diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/ChatServerModel.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/ChatServerModel.groovy
index 0ae84a8d..463c8c11 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/ChatServerModel.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/ChatServerModel.groovy
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class ChatServerModel {
     @Observable boolean disconnectActionEnabled
     @Observable String buttonText = "Disconnect"
     @Observable ChatConnectionAttemptStatus status
+    @Observable boolean sayActionEnabled
 
     volatile ChatLink link    
     volatile Thread poller
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ class ChatServerModel {
             
         runInsideUIAsync {
             status = e.status
+            sayActionEnabled = status == ChatConnectionAttemptStatus.SUCCESSFUL
         }
 
         if (e.status == ChatConnectionAttemptStatus.SUCCESSFUL) {
diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomView.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomView.groovy
index 106d96d0..34fa6923 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomView.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/ChatRoomView.groovy
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import javax.swing.SwingConstants
 import javax.swing.SpringLayout.Constraints
 
 import com.muwire.core.Persona
+import com.muwire.core.chat.ChatConnectionAttemptStatus
 
 import java.awt.BorderLayout
 import java.awt.event.MouseAdapter
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ class ChatRoomView {
     
     void initUI() {
         int rowHeight = application.context.get("row-height")
+        def parentModel = mvcGroup.parentGroup.model
         if (model.console || model.privateChat) {
             pane = builder.panel {
                 borderLayout()
@@ -50,8 +52,8 @@ class ChatRoomView {
                 panel(constraints : BorderLayout.SOUTH) {
                     borderLayout()
                     label(text : "Say something here: ", constraints : BorderLayout.WEST)
-                    sayField = textField(actionPerformed : {controller.say()}, constraints : BorderLayout.CENTER)
-                    button(text : "Say", constraints : BorderLayout.EAST, sayAction)
+                    sayField = textField(enabled : bind {parentModel.sayActionEnabled}, actionPerformed : {controller.say()}, constraints : BorderLayout.CENTER)
+                    button(enabled : bind {parentModel.sayActionEnabled},text : "Say", constraints : BorderLayout.EAST, sayAction)
                 }
             }
         } else {
@@ -82,8 +84,8 @@ class ChatRoomView {
                 panel(constraints : BorderLayout.SOUTH) {
                     borderLayout()
                     label(text : "Say something here: ", constraints : BorderLayout.WEST)
-                    sayField = textField(actionPerformed : {controller.say()}, constraints : BorderLayout.CENTER)
-                    button(text : "Say", constraints : BorderLayout.EAST, sayAction)
+                    sayField = textField(enabled : bind {parentModel.sayActionEnabled}, actionPerformed : {controller.say()}, constraints : BorderLayout.CENTER)
+                    button(enabled : bind {parentModel.sayActionEnabled}, text : "Say", constraints : BorderLayout.EAST, sayAction)
                 }
 
             }