diff --git a/sam/rest/message.go b/sam/rest/message.go
index 5d743ee85..d449aef25 100644
--- a/sam/rest/message.go
+++ b/sam/rest/message.go
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ package rest
 import (
 	"context"
 
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
 	"github.com/crusttech/crust/internal/payload"
 	"github.com/crusttech/crust/internal/payload/outgoing"
 	"github.com/crusttech/crust/sam/rest/request"
 	"github.com/crusttech/crust/sam/service"
 	"github.com/crusttech/crust/sam/types"
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 var _ = errors.Wrap
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ func (ctrl *Message) ReactionRemove(ctx context.Context, r *request.MessageReact
 }
 func (ctrl *Message) wrap(ctx context.Context) func(m *types.Message, err error) (*outgoing.Message, error) {
 	return func(m *types.Message, err error) (*outgoing.Message, error) {
-		if err != nil {
+		if err != nil || m == nil {
 			return nil, err
 		} else {
 			return payload.Message(ctx, m), nil
diff --git a/sam/service/message.go b/sam/service/message.go
index 3c06ab57b..fe05ab683 100644
--- a/sam/service/message.go
+++ b/sam/service/message.go
@@ -205,28 +205,28 @@ func (svc *message) Update(in *types.Message) (message *types.Message, err error
 	_ = currentUserID
 
 	return message, svc.db.Transaction(func() (err error) {
-		original, err := svc.message.FindMessageByID(in.ID)
+		message, err = svc.message.FindMessageByID(in.ID)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "Could not load message for editing")
 		}
 
-		if original.Message == in.Message {
+		if message.Message == in.Message {
 			// Nothing changed
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		if original.UserID != currentUserID {
+		if message.UserID != currentUserID {
 			return errors.New("Not an owner")
 		}
 
-		// Allow message content to be changed, ignore everything else
-		original.Message = in.Message
+		// Allow message content to be changed
+		message.Message = in.Message
 
-		if message, err = svc.message.UpdateMessage(original); err != nil {
+		if message, err = svc.message.UpdateMessage(message); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		return svc.sendEvent(original)
+		return svc.sendEvent(message)
 	})
 }