diff --git a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
index 3a9245637..f21bad469 100644
--- a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class StatusMessagesController < ApplicationController
     public_flag.to_s.match(/(true)|(on)/) ? public_flag = true : public_flag = false
     params[:status_message][:public] = public_flag
 
-    @status_message = current_user.build_post(:status_message, params[:status_message].merge!(:message => ''))
+    @status_message = current_user.build_post(:status_message, params[:status_message])
     aspects = current_user.aspects_from_ids(params[:aspect_ids])
 
     if @status_message.save
diff --git a/spec/controllers/status_messages_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/status_messages_controller_spec.rb
index 49caa02ec..bb7d5c315 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/status_messages_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/status_messages_controller_spec.rb
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ describe StatusMessagesController do
     end
     it 'sends the errors in the body on js' do
       post :create, status_message_hash.merge!(:format => 'js', :status_message => {:message => ''})
-      response.body.should == 'Status message requires a message or at least one photo'
+      response.body.should include('Status message requires a message or at least one photo')
     end