diff --git a/src/converse-chatboxes.js b/src/converse-chatboxes.js
index 16753f977..18c8ba00a 100644
--- a/src/converse-chatboxes.js
+++ b/src/converse-chatboxes.js
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@
                     return stanza;
                 },
 
-                sendMessageStanza (message, file) {
-                    const messageStanza = this.createMessageStanza(message, file);
+                sendMessageStanza (message) {
+                    const messageStanza = this.createMessageStanza(message);
                     _converse.connection.send(messageStanza);
                     if (_converse.forward_messages) {
                         // Forward the message, so that other connected resources are also aware of it.
diff --git a/src/converse-message-view.js b/src/converse-message-view.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..27ae01c92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/converse-message-view.js
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+// Converse.js
+// https://conversejs.org
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2012-2018, the Converse.js developers
+// Licensed under the Mozilla Public License (MPLv2)
+//
+(function (root, factory) {
+    define([
+            "converse-core",
+            "xss",
+            "emojione",
+            "tpl!action",
+            "tpl!message",
+            "tpl!spoiler_message"
+    ], factory);
+}(this, function (
+            converse,
+            xss,
+            emojione,
+            tpl_action,
+            tpl_message,
+            tpl_spoiler_message
+    ) {
+    "use strict";
+    const { Backbone, _, moment } = converse.env;
+    const u = converse.env.utils;
+
+
+    converse.plugins.add('converse-message-view', {
+
+        initialize () {
+            /* The initialize function gets called as soon as the plugin is
+             * loaded by converse.js's plugin machinery.
+             */
+            const { _converse } = this,
+                { __ } = _converse;
+
+            _converse.MessageView = Backbone.NativeView.extend({
+
+                initialize () {
+                    this.model.collection.chatbox.on('change:fullname', this.render, this);
+                    this.render();
+                },
+
+                render () {
+                    /* Renders a chat message based on the passed in attributes.
+                     *
+                     * Parameters:
+                     *  (Object) attrs: An object containing the message attributes.
+                     *
+                     *  Returns:
+                     *      The DOM element representing the message.
+                     */
+                    const chatbox = this.model.collection.chatbox;
+
+                    let text = this.model.get('message'),
+                        fullname = chatbox.get('fullname') || chatbox.get('jid'),
+                        template, username;
+
+                    const match = text.match(/^\/(.*?)(?: (.*))?$/);
+                    if ((match) && (match[1] === 'me')) {
+                        text = text.replace(/^\/me/, '');
+                        template = tpl_action;
+                        if (this.model.get('sender') === 'me') {
+                            fullname = _converse.xmppstatus.get('fullname') || this.model.get('fullname');
+                            username = _.isNil(fullname)? _converse.bare_jid: fullname;
+                        } else {
+                            username = this.model.get('fullname');
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        username = this.model.get('sender') === 'me' && __('me') || fullname;
+                        template = this.model.get('is_spoiler') ? tpl_spoiler_message : tpl_message;
+                    }
+                    text = u.geoUriToHttp(text, _converse);
+
+                    const msg_time = moment(this.model.get('time')) || moment;
+                    const msg = u.stringToElement(template(
+                        _.extend(this.model.toJSON(), {
+                            'time': msg_time.format(_converse.time_format),
+                            'isodate': msg_time.format(),
+                            'username': username,
+                            'extra_classes': this.getExtraMessageClasses(),
+                            'label_show': __('Show hidden message')
+                        })
+                    ));
+                    if (_converse.show_message_load_animation) {
+                        window.setTimeout(_.partial(u.removeClass, 'onload', msg), 2000);
+                    }
+                    const msg_content = msg.querySelector('.chat-msg-content');
+                    msg_content.innerHTML = u.addEmoji(
+                        _converse, emojione, u.addHyperlinks(xss.filterXSS(text, {'whiteList': {}}))
+                    );
+                    
+                    if (msg_content.textContent.endsWith('mp4')) {
+                        msg_content.innerHTML = u.renderMovieURLs(msg_content);
+                    } else if (msg_content.textContent.endsWith('mp3')) {
+                        msg_content.innerHTML = u.renderAudioURLs(msg_content); 
+                    } else {
+                        u.renderImageURLs(msg_content).then(() => {
+                            this.model.collection.trigger('rendered');
+                        });
+                    }
+                    if (!_.isNil(this.el.parentElement)) {
+                        this.el.parentElement.replaceChild(msg, this.el);
+                    }
+                    this.setElement(msg);
+                    return this.el;
+                },
+
+                getExtraMessageTemplateAttributes () {
+                    /* Provides a hook for sending more attributes to the
+                     * message template.
+                     *
+                     * Parameters:
+                     *  (Object) attrs: An object containing message attributes.
+                     */
+                    if (this.model.get('is_spoiler')) {
+                        return {};
+                    } else {
+                        return {}
+                    }
+                },
+
+                getExtraMessageClasses () {
+                    let extra_classes;
+                    if (_converse.show_message_load_animation) {
+                        extra_classes =  'onload ' + (this.model.get('delayed') && 'delayed' || '');
+                    } else {
+                        extra_classes = this.model.get('delayed') && 'delayed' || '';
+                    }
+                    if (this.model.get('type') === 'groupchat' && this.model.get('sender') === 'them') {
+                        if (this.model.collection.chatbox.isUserMentioned(this.model.get('message'))) {
+                            // Add special class to mark groupchat messages
+                            // in which we are mentioned.
+                            extra_classes += ' mentioned';
+                        }
+                    }
+                    return extra_classes;
+                }
+            });
+        }
+    });
+    return converse;
+}));
diff --git a/src/converse-muc-views.js b/src/converse-muc-views.js
index 45d426ce7..0fc408462 100644
--- a/src/converse-muc-views.js
+++ b/src/converse-muc-views.js
@@ -780,10 +780,10 @@
                     .c("x", {xmlns: "jabber:x:event"}).c(_converse.COMPOSING);
                     _converse.connection.send(msg);
                     this.model.messages.create({
-                        fullname: this.model.get('nick'),
-                        sender: 'me',
-                        time: moment().format(),
-                        message: text,
+                        'fullname': this.model.get('nick'),
+                        'sender': 'me',
+                        'time': moment().format(),
+                        'message': text,
                         msgid
                     });
                 },
@@ -826,18 +826,13 @@
                     this.showErrorMessage(__("Error: could not execute the command"), true);
                 },
 
-                // the notNeeded-Parameter is there so this method has the same amount of parameters as converse-chatview.js->onMessageSubmitted
-                // this allows to call the same method from diffrent plugins 
-                onMessageSubmitted (text, notNeeded = null, file = null) {
+                onMessageSubmitted (text, spoiler_hint) {
                     /* Gets called when the user presses enter to send off a
                      * message in a chat room.
                      *
                      * Parameters:
                      *    (String) text - The message text.
                      */
-                    if (file !== null) {
-                        return this.model.sendChatRoomFile(text,this.model.get('jid'));
-                    }
                     if (_converse.muc_disable_moderator_commands) {
                         return this.sendChatRoomMessage(text);
                     }