diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/ChatResource.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/ChatResource.tsx
index cbd5b3d21..59e8f5f5d 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/ChatResource.tsx
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/ChatResource.tsx
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ export function ChatResource(props: ChatResourceProps) {
         group={group}
         ship={owner}
         station={station}
+        allStations={Object.keys(props.inbox)}
         api={props.api}
         hideNicknames={props.hideNicknames}
         hideAvatars={props.hideAvatars}
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatMessage.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatMessage.tsx
index 28aa918eb..bd5e181b4 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatMessage.tsx
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatMessage.tsx
@@ -46,9 +46,12 @@ interface ChatMessageProps {
   className?: string;
   isPending: boolean;
   style?: any;
+  allStations: any;
   scrollWindow: HTMLDivElement;
   isLastMessage?: boolean;
   unreadMarkerRef: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement>;
+  history: any;
+  api: any;
 }
 
 export default class ChatMessage extends Component<ChatMessageProps> {
@@ -83,7 +86,10 @@ export default class ChatMessage extends Component<ChatMessageProps> {
       measure,
       scrollWindow,
       isLastMessage,
-      unreadMarkerRef
+      unreadMarkerRef,
+      allStations,
+      history,
+      api
     } = this.props;
 
     const renderSigil = Boolean((nextMsg && msg.author !== nextMsg.author) || !nextMsg || msg.number === 1);
@@ -112,6 +118,9 @@ export default class ChatMessage extends Component<ChatMessageProps> {
       style,
       containerClass,
       isPending,
+      allStations,
+      history,
+      api,
       scrollWindow
     };
 
@@ -145,6 +154,7 @@ interface MessageProps {
   containerClass: string;
   isPending: boolean;
   style: any;
+  allStations: any;
   measure(element): void;
   scrollWindow: HTMLDivElement;
 };
@@ -161,6 +171,9 @@ export class MessageWithSigil extends PureComponent<MessageProps> {
       hideAvatars,
       remoteContentPolicy,
       measure,
+      allStations,
+      history,
+      api,
       scrollWindow
     } = this.props;
 
@@ -194,6 +207,9 @@ export class MessageWithSigil extends PureComponent<MessageProps> {
           hideAvatars={hideAvatars}
           hideNicknames={hideNicknames}
           scrollWindow={scrollWindow}
+          allStations={allStations}
+          history={history}
+          api={api}
           className="fl pr3 v-top bg-white bg-gray0-d"
         />
         <div className="fr f8 clamp-message white-d" style={{ flexGrow: 1, marginTop: -12 }}>
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatWindow.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatWindow.tsx
index 899a22756..a8e25ba7b 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatWindow.tsx
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/ChatWindow.tsx
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ type ChatWindowProps = RouteComponentProps<{
   group: Group;
   ship: Patp;
   station: any;
+  allStations: any;
   api: GlobalApi;
   hideNicknames: boolean;
   hideAvatars: boolean;
@@ -127,7 +128,6 @@ export default class ChatWindow extends Component<ChatWindowProps, ChatWindowSta
     const { isChatMissing, history, envelopes, mailboxSize, stationPendingMessages, unreadCount } = this.props;
 
     if (isChatMissing) {
-      //  TODO: fix this and push a different route
       history.push("/~404");
     } else if (envelopes.length !== prevProps.envelopes.length && this.state.fetchPending) {
       this.setState({ fetchPending: false });
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ export default class ChatWindow extends Component<ChatWindowProps, ChatWindowSta
       hideAvatars,
       hideNicknames,
       remoteContentPolicy,
+      allStations,
+      history
     } = this.props;
 
     const unreadMarkerRef = this.unreadMarkerRef;
@@ -263,7 +265,7 @@ export default class ChatWindow extends Component<ChatWindowProps, ChatWindowSta
         lastMessage = mailboxSize + index;
       });
 
-    const messageProps = { association, group, contacts, hideAvatars, hideNicknames, remoteContentPolicy, unreadMarkerRef };
+    const messageProps = { association, group, contacts, hideAvatars, hideNicknames, remoteContentPolicy, unreadMarkerRef, allStations, history, api };
     
     return (
       <>
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/overlay-sigil.js b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/overlay-sigil.js
index 905c24449..af60055bf 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/overlay-sigil.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/overlay-sigil.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export class OverlaySigil extends PureComponent {
 
   render() {
     const { props, state } = this;
-    const { hideAvatars } = props;
+    const { hideAvatars, allStations } = props;
 
     const img = (props.contact && (props.contact.avatar !== null) && !hideAvatars)
       ? <img src={props.contact.avatar} height={16} width={16} className="dib" />
@@ -83,8 +83,11 @@ export class OverlaySigil extends PureComponent {
             association={props.association}
             group={props.group}
             onDismiss={this.profileHide}
+            allStations={allStations}
             hideAvatars={hideAvatars}
             hideNicknames={props.hideNicknames}
+            history={props.history}
+            api={props.api}
           />
         )}
         {img}
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/profile-overlay.js b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/profile-overlay.js
index 329578a83..efbcbb398 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/profile-overlay.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/chat/components/profile-overlay.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { cite } from '~/logic/lib/util';
 import { Sigil } from '~/logic/lib/sigil';
 
+import { Center, Button } from "@tlon/indigo-react";
+
 export const OVERLAY_HEIGHT = 250;
 
 export class ProfileOverlay extends PureComponent {
@@ -11,6 +13,7 @@ export class ProfileOverlay extends PureComponent {
 
     this.popoverRef = React.createRef();
     this.onDocumentClick = this.onDocumentClick.bind(this);
+    this.createAndRedirectToDM = this.createAndRedirectToDM.bind(this);
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
@@ -23,6 +26,42 @@ export class ProfileOverlay extends PureComponent {
     document.removeEventListener('touchstart', this.onDocumentClick);
   }
 
+  createAndRedirectToDM() {
+    const { api, ship, history, allStations } = this.props;
+    const station = `/~${window.ship}/dm--${ship}`;
+    const theirStation = `/~${ship}/dm--${window.ship}`;
+
+    if (allStations.indexOf(station) !== -1) {
+      history.push(`/~groups/home/resource/chat${station}`);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (allStations.indexOf(theirStation) !== -1) {
+      history.push(`/~groups/home/resource/chat${theirStation}`);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const groupPath = `/ship/~${window.ship}/dm--${ship}`;
+    const aud = ship !== window.ship ? [`~${ship}`] : [];
+    const title = `${cite(window.ship)} <-> ${cite(ship)}`;
+
+    api.chat.create(
+      title,
+      '',
+      station,
+      groupPath,
+      { invite: { pending: aud } },
+      aud,
+      true,
+      false
+    );
+
+    //  TODO: make a pretty loading state
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      history.push(`/~groups/home/resource/chat${station}`);
+    }, 5000);
+  }
+
   onDocumentClick(event) {
     const { popoverRef } = this;
     // Do nothing if clicking ref's element or descendent elements
@@ -65,11 +104,9 @@ export class ProfileOverlay extends PureComponent {
         />;
     const showNickname = contact?.nickname && !hideNicknames;
 
-      if (!group.hidden) {
-        img = <Link to={`/~groups/view${association['group-path']}/${ship}`}>{img}</Link>;
-      }
-
-    //  TODO: create a chat DM
+    if (!group.hidden) {
+      img = <Link to={`/~groups/view${association['group-path']}/${ship}`}>{img}</Link>;
+    }
 
     return (
       <div
@@ -78,20 +115,17 @@ export class ProfileOverlay extends PureComponent {
         className="flex-col shadow-6 br2 bg-white bg-gray0-d inter absolute z-1 f9 lh-solid"
       >
         <div style={{ height: '160px', width: '160px' }}>
-        {img}
+          {img}
         </div>
-        <div className="pv3 pl3 pr2">
+        <div className="pv3 pl3 pr3">
           {showNickname && (
             <div className="b white-d truncate">{contact.nickname}</div>
           )}
           <div className="mono gray2">{cite(`~${ship}`)}</div>
           {!isOwn && (
-            <Link
-              to={`/~todo/~${ship}`}
-              className="b--green0 b--green2-d b--solid ba green2 mt3 tc pa2 pointer db"
-            >
+            <Button mt={2} width="100%" onClick={this.createAndRedirectToDM}>
               Send Message
-            </Link>
+            </Button>
           )}
           {isOwn && (
             <Link