diff --git a/Changelog.md b/Changelog.md
index a98146806..3adaed5ba 100644
--- a/Changelog.md
+++ b/Changelog.md
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 * Leaving the `to` field blank when sending a private message causes a server error [#4227](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/issues/4227)
 * Fix hashtags that start a line when posting to Facebook or Twitter [#3768](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/issues/3768) [#4154](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/issues/4154)
 * Show avatar of recent user in conversation list [#4237](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/issues/4237)
+* Private message fails if contact not entered correctly [#4210](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/issues/4210)
 
 ## Features
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/view.js
index 108939594..6bc5cc3e7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/view.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ var View = {
     /* Clear forms after successful submit, this is some legacy dan hanson stuff, do we still want it? */
     $.fn.clearForm = function() {
       return this.each(function() {
-        if ($(this).is('form')) {
+        if ($(this).is('form') && !$(this).hasClass('form_do_not_clear')) {
           return $(':input', this).clearForm();
         }
         if ($(this).hasClass('clear_on_submit') || $(this).is(':text') || $(this).is(':password') || $(this).is('textarea')) {
diff --git a/app/controllers/conversations_controller.rb b/app/controllers/conversations_controller.rb
index c566746fe..986bcc145 100644
--- a/app/controllers/conversations_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/conversations_controller.rb
@@ -39,20 +39,22 @@ class ConversationsController < ApplicationController
     message_text = params[:conversation].delete(:text)
     params[:conversation][:messages_attributes] = [ {:author => current_user.person, :text => message_text }]
 
+    @response = {}
     @conversation = Conversation.new(params[:conversation])
     if person_ids.present? && @conversation.save
       Postzord::Dispatcher.build(current_user, @conversation).post
-      flash[:notice] = I18n.t('conversations.create.sent')
+      @response[:success] = true
+      @response[:message] = I18n.t('conversations.create.sent')
+      @response[:conversation_id] = @conversation.id
     else
-      flash[:error] = I18n.t('conversations.create.fail')
+      @response[:success] = false
+      @response[:message] = I18n.t('conversations.create.fail')
       if person_ids.blank?
-        flash[:error] = I18n.t('conversations.create.no_contact')
+        @response[:message] = I18n.t('conversations.create.no_contact')
       end
     end
-    if params[:profile]
-      redirect_to person_path(params[:profile])
-    else
-      redirect_to conversations_path(:conversation_id => @conversation.id)
+    respond_to do |format|
+      format.js
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/views/conversations/create.js.erb b/app/views/conversations/create.js.erb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21912cebc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/conversations/create.js.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+var response = <%= raw @response.to_json %>;
+<% if session[:mobile_view] %>
+  window.location.href = "<%= conversations_path(conversation_id: @conversation.id) %>";
+<% else %>
+  Diaspora.page.flashMessages.render({ 'success':response.success, 'notice':response.message });
+  if(response.success){
+    $("#new_conversation").removeClass('form_do_not_clear').clearForm();
+    $.facebox.close();
+    window.location.href = "<%= conversations_path(conversation_id: @conversation.id) %>";
+  }
+<% end %>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/conversations/new.haml b/app/views/conversations/new.haml
index 484534866..36c10b4fd 100644
--- a/app/views/conversations/new.haml
+++ b/app/views/conversations/new.haml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
       %h3
         = t('conversations.index.new_message')
 
-    = form_for Conversation.new do |conversation|
+    = form_for Conversation.new, html: {class: "new_conversation form_do_not_clear"}, remote: true do |conversation|
 
       .span-2
         %h4
diff --git a/spec/controllers/conversations_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/conversations_controller_spec.rb
index fed371a3f..58e065fec 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/conversations_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/conversations_controller_spec.rb
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ describe ConversationsController do
         }.should change(Message, :count).by(1)
       end
 
+      it 'should set response with success to true and message to success message' do
+        post :create, @hash
+        assigns[:response][:success].should == true
+        assigns[:response][:message].should == I18n.t('conversations.create.sent')
+        assigns[:response][:conversation_id].should == Conversation.first.id
+      end
+
       it 'sets the author to the current_user' do
         @hash[:author] = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
         post :create, @hash
@@ -143,6 +150,13 @@ describe ConversationsController do
           post :create, @hash
         }.should change(Message, :count).by(1)
       end
+
+      it 'should set response with success to true and message to success message' do
+        post :create, @hash
+        assigns[:response][:success].should == true
+        assigns[:response][:message].should == I18n.t('conversations.create.sent')
+        assigns[:response][:conversation_id].should == Conversation.first.id
+      end
     end
 
     context 'with empty text' do
@@ -167,6 +181,12 @@ describe ConversationsController do
           post :create, @hash
         }.should_not change(Message, :count).by(1)
       end
+
+      it 'should set response with success to false and message to create fail' do
+        post :create, @hash
+        assigns[:response][:success].should == false
+        assigns[:response][:message].should == I18n.t('conversations.create.fail')
+      end
     end
 
     context 'with empty contact' do
@@ -191,6 +211,12 @@ describe ConversationsController do
           post :create, @hash
         }.should_not change(Message, :count).by(1)
       end
+
+      it 'should set response with success to false and message to fail due to no contact' do
+        post :create, @hash
+        assigns[:response][:success].should == false
+        assigns[:response][:message].should == I18n.t('conversations.create.no_contact')
+      end
     end
 
     context 'with nil contact' do