diff --git a/converse.js b/converse.js
index a6a8b2446..e777c3c2e 100644
--- a/converse.js
+++ b/converse.js
@@ -4250,7 +4250,7 @@
         this.XMPPStatus = Backbone.Model.extend({
             initialize: function () {
                 this.set({
-                    'status' : this.get('status') || 'online'
+                    'status' : this.getStatus()
                 });
                 this.on('change', $.proxy(function (item) {
                     if (this.get('fullname') === undefined) {
@@ -4270,12 +4270,14 @@
                 }, this));
             },
 
-            sendPresence: function (type) {
-                if (type === undefined) {
+            sendPresence: function (type, status_message) {
+                if (typeof type === 'undefined') {
                     type = this.get('status') || 'online';
                 }
-                var status_message = this.get('status_message'),
-                    presence;
+                if (typeof status_message === 'undefined') {
+                    status_message = this.get('status_message');
+                }
+                var presence;
                 // Most of these presence types are actually not explicitly sent,
                 // but I add all of them here fore reference and future proofing.
                 if ((type === 'unavailable') ||
@@ -4309,8 +4311,12 @@
                 this.save({'status': value});
             },
 
+            getStatus: function() {
+                return this.get('status') || 'online';
+            },
+
             setStatusMessage: function (status_message) {
-                converse.connection.send($pres().c('show').t(this.get('status')).up().c('status').t(status_message));
+                this.sendPresence(this.getStatus(), status_message);
                 this.save({'status_message': status_message});
                 if (this.xhr_custom_status) {
                     $.ajax({
diff --git a/docs/CHANGES.rst b/docs/CHANGES.rst
index 630b11d30..cd264d389 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/docs/CHANGES.rst
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Changelog
 * #304 Added Polish translations. [ser]
 * New Makefile.win to build in Windows environments. [gbonvehi]
 * Strophe.log and Strophe.error now uses converse.log to output messages. [gbonvehi]
+* #305 presence/show text in XMPP request isn't allowed by specification. [gbonvehi]
 
 0.8.6 (2014-12-07)
 ------------------
diff --git a/spec/xmppstatus.js b/spec/xmppstatus.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..560489af9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/xmppstatus.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+(function (root, factory) {
+    define([
+        "jquery",
+        "mock",
+        "test_utils"
+        ], function ($, mock, test_utils) {
+            return factory($, mock, test_utils);
+        }
+    );
+} (this, function ($, mock, test_utils) {
+    return describe("The XMPPStatus model", $.proxy(function(mock, test_utils) {
+        beforeEach($.proxy(function () {
+            window.localStorage.clear();
+            window.sessionStorage.clear();
+        }, converse));
+        it("won't send <show>online when setting a custom status message", $.proxy(function () {
+            this.xmppstatus.save({'status': 'online'});
+            spyOn(this.xmppstatus, 'setStatusMessage').andCallThrough();
+            spyOn(converse.connection, 'send');
+            this.xmppstatus.setStatusMessage("I'm also happy!");
+            runs (function () {
+                expect(converse.connection.send).toHaveBeenCalled();
+                var $stanza = $(converse.connection.send.argsForCall[0][0].tree());
+                expect($stanza.children().length).toBe(1);
+                expect($stanza.children('show').length).toBe(0);
+            });
+        }, converse));
+    }, converse, mock, test_utils));
+}));
diff --git a/tests/main.js b/tests/main.js
index 4a47fcb29..daca682cc 100644
--- a/tests/main.js
+++ b/tests/main.js
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ require([
                 "spec/chatroom",
                 "spec/minchats",
                 "spec/profiling",
-                "spec/register"
+                "spec/register",
+                "spec/xmppstatus"
             ], function () {
                 // Make sure this callback is only called once.
                 delete converse.callback;