diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/spark/ui/rooms/GroupChatRoom.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/spark/ui/rooms/GroupChatRoom.java
index 5639a6b3a..79b8920e5 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/spark/ui/rooms/GroupChatRoom.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/spark/ui/rooms/GroupChatRoom.java
@@ -406,10 +406,10 @@ public class GroupChatRoom extends ChatRoom
     @Override
     public void sendMessage( Message message )
     {
+        message.setTo( chat.getRoom() );
+        message.setType( Message.Type.groupchat );
         try
         {
-            message.setTo( chat.getRoom() );
-            message.setType( Message.Type.groupchat );
             MessageEventManager.addNotificationsRequests( message, true, true, true, true );
             addPacketID( message.getStanzaId() );