diff --git a/include/message.php b/include/message.php
index 146643b2e6..4404163dc3 100644
--- a/include/message.php
+++ b/include/message.php
@@ -67,8 +67,9 @@ function send_message($recipient = 0, $body = '', $subject = '', $replyto = '')
 		$fields = array('uid' => local_user(), 'guid' => $conv_guid, 'creator' => $sender_handle,
 			'created' => datetime_convert(), 'updated' => datetime_convert(),
 			'subject' => $subject, 'recips' => $handles);
-		dba::insert('conv', $fields);
-		$convid = dba::lastInsertId();
+		if (dba::insert('conv', $fields)) {
+			$convid = dba::lastInsertId();
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (!$convid) {
@@ -80,7 +81,8 @@ function send_message($recipient = 0, $body = '', $subject = '', $replyto = '')
 		$replyto = $convuri;
 	}
 
-	q("INSERT INTO `mail` ( `uid`, `guid`, `convid`, `from-name`, `from-photo`, `from-url`,
+	$post_id = null;
+	$result = q("INSERT INTO `mail` ( `uid`, `guid`, `convid`, `from-name`, `from-photo`, `from-url`,
 		`contact-id`, `title`, `body`, `seen`, `reply`, `replied`, `uri`, `parent-uri`, `created`)
 		VALUES ( %d, '%s', %d, '%s', '%s', '%s', %d, '%s', '%s', %d, %d, %d, '%s', '%s', '%s' )",
 		intval(local_user()),
@@ -99,7 +101,9 @@ function send_message($recipient = 0, $body = '', $subject = '', $replyto = '')
 		dbesc($replyto),
 		datetime_convert()
 	);
-	$post_id = dba::lastInsertId();
+	if ($result) {
+		$post_id = dba::lastInsertId();
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 *
@@ -171,11 +175,13 @@ function send_wallmessage($recipient = '', $body = '', $subject = '', $replyto =
 
 	$handles = $recip_handle . ';' . $sender_handle;
 
+	$convid = null;
 	$fields = array('uid' => $recipient['uid'], 'guid' => $conv_guid, 'creator' => $sender_handle,
 		'created' => datetime_convert(), 'updated' => datetime_convert(),
 		'subject' => $subject, 'recips' => $handles);
-	dba::insert('conv', $fields);
-	$convid = dba::lastInsertId();
+	if (dba::insert('conv', $fields)) {
+		$convid = dba::lastInsertId();
+	}
 	
 	if (!$convid) {
 		logger('send message: conversation not found.');