         // text message
         TEXT_MESSAGE              : "TEXT_MESSAGE",
+        CHAT_MESSAGE              : "CHAT_MESSAGE",
 
         // broadcast notifications
         SOURCE_UP_REQUESTED       : "SOURCE_UP_REQUESTED",
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/chatPanel.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/chatPanel.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/jam_rest.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/jam_rest.js
index fbdf74a2a..f08cb340f 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/jam_rest.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/jam_rest.js
@@ -944,6 +944,24 @@
           });
         }
 
+        function createChatMessage(session_id, options) {
+          return $.ajax({
+            type: "POST",
+            url: '/api/sessions/' + session_id + '/chat?' + $.param(options),
+            dataType: "json",
+            contentType: 'application/json'
+          });
+        }
+
+        function getChatMessages(session_id, options) {
+          return $.ajax({
+            type: "GET",
+            url: '/api/sessions/' + session_id + '/chats' + $.param(options),
+            dataType: "json",
+            contentType: 'application/json'
+          });
+        }
+
         function initialize()  {
             return self;
         }
@@ -1026,6 +1044,8 @@
         this.createFbInviteUrl = createFbInviteUrl;
         this.createTextMessage = createTextMessage;
         this.getNotifications = getNotifications;
+        this.createChatMessage = createChatMessage;
+        this.getChatMessages = getChatMessages;
 
         return this;
     };
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/sidebar.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/sidebar.js
index 57253d053..41aa9e3f6 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/sidebar.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/sidebar.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
       var invitationDialog = null;
       var textMessageDialog = null;
       var notificationPanel = null;
+      var chatPanel = null;
       var me = null;
 
       function initializeSearchPanel() {
@@ -95,6 +96,8 @@
       }
 
       function initializeChatPanel() {
+//        chatPanel = new context.JK.ChatPanel(app);
+//        chatPanel.initialize(me, textMessageDialog);
       }
 
       function search(query) {
diff --git a/web/app/controllers/api_chats_controller.rb b/web/app/controllers/api_chats_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b639ee15a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/app/controllers/api_chats_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+class ApiChatsController < ApiController
+
+  before_filter :api_signed_in_user, :check_session
+
+  respond_to :json
+
+  def create
+    @chat_msg = ChatMessage.new
+    @chat_msg.user_id = current_user.id
+    @chat_msg.session_id = params[:music_session]
+    @chat_msg.message = params[:msg]
+    if @chat_msg.save
+      ChatMessage.send_chat_msg @music_session, @chat_msg, current_user
+    end
+
+    respond_with_model(@chat_msg)
+  end
+
+  def index
+  @chat_msgs = ChatMessage.find_by_session_id(params[:music_session])
+                          .paginate(page: params[:page], per_page: pararms[:per_page] || 20)
+  end
+
+  def check_session
+    @music_session = MusicSession.find(params[:music_session])
+    if @music_session.nil?
+      raise ArgumentError, 'specified session not found'
+    end
+
+    unless @music_session.access? current_user
+      raise PermissionError, 'not allowed to join the specified session'
+    end
+  end
+
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/web/config/routes.rb b/web/config/routes.rb
index b225e907f..508fd3170 100644
--- a/web/config/routes.rb
+++ b/web/config/routes.rb
@@ -259,6 +259,10 @@ SampleApp::Application.routes.draw do
     match '/users/:id/share/session/:provider' => 'api_users#share_session', :via => :get
     match '/users/:id/share/recording/:provider' => 'api_users#share_recording', :via => :get
 
+    # session chat
+    match '/sessions/:id/chat'        => 'api_chats#create',  :via => :post
+    match '/sessions/:id/chats'       => 'api_chats#index',   :via => :get
+
     # user recordings
     # match '/users/:id/recordings' => 'api_users#recording_index', :via => :get
     # match '/users/:id/recordings/:recording_id' => 'api_users#recording_show', :via => :get, :as => 'api_recording_detail'