diff --git a/features/conversations.feature b/features/conversations.feature
index 2fe01e1de..55626aa03 100644
--- a/features/conversations.feature
+++ b/features/conversations.feature
@@ -10,17 +10,8 @@ Feature: private messages
     When I sign in as "bob@bob.bob"
     And a user with username "bob" is connected with "Alice_Awesome"
 
-    And I am on the conversations page
-
   Scenario: send a message
-    Given I follow "New Message"
-    And I wait for the ajax to finish
-    And I fill in "contact_autocomplete" with "Alice" in the modal window
-    And I press the first ".as-result-item" within ".as-results" in the modal window
-    And I fill in "conversation_subject" with "Greetings" in the modal window
-    And I fill in "conversation_text" with "hello, alice!" in the modal window
-    And I press "Send" in the modal window
-    And I wait for the ajax to finish
+    Given I send a message with subject "Greetings" and text "hello, alice!" to "Alice Awesome"
     Then I should see "Greetings" within "#conversation_inbox"
     And I should see "Greetings" within "#conversation_show"
     And "Alice Awesome" should be part of active conversation
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/conversations_steps.rb b/features/step_definitions/conversations_steps.rb
index a5b53e752..49ca7f4cf 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/conversations_steps.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/conversations_steps.rb
@@ -3,3 +3,15 @@ Then /^"([^"]*)" should be part of active conversation$/ do |name|
     find("img.avatar[title^='#{name} ']").should_not be_nil
   end
 end
+
+Then /^I send a message with subject "([^"]*)" and text "([^"]*)" to "([^"]*)"$/ do |subject, text, person|
+  Given %(I am on the conversations page)
+  And %(I follow "New Message")
+  And %(I wait for the ajax to finish)
+  And %(I fill in "contact_autocomplete" with "#{person}" in the modal window)
+  And %(I press the first ".as-result-item" within ".as-results" in the modal window)
+  And %(I fill in "conversation_subject" with "#{subject}" in the modal window)
+  And %(I fill in "conversation_text" with "#{text}" in the modal window)
+  And %(I press "Send" in the modal window)
+  And %(I wait for the ajax to finish)
+end